AI Research Scientist Jobs for OPT Students
AI Research Scientist roles are among the most OPT-friendly positions in tech, most require advanced degrees in computer science, machine learning, or a related field, which aligns well with F-1 students. STEM OPT extension eligibility gives you up to three years of work authorization, and many employers in this space actively recruit international researchers.
See All AI Research Scientist JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 143+ AI Research Scientist jobs
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
See all 143+ AI Research Scientist jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new AI Research Scientist roles.
Get Access To All JobsAbout SandboxAQ
SandboxAQ is a high-growth company delivering AI solutions that address some of the world's greatest challenges. The company’s Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) power advances in life sciences, financial services, navigation, cybersecurity, and other sectors.
We are a global team that is tech-focused and includes experts in AI, chemistry, cybersecurity, physics, mathematics, medicine, engineering, and other specialties. The company emerged from Alphabet Inc. as an independent, growth capital-backed company in 2022, funded by leading investors and supported by a braintrust of industry leaders.
At SandboxAQ, we’ve cultivated an environment that encourages creativity, collaboration, and impact. By investing deeply in our people, we’re building a thriving, global workforce poised to tackle the world's epic challenges. Join us to advance your career in pursuit of an inspiring mission, in a community of like-minded people who value entrepreneurialism, ownership, and transformative impact.
The Opportunity
The SandboxAQ AI Generation Engine team is looking for a PostDoc Resident for a 12-month, full-time research opportunity. In this role, you will help us build foundational models for life sciences and financial simulations. We are interested in candidates with a strong theoretical background and interest in frontier research, who can apply those foundations and implement them in practice.
A successful candidate will be comfortable building models from scratch including (but not limited to): Data Acquisition and Curation, Infrastructure, Pre-Training, Evaluations, and Fine-Tuning. They will also be able to design and develop software systems around those models in close collaboration with other team members.
They will be part of a diverse team consisting of software engineers, ML experts, products managers and user experience researchers, where they will play a key role in efficient and effective enablement of the cutting-edge technologies being developed at SandboxAQ.
Note: This is a 12-month, full-time fellowship focused on frontier research in a production setting. To see how our fellows contribute to the ecosystem, please learn more about our residency program here.
Key Responsibilities
- Perform exploratory data analysis and feature engineering on vast quantities of data
- Train ML models using the latest ML frameworks
- Work with the engineering team to integrate research outcomes into the product portfolio
- Present the work to broad audiences from academic to industry
Essential Skills & Experience
- PhD in Machine Learning, Data Science, Computer Science, Physics or related field with a strong focus on Machine Learning and Life Sciences or Finance
- Strong experience in Python, and ML frameworks such as Huggingface Transformers, LangChain, Tensorflow or PyTorch
- Successful research track record in the field of ML
Highly Desired Skills & Experience
- Experience building foundational models
- Experience contributing to open source projects
- Experience with cloud computing platforms (e.g., GCP, AWS)
- Experience in the life sciences and/or finance is a plus, but not essential
SandboxAQ Welcomes All
We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging and respect, where diverse perspectives are actively sought and valued. Our multidisciplinary environment provides ample opportunity for continuous growth - working alongside humble, empowered, and ambitious colleagues ready to tackle epic challenges.
Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status.
Accommodations: We provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in job application procedures for open roles. If you need such an accommodation, please let a member of our Recruiting team know.
Read: Guidance for candidates on using AI Tools in interviews.
About SandboxAQ
SandboxAQ is a high-growth company delivering AI solutions that address some of the world's greatest challenges. The company’s Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) power advances in life sciences, financial services, navigation, cybersecurity, and other sectors.
We are a global team that is tech-focused and includes experts in AI, chemistry, cybersecurity, physics, mathematics, medicine, engineering, and other specialties. The company emerged from Alphabet Inc. as an independent, growth capital-backed company in 2022, funded by leading investors and supported by a braintrust of industry leaders.
At SandboxAQ, we’ve cultivated an environment that encourages creativity, collaboration, and impact. By investing deeply in our people, we’re building a thriving, global workforce poised to tackle the world's epic challenges. Join us to advance your career in pursuit of an inspiring mission, in a community of like-minded people who value entrepreneurialism, ownership, and transformative impact.
The Opportunity
The SandboxAQ AI Generation Engine team is looking for a PostDoc Resident for a 12-month, full-time research opportunity. In this role, you will help us build foundational models for life sciences and financial simulations. We are interested in candidates with a strong theoretical background and interest in frontier research, who can apply those foundations and implement them in practice.
A successful candidate will be comfortable building models from scratch including (but not limited to): Data Acquisition and Curation, Infrastructure, Pre-Training, Evaluations, and Fine-Tuning. They will also be able to design and develop software systems around those models in close collaboration with other team members.
They will be part of a diverse team consisting of software engineers, ML experts, products managers and user experience researchers, where they will play a key role in efficient and effective enablement of the cutting-edge technologies being developed at SandboxAQ.
Note: This is a 12-month, full-time fellowship focused on frontier research in a production setting. To see how our fellows contribute to the ecosystem, please learn more about our residency program here.
Key Responsibilities
- Perform exploratory data analysis and feature engineering on vast quantities of data
- Train ML models using the latest ML frameworks
- Work with the engineering team to integrate research outcomes into the product portfolio
- Present the work to broad audiences from academic to industry
Essential Skills & Experience
- PhD in Machine Learning, Data Science, Computer Science, Physics or related field with a strong focus on Machine Learning and Life Sciences or Finance
- Strong experience in Python, and ML frameworks such as Huggingface Transformers, LangChain, Tensorflow or PyTorch
- Successful research track record in the field of ML
Highly Desired Skills & Experience
- Experience building foundational models
- Experience contributing to open source projects
- Experience with cloud computing platforms (e.g., GCP, AWS)
- Experience in the life sciences and/or finance is a plus, but not essential
SandboxAQ Welcomes All
We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging and respect, where diverse perspectives are actively sought and valued. Our multidisciplinary environment provides ample opportunity for continuous growth - working alongside humble, empowered, and ambitious colleagues ready to tackle epic challenges.
Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status.
Accommodations: We provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in job application procedures for open roles. If you need such an accommodation, please let a member of our Recruiting team know.
Read: Guidance for candidates on using AI Tools in interviews.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship as an AI Research Scientist
Target research-heavy employers
Companies with dedicated AI research labs, think large tech firms and university spinouts, are far more likely to sponsor OPT than generalist employers. Their hiring pipelines are built around international researchers with advanced degrees.
Lead with your research output
Publications, conference presentations, and GitHub repositories carry more weight for AI Research Scientist roles than job history. Highlight first-author papers and accepted submissions to NeurIPS, ICML, or ICLR prominently on your resume and application.
Confirm your STEM OPT eligibility early
Most AI Research Scientist roles qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you three years total. Verify your degree program CIP code with your DSO before applying so you can communicate your full authorization window to employers.
Address OPT timing proactively
Employers worry about authorization gaps more than the visa itself. Know your OPT start date, expiration, and STEM extension deadline, and be ready to walk a hiring manager through the timeline clearly during early conversations.
Align your specialty with employer roadmaps
Generative AI, reinforcement learning, and multimodal systems are active research priorities at many labs. Framing your PhD work or postdoc research around a specific technical area an employer is investing in strengthens your case significantly.
Use Migrate Mate to find OPT-ready roles
Not every employer understands OPT. Migrate Mate surfaces AI Research Scientist positions from companies already familiar with sponsoring international researchers, so you spend less time filtering and more time applying to genuinely viable opportunities.
AI Research Scientist jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find AI Research Scientist JobsSee all 143+ AI Research Scientist jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new AI Research Scientist roles.
Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Do AI Research Scientist roles qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, in most cases. AI Research Scientist positions typically fall under CIP codes in computer science, electrical engineering, or mathematics, all STEM-designated fields. If your degree program is STEM-classified, you can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to three years of work authorization total. Confirm your specific CIP code with your DSO before assuming eligibility.
Do I need a PhD to get an AI Research Scientist job on OPT?
A PhD is standard for research scientist roles at major AI labs, but some companies hire MS graduates into research scientist or associate researcher positions. If you hold an MS, focus on employers with applied research teams rather than pure research labs. Your publication record and demonstrated research output will matter more than the degree level alone.
How do I find AI Research Scientist jobs that sponsor OPT?
The challenge isn't finding AI research roles, it's identifying which employers already understand OPT authorization. Migrate Mate filters for companies with a track record of hiring international researchers on OPT and H-1B, so you can focus your applications on employers who won't drop you at the offer stage over visa questions.
Can I work on a research project independently while on OPT?
OPT requires that your employment be directly related to your degree field, but independent consulting or contract research can qualify as long as it's legitimate work in your field and you track your employment properly. Unpaid self-directed projects don't count toward your employment requirement. Any gap of 90 days or more of unemployment while on OPT can jeopardize your status.
What happens to my OPT if my employer's H-1B petition for me isn't selected in the lottery?
If your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf and it isn't selected, your OPT remains valid until its expiration date. If you have a STEM OPT extension, you can continue working under that authorization. Many AI research employers will refile in the next lottery cycle. It's worth discussing this scenario openly with your employer before accepting an offer.
See which AI Research Scientist employers are hiring and sponsoring visas right now.
Search AI Research Scientist Jobs