Compliance Lead Jobs for OPT Students
Compliance Lead roles sit at the intersection of law, policy, and business operations, making them a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with backgrounds in business, finance, law, or public policy. Many employers in financial services, healthcare, and tech actively sponsor OPT students for these positions, particularly given the 24-month STEM OPT extension available to qualifying graduates.
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The SOX Compliance Lead is responsible for actively participating in the planning, execution, and continuous enhancement of the Company's Sarbanes‑Oxley (SOX) compliance program as a part of the SOX Compliance Team. This role assists with the ongoing evaluation and testing of internal controls over financial reporting, ensures alignment with regulatory requirements, and partners closely with process owners across the organization to drive strong control awareness and ownership.
Beyond technical excellence, this candidate brings a growth mindset, approaching challenges with curiosity, adaptability, and a commitment to ongoing improvement. The SOX Compliance Lead is expected to be creative and solution‑oriented, collaborating with teams across all business functions to achieve compliant, efficient, and scalable control environments across all segments of Champion's business.
This candidate will contribute to the transformation of how the SOX team operates. Identification of opportunities to streamline processes, leveraging technology to achieve efficiencies, and reimagining how the SOX Compliance enables a fast‑evolving business will be expected. Success in this position requires the ability to be influential, building trusted relationships, communicating and presenting complex concepts clearly, and owning and driving meaningful changes across all levels of the organization. The ideal candidate proactively identifies opportunities and advocates for process improvement, fosters accountability, and elevates the Company's overall risk management posture while maintaining a collaborative and business‑friendly approach.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
- Actively contributes to the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of the Company's SOX compliance program, including risk assessment, scoping, control design evaluation, testing, and deficiency management.
- Partners with Finance, Operations, IT, and other business areas and leaders to assess risks, internal controls, ensure accurate and timely documentation, and promote strong control ownership throughout the organization.
- Apply a growth mindset by proactively identifying opportunities to enhance program efficiency, streamline workflows, and adopt innovative approaches that elevate the effectiveness of the SOX function.
- Function as a control expert within a dynamic business environment.
- Assist with migrating the Company's control environment from the legacy manual procedures to a system-based approach as a part of the ERP implementation team.
- Maintain awareness of current and emerging issues related to internal controls and internal audit, including but not limited to, IT, e-business, regulatory and accounting changes, etc.
- Actively lead the implementation and adoption of GRC software to enable SOX team capabilities.
- Assist in preparing for, participating during, or leading meetings with management in communicating initiatives, internal control findings and recommendations and various other matters as deemed necessary.
- Regularly participate in audit committee and other executive level meetings to report on the status and results of SOX compliance efforts.
Qualifications
- A BA/BS degree in Accounting, Finance or related field required.
- A minimum of 3+ years of experience in an internal control or internal audit role; experience with similar roles in a large organization or with a Regional or Big 4 audit firm highly preferred.
- An appropriate certification in accounting and/or auditing is strongly preferred, including a CPA, CA, CISA, CISSP, and/or CIA.
- Demonstrated knowledge of US GAAP, COSO, PCAOB Auditing Standards, Sarbanes‑Oxley, risk and controls standards and business process best practices.
- Familiarity with third party risk management.
- Excellent verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
- Experience with ERP implementations a plus.
- Experience with GRC tools (e.g., Archer, AuditBoard, ServiceNow, MetricStream) is a plus.
Champion Home Builders is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Champion Home Builders participates in the E-Verify Program.
Summary
The SOX Compliance Lead is responsible for actively participating in the planning, execution, and continuous enhancement of the Company's Sarbanes‑Oxley (SOX) compliance program as a part of the SOX Compliance Team. This role assists with the ongoing evaluation and testing of internal controls over financial reporting, ensures alignment with regulatory requirements, and partners closely with process owners across the organization to drive strong control awareness and ownership.
Beyond technical excellence, this candidate brings a growth mindset, approaching challenges with curiosity, adaptability, and a commitment to ongoing improvement. The SOX Compliance Lead is expected to be creative and solution‑oriented, collaborating with teams across all business functions to achieve compliant, efficient, and scalable control environments across all segments of Champion's business.
This candidate will contribute to the transformation of how the SOX team operates. Identification of opportunities to streamline processes, leveraging technology to achieve efficiencies, and reimagining how the SOX Compliance enables a fast‑evolving business will be expected. Success in this position requires the ability to be influential, building trusted relationships, communicating and presenting complex concepts clearly, and owning and driving meaningful changes across all levels of the organization. The ideal candidate proactively identifies opportunities and advocates for process improvement, fosters accountability, and elevates the Company's overall risk management posture while maintaining a collaborative and business‑friendly approach.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
- Actively contributes to the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of the Company's SOX compliance program, including risk assessment, scoping, control design evaluation, testing, and deficiency management.
- Partners with Finance, Operations, IT, and other business areas and leaders to assess risks, internal controls, ensure accurate and timely documentation, and promote strong control ownership throughout the organization.
- Apply a growth mindset by proactively identifying opportunities to enhance program efficiency, streamline workflows, and adopt innovative approaches that elevate the effectiveness of the SOX function.
- Function as a control expert within a dynamic business environment.
- Assist with migrating the Company's control environment from the legacy manual procedures to a system-based approach as a part of the ERP implementation team.
- Maintain awareness of current and emerging issues related to internal controls and internal audit, including but not limited to, IT, e-business, regulatory and accounting changes, etc.
- Actively lead the implementation and adoption of GRC software to enable SOX team capabilities.
- Assist in preparing for, participating during, or leading meetings with management in communicating initiatives, internal control findings and recommendations and various other matters as deemed necessary.
- Regularly participate in audit committee and other executive level meetings to report on the status and results of SOX compliance efforts.
Qualifications
- A BA/BS degree in Accounting, Finance or related field required.
- A minimum of 3+ years of experience in an internal control or internal audit role; experience with similar roles in a large organization or with a Regional or Big 4 audit firm highly preferred.
- An appropriate certification in accounting and/or auditing is strongly preferred, including a CPA, CA, CISA, CISSP, and/or CIA.
- Demonstrated knowledge of US GAAP, COSO, PCAOB Auditing Standards, Sarbanes‑Oxley, risk and controls standards and business process best practices.
- Familiarity with third party risk management.
- Excellent verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
- Experience with ERP implementations a plus.
- Experience with GRC tools (e.g., Archer, AuditBoard, ServiceNow, MetricStream) is a plus.
Champion Home Builders is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Champion Home Builders participates in the E-Verify Program.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Compliance Lead
Highlight your degree's regulatory relevance
Compliance is a specialty occupation requiring a degree in a directly related field. Frame your business, finance, accounting, or law background explicitly against the job description so hiring managers can see the degree-to-role alignment USCIS requires.
Get your CAMS or CFE certification
Earning a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist or Certified Fraud Examiner credential while on OPT signals serious commitment to the field. Many employers view these certifications as evidence of specialized knowledge that strengthens a specialty occupation classification.
Ask directly about CAP-exempt employers
Hospitals, nonprofits, and universities are cap-exempt H-1B employers, meaning they can hire you year-round without lottery risk. Many have active compliance functions. Prioritizing these employers reduces the uncertainty of relying on H-1B lottery selection after OPT ends.
Document your compliance work in specific terms
When describing your OPT experience, use specific regulatory frameworks you worked under, such as SOX, BSA, HIPAA, or SEC rules. This level of detail helps immigration attorneys classify the role as a specialty occupation and strengthens future visa petitions.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as a Compliance Lead?
Yes. Compliance Lead is a specialty occupation under USCIS guidelines because it typically requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field such as finance, accounting, business administration, or law. F-1 students with post-completion OPT authorization can work full-time in this role. Students with STEM-eligible degrees may also qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving them up to three years of total work authorization.
Does a Compliance Lead role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not the job title. If your underlying degree is in a STEM-designated field, such as management information systems, financial mathematics, or data analytics, and your employer is enrolled in E-Verify, you may qualify for the 24-month extension. The compliance role itself does not determine eligibility. Check your degree's CIP code against the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List to confirm.
Where can I find Compliance Lead jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT and visa-sponsored job searches, so every listing on the platform is screened for sponsorship willingness. Searching there saves significant time compared to filtering through general job boards where sponsorship status is rarely disclosed upfront. Compliance roles in financial services, healthcare, and technology appear regularly on the platform.
What happens to my Compliance Lead job if my OPT expires before the H-1B lottery?
If your OPT expires before an H-1B is approved and you are not STEM-eligible, your employment authorization ends. Planning is critical. If you have a STEM-eligible degree, file for the extension well before expiration. If not, prioritize cap-exempt employers early in your search. Some students also explore O-1A visas if they have demonstrated exceptional achievement in their compliance career.
Do Compliance Lead roles count as qualifying employment for OPT reporting purposes?
Yes, as long as the position is directly related to your major field of study, full-time, and paid. You must report the employer details to your DSO within 10 days of starting. If your compliance role is in a field adjacent to your degree, document the connection clearly, since SEVIS requires that OPT employment be in a role related to your program of study.
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