OPT Cloud Infrastructure Engineer Jobs
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer jobs are among the most OPT-friendly roles in tech. Most positions qualify as STEM OPT extensions, giving you up to three years of work authorization. Employers in this space regularly sponsor H-1B visas, making this one of the stronger long-term paths for F-1 students.
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Get Access To All JobsPosition Type Staff
Position Eclass EP - EHRA 12 mo leave earning
University Information
Located in North Carolina’s third largest city, UNC Greensboro is among the most diverse, learner-centered public research universities in the state, with 18,000 students in eight colleges and schools pursuing more than 150 areas of undergraduate and over 200 areas of graduate study. UNCG continues to be recognized nationally for academic excellence, access, and affordability. UNCG is ranked No. 1 most affordable institution in North Carolina for net cost by the N.Y. Times and No. 1 in North Carolina for social mobility by The Wall Street Journal — helping first-generation and lower-income students find paths to prosperity. Designated an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, UNCG is a community-engaged research institution with a portfolio of more than $67M in research and creative activity. The University’s 2,600 staff help create an annual economic impact for the Piedmont Triad region in excess of $1B.
Primary Purpose of the Organizational Unit
Enterprise Technology Infrastructure designs, implements, administers, and supports the University’s Azure cloud infrastructure, on premises VMware infrastructure, Linux and Windows servers, configuration management services, and certificate lifecycle processes. The group maintains these services and works with ITS teams and University customers to meet institutional infrastructure needs.
Position Summary
The primary purpose of this position is to design, implement, administer, and support the University’s Azure cloud infrastructure, on premises VMware infrastructure supporting approximately 200 virtual machines, and enterprise Linux and Windows servers. The position performs server lifecycle administration, including patching, service validation, incident response, capacity management, and configuration automation with Ansible, PowerShell, and related tools. It also develops and supports automated SSL/TLS certificate lifecycle processes for discovery, renewal, deployment, validation, and expiration monitoring. The Cloud Infrastructure Engineer works within established architecture, security, and change management standards, documents supported systems, collaborates with ITS staff and service owners, and provides tier three support. This position is eligible for full time telework.
Minimum Qualifications
Mid-career with Masters and 1-2 yrs experience; or Bachelors and 2-4 yrs experience; or Equivalent combination of education/experience
Preferred Qualifications
Special Instructions to Applicants
Recruitment Range Salary commensurate with experience
Org # - Department Info Technology Services - 23101
Job Open Date 10/30/2026
Open Until Filled Yes
FTE 1.000
Type of Appointment Permanent
Number of Months per Year 12
FLSA Exempt
Position Type Staff
Position Eclass EP - EHRA 12 mo leave earning
University Information
Located in North Carolina’s third largest city, UNC Greensboro is among the most diverse, learner-centered public research universities in the state, with 18,000 students in eight colleges and schools pursuing more than 150 areas of undergraduate and over 200 areas of graduate study. UNCG continues to be recognized nationally for academic excellence, access, and affordability. UNCG is ranked No. 1 most affordable institution in North Carolina for net cost by the N.Y. Times and No. 1 in North Carolina for social mobility by The Wall Street Journal — helping first-generation and lower-income students find paths to prosperity. Designated an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, UNCG is a community-engaged research institution with a portfolio of more than $67M in research and creative activity. The University’s 2,600 staff help create an annual economic impact for the Piedmont Triad region in excess of $1B.
Primary Purpose of the Organizational Unit
Enterprise Technology Infrastructure designs, implements, administers, and supports the University’s Azure cloud infrastructure, on premises VMware infrastructure, Linux and Windows servers, configuration management services, and certificate lifecycle processes. The group maintains these services and works with ITS teams and University customers to meet institutional infrastructure needs.
Position Summary
The primary purpose of this position is to design, implement, administer, and support the University’s Azure cloud infrastructure, on premises VMware infrastructure supporting approximately 200 virtual machines, and enterprise Linux and Windows servers. The position performs server lifecycle administration, including patching, service validation, incident response, capacity management, and configuration automation with Ansible, PowerShell, and related tools. It also develops and supports automated SSL/TLS certificate lifecycle processes for discovery, renewal, deployment, validation, and expiration monitoring. The Cloud Infrastructure Engineer works within established architecture, security, and change management standards, documents supported systems, collaborates with ITS staff and service owners, and provides tier three support. This position is eligible for full time telework.
Minimum Qualifications
Mid-career with Masters and 1-2 yrs experience; or Bachelors and 2-4 yrs experience; or Equivalent combination of education/experience
Preferred Qualifications
Special Instructions to Applicants
Recruitment Range Salary commensurate with experience
Org # - Department Info Technology Services - 23101
Job Open Date 10/30/2026
Open Until Filled Yes
FTE 1.000
Type of Appointment Permanent
Number of Months per Year 12
FLSA Exempt
See all 96+ OPT Cloud Infrastructure Engineer Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Cloud Infrastructure Engineer
Verify your role qualifies for STEM OPT
Cloud Infrastructure Engineering typically falls under CIP codes for computer science or information technology, making it STEM OPT eligible. Confirm your degree matches before applying so you can communicate your full three-year authorization timeline to employers confidently.
Lead with your cloud certifications
AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure certifications signal job-readiness to hiring managers and reduce perceived sponsorship risk. Listing active certifications prominently on your resume helps employers see you as a low-friction hire, especially at companies already using those platforms.
Target companies with cloud-native infrastructure
SaaS companies, fintech firms, and large technology employers run infrastructure at scale and hire cloud engineers regularly. These organizations have established immigration programs and are far more likely to sponsor H-1B visas than companies with smaller or legacy IT environments.
Communicate your OPT timeline proactively
Tell recruiters early that you have up to three years of STEM OPT authorization. Many hiring managers conflate OPT with short-term authorization. Framing three years upfront resets that assumption and positions you more like a long-term hire than a temporary worker.
Highlight infrastructure-as-code experience
Proficiency with Terraform, Pulumi, or Ansible addresses a consistent hiring gap at sponsoring employers. Concrete examples of infrastructure automation in your portfolio demonstrate specialized skills that are harder to source locally, which strengthens the business case for sponsorship.
Research employer H-1B filing history before applying
Public USCIS and Department of Labor disclosure data shows which companies have sponsored H-1B visas for cloud and infrastructure roles. Prioritizing employers with a demonstrated sponsorship track record significantly improves your odds of receiving an offer that leads to long-term status.
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Cloud Infrastructure Engineer role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not just the job title. If your degree is in computer science, computer engineering, information technology, or a closely related STEM field, Cloud Infrastructure Engineer roles will generally qualify. You'll need your employer to sign a formal training plan (Form I-983), and your school's DSO must authorize the STEM extension before your initial 12-month OPT period expires.
How do I find Cloud Infrastructure Engineer jobs where employers are open to OPT?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT and STEM OPT students, so the jobs listed there are filtered for visa-friendly employers rather than requiring you to screen hundreds of general postings. Cloud infrastructure roles from companies with active H-1B sponsorship histories are among the most common listings. Searching there saves significant time compared to applying broadly and discovering late in the process that a company won't sponsor.
Can I work as a contractor or through a staffing agency on OPT as a Cloud Infrastructure Engineer?
Yes, but with important restrictions. You must have a bona fide employer-employee relationship, meaning a staffing agency that places you at a client site must still function as your legal employer on record. The work must be directly related to your degree field. Arrangements where you function as an independent contractor without a true employer are not permitted on OPT and could jeopardize your status.
What cloud skills are most commonly required by employers who sponsor visas for infrastructure roles?
Roles at visa-sponsoring employers most frequently require hands-on experience with at least one major cloud platform, specifically AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure. Infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform are increasingly listed as required rather than preferred. Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, and network security fundamentals round out the technical profile that sponsoring employers consistently hire for in this space.
What happens to my OPT authorization if I'm laid off from a Cloud Infrastructure Engineer position?
You have a 60-day grace period after your employment ends to either find a new qualifying job, change your immigration status, or depart the United States. During that 60-day window, you are not authorized to work. If you find a new Cloud Infrastructure Engineer role, your new employer must be reported to your DSO promptly. Unemployment time counts against your OPT period, so moving quickly matters.