OPT Applied AI Engineer Jobs
Applied AI Engineer jobs are among the most actively sponsored roles for F-1 OPT students, with employers regularly filing H-1B visa petitions for engineers who build and deploy production AI systems. Most roles require a degree in computer science, machine learning, or a related field, and STEM OPT extension eligibility is nearly universal in this category.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 and has become a leader in autonomous ground transportation committed to a safer and more efficient future for all. The company has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) powered technology stack purpose-built for commercial trucking and the public sector. The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the southern United States using its autonomous technology. In 2024, Kodiak became the first known company to publicly announce delivering a driverless semi-truck to a customer. Kodiak is also leveraging its commercial self-driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Kodiak is seeking a world-class Applied AI Engineer to design and build the AI Flywheel - the closed-loop system that powers continuous learning across our fleet of autonomous trucks.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In this role, you will own the architecture and automation of a complete data-to-model flywheel: from mining hard edge cases, to orchestrating distributed training pipelines, to deploying models across our large-scale AI infrastructure. Your work will ensure that our models improve rapidly and continuously with every mile driven.
In this role, you will:
- Design and implement the end-to-end AI Flywheel, platforms for training, validation, deployment, and building a robust automated system.
- Build and maintain multi-node distributed training pipelines using tools like PyTorch DDP, Horovod, or Ray.
- Develop smart data mining and active learning strategies to prioritize valuable training data from petabyte-scale logs.
- Automate model evaluation and selection pipelines to support rapid iteration and closed-loop deployment.
- Build infrastructure for seamless model image packaging, validation, and rollout across Kodiak's autonomous fleet and AI platform.
- Ensure that the flywheel is reliable, reproducible, and scalable, capable of learning from millions of real-world miles.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What you'll bring:
- Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience building production-grade ML infrastructure or model pipelines.
- Deep proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow).
- Experience with distributed training and pipeline orchestration (e.g., Airflow, Kubeflow, Dagster).
- Strong engineering fundamentals, debugging skills, and ability to scale systems.
- Passion for turning real-world data into self-improving AI systems.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Ideal candidate will also bring:
- Experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or other sensor-rich real-world ML systems.
- Prior work with self-supervised learning, active learning, or large-scale data curation.
- Familiarity with containerization (Docker), model packaging, and deployment workflows.
- Comfort working in cross-functional teams with research scientists, infra engineers, and robotics experts.
- A mindset of ownership, experimentation, and systematic improvement.
WHAT WE OFFER
- Competitive compensation package including equity and annual bonuses
- Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans through Kaiser Permanente, Cigna, and MetLife (including a medical plan with infertility benefits)
- MetLife Legal Services, Identity & Fraud Protection, Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Accident Insurance, & Critical Illness Insurance
- Flexible PTO, 10 paid holidays, and generous parental leave policies
- Our office is centrally located in Mountain View, CA
- Office perks: dog-friendly, free catered lunch, a fully stocked kitchen, and free EV charging
- Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance
- Wellbeing Benefits - Headspace through Cigna, Calm through Kaiser, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health through Cigna, Rula (mental health navigation)
- Fidelity 401(k)
- Commuter, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA
- Various incentive programs (referral bonuses, patent bonuses, etc.)
At Kodiak, we strive to build a diverse community working towards our common company goals in a safe and collaborative environment where harassment of any kind is strictly prohibited. Kodiak is committed to equal opportunity employment regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
In alignment with its business operations, Kodiak adheres to all relevant statutes, regulations, and administrative prerequisites. Accordingly, roles that carry more sensitive requirements may be limited to candidates that can satisfy additional scrutiny and eligibility for such positions may hinge on verification of a candidate's residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status. Should the position require, and Kodiak determines that a candidate's residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status necessitate an export license, bar the candidate from the position, or otherwise fall under national security-related restrictions, Kodiak will consider the candidate for alternative positions unaffected by such restrictions, under terms and conditions set forth at Kodiak's sole discretion, or, as an alternative, opt not to proceed with the candidate's application. If applicable, Kodiak may provide visa sponsorship for eligible candidates.
We use a third-party AI tool (Endorsed) to assist in the initial screening of applications. As part of the evaluation process, we provide Endorsed with job requirements and candidate-submitted applications. Final hiring decisions are made by our human recruitment team, and no automated system makes the ultimate decision regarding hiring. Certain features of the platform may qualify it as an Automated Employment Decision Tool (AEDT) under applicable regulations. We began using Endorsed on January 1, 2026. You can review the independent bias audit report covering our use of Endorsed here. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your application may be processed by AI systems as part of the screening and selection process. If you have any questions or would like to request a separate review of your application, please contact careers@kodiak.ai with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.
INTRODUCTION
Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 and has become a leader in autonomous ground transportation committed to a safer and more efficient future for all. The company has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) powered technology stack purpose-built for commercial trucking and the public sector. The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the southern United States using its autonomous technology. In 2024, Kodiak became the first known company to publicly announce delivering a driverless semi-truck to a customer. Kodiak is also leveraging its commercial self-driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Kodiak is seeking a world-class Applied AI Engineer to design and build the AI Flywheel - the closed-loop system that powers continuous learning across our fleet of autonomous trucks.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In this role, you will own the architecture and automation of a complete data-to-model flywheel: from mining hard edge cases, to orchestrating distributed training pipelines, to deploying models across our large-scale AI infrastructure. Your work will ensure that our models improve rapidly and continuously with every mile driven.
In this role, you will:
- Design and implement the end-to-end AI Flywheel, platforms for training, validation, deployment, and building a robust automated system.
- Build and maintain multi-node distributed training pipelines using tools like PyTorch DDP, Horovod, or Ray.
- Develop smart data mining and active learning strategies to prioritize valuable training data from petabyte-scale logs.
- Automate model evaluation and selection pipelines to support rapid iteration and closed-loop deployment.
- Build infrastructure for seamless model image packaging, validation, and rollout across Kodiak's autonomous fleet and AI platform.
- Ensure that the flywheel is reliable, reproducible, and scalable, capable of learning from millions of real-world miles.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What you'll bring:
- Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience building production-grade ML infrastructure or model pipelines.
- Deep proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow).
- Experience with distributed training and pipeline orchestration (e.g., Airflow, Kubeflow, Dagster).
- Strong engineering fundamentals, debugging skills, and ability to scale systems.
- Passion for turning real-world data into self-improving AI systems.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Ideal candidate will also bring:
- Experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or other sensor-rich real-world ML systems.
- Prior work with self-supervised learning, active learning, or large-scale data curation.
- Familiarity with containerization (Docker), model packaging, and deployment workflows.
- Comfort working in cross-functional teams with research scientists, infra engineers, and robotics experts.
- A mindset of ownership, experimentation, and systematic improvement.
WHAT WE OFFER
- Competitive compensation package including equity and annual bonuses
- Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans through Kaiser Permanente, Cigna, and MetLife (including a medical plan with infertility benefits)
- MetLife Legal Services, Identity & Fraud Protection, Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Accident Insurance, & Critical Illness Insurance
- Flexible PTO, 10 paid holidays, and generous parental leave policies
- Our office is centrally located in Mountain View, CA
- Office perks: dog-friendly, free catered lunch, a fully stocked kitchen, and free EV charging
- Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance
- Wellbeing Benefits - Headspace through Cigna, Calm through Kaiser, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health through Cigna, Rula (mental health navigation)
- Fidelity 401(k)
- Commuter, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA
- Various incentive programs (referral bonuses, patent bonuses, etc.)
At Kodiak, we strive to build a diverse community working towards our common company goals in a safe and collaborative environment where harassment of any kind is strictly prohibited. Kodiak is committed to equal opportunity employment regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
In alignment with its business operations, Kodiak adheres to all relevant statutes, regulations, and administrative prerequisites. Accordingly, roles that carry more sensitive requirements may be limited to candidates that can satisfy additional scrutiny and eligibility for such positions may hinge on verification of a candidate's residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status. Should the position require, and Kodiak determines that a candidate's residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status necessitate an export license, bar the candidate from the position, or otherwise fall under national security-related restrictions, Kodiak will consider the candidate for alternative positions unaffected by such restrictions, under terms and conditions set forth at Kodiak's sole discretion, or, as an alternative, opt not to proceed with the candidate's application. If applicable, Kodiak may provide visa sponsorship for eligible candidates.
We use a third-party AI tool (Endorsed) to assist in the initial screening of applications. As part of the evaluation process, we provide Endorsed with job requirements and candidate-submitted applications. Final hiring decisions are made by our human recruitment team, and no automated system makes the ultimate decision regarding hiring. Certain features of the platform may qualify it as an Automated Employment Decision Tool (AEDT) under applicable regulations. We began using Endorsed on January 1, 2026. You can review the independent bias audit report covering our use of Endorsed here. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your application may be processed by AI systems as part of the screening and selection process. If you have any questions or would like to request a separate review of your application, please contact careers@kodiak.ai with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.
See all 216+ OPT Applied AI Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Applied AI Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an Applied AI Engineer
Target companies with active AI infrastructure teams
Companies building internal AI platforms, not just integrating third-party APIs, are far more likely to sponsor. Look for job postings that mention model fine-tuning, inference optimization, or LLM deployment pipelines as indicators of serious AI engineering investment.
Lead with production deployment experience
Employers distinguish Applied AI Engineers from researchers by deployment track record. Highlight any experience shipping models to production, managing latency constraints, or building evaluation frameworks rather than leading with academic research or Jupyter notebook projects.
Understand your STEM OPT timeline before applying
Standard OPT gives you 12 months. A STEM extension adds 24 more, totaling 36 months. Computer science and related degrees almost always qualify. Knowing your exact end dates helps you time applications and negotiate start dates with confidence.
Frame your H-1B sponsorship ask as a process, not a favor
Many employers are unfamiliar with OPT-to-H-1B visa timelines. Explain that STEM OPT covers you through multiple H-1B lottery cycles, reducing their urgency. Framing it as a straightforward process with a clear runway removes the perception of risk.
Build a portfolio around measurable AI system outcomes
Applied AI roles favor engineers who can show business impact. Document projects with specific metrics: latency reductions, accuracy improvements, cost-per-inference figures, or user adoption numbers. Concrete outcomes signal readiness for production engineering, not just prototyping.
Browse OPT-friendly Applied AI Engineer roles on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate surfaces Applied AI Engineer jobs from employers with a demonstrated history of sponsoring F-1 OPT candidates. Filtering by sponsorship history before applying saves time and increases the likelihood your application lands with a visa-ready employer.
Applied AI Engineer OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as an Applied AI Engineer on F-1 OPT without an H-1B?
Yes. F-1 OPT authorizes full-time employment in roles directly related to your degree, and Applied AI Engineering almost always qualifies under computer science, electrical engineering, or a related STEM field. Standard OPT covers 12 months. If your degree is STEM-designated, you can apply for a 24-month extension, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization before needing H-1B or another visa.
Does an Applied AI Engineer role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
In nearly every case, yes. Applied AI Engineering requires skills in machine learning, software systems, or data science, all of which map directly to CIP codes that qualify for STEM OPT. Your employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify, which most companies of meaningful size already satisfy. Confirm your specific degree's CIP code with your DSO to be certain before applying for the extension.
How many H-1B lottery cycles does my OPT cover as an Applied AI Engineer?
With a STEM OPT extension, you have 36 months of work authorization. The H-1B lottery runs each spring for an October 1 start date. Depending on when your OPT begins, you may be eligible for two or three lottery cycles before your authorization expires. Applied AI Engineers are among the most commonly sponsored H-1B roles, so employers in this space are generally familiar with the timeline.
What should I look for in an employer to ensure they'll sponsor my visa?
Look for employers who have previously filed H-1B petitions, are enrolled in E-Verify, and have dedicated HR or legal teams familiar with immigration processes. Larger tech companies, AI-focused startups with institutional funding, and enterprises with established engineering departments are the most reliable sponsors. Migrate Mate filters Applied AI Engineer jobs by sponsorship history so you can focus your search on employers already set up to support OPT candidates.
Does my job function need to match my degree exactly for OPT to be valid?
Not exactly, but the role must be directly related to your degree field. An Applied AI Engineer role requiring knowledge of machine learning, statistical modeling, or software engineering aligns with degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, and similar disciplines. Your DSO makes the final determination, but most Applied AI roles are well within the acceptable scope for STEM degree holders on OPT.