OPT Data Operations Analyst Jobs
Data Operations Analyst roles are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with backgrounds in data management, business analytics, or information systems. Most positions qualify as STEM OPT, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization. Employers in finance, tech, and healthcare regularly hire for this role without H-1B visa sponsorship as an immediate requirement.
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INTRODUCTION
The AI & ML Operations Engineer designs, builds, and maintains the engineering processes and platform capabilities needed to deploy, monitor, govern, and maintain deployed AI/ML solutions at scale. The role converts validated analytical work into reliable production solutions and manages the operational lifecycle of models and related services while meeting enterprise privacy, security, and support standards.
The engineer partners with data scientists, data engineers, central cloud and infrastructure teams, API and Interoperability teams, Cybersecurity, service owners, and relevant engineering teams to deliver maintainable solutions. The role remains hands-on in engineering, testing, deployment, and troubleshooting while using enterprise-managed capabilities for production data movement, integration, and infrastructure. Scientific method validation remains with the Data Scientist and designated reviewers; this position implements the operational controls for deployed solutions.
This role is part of a new AI & Automation engineering team and will directly design, build, deploy, and support production AI applications and services. Work may include agents, retrieval-augmented generation, orchestration, APIs and integrations, automated evaluation and testing frameworks, observability, monitoring, release and rollback processes, and model/application lifecycle management.
Responsibilities
Model deployment and orchestration. Deploy batch and real-time models and related AI services using approved CI/CD, containers, APIs, and workflow patterns. Build and maintain assigned model deployment and runtime components and coordinate dependencies with enterprise platform owners.
Release management. Automate packaging, versioning, testing, promotion, rollback, and recovery for models and services. Implement retraining or recalibration workflows using criteria defined with data scientists and the required validation and release approvals.
ML platform capabilities. Implement, integrate, configure, and operate approved feature stores, model registries, experiment tracking, and related ML lifecycle capabilities with enterprise platform owners. Partner with Cloud & AI Deployment Engineering and central cloud teams on compute, storage, networking, and deployment.
Deployed-model governance. Implement approved lifecycle controls, access restrictions, lineage, audit trails, change records, and release approvals for deployed models. Maintain traceability across data, code, model, and configuration versions.
Monitoring and reliability. Implement logging, alerts, and monitoring for model performance, drift, data quality, latency, availability, and errors. Work with data scientists, service owners, and relevant engineering teams on measures, thresholds, incident response, and service objectives.
Data and API integration. Work with central data-engineering teams on managed data pipelines and with enterprise API and Interoperability teams on real-time and application integrations, including MuleSoft or other approved API capabilities. Coordinate monitoring, recovery checkpoints, restart procedures, security, and support ownership.
Enterprise support and maintainability. Ensure production solutions have documented dependencies, operational procedures, escalation paths, and ongoing ownership before release. Arrange support with the responsible enterprise teams, including 24/7 coverage where required for critical services, rather than relying on an individual project owner.
AI application operations. Operate assigned LLM, retrieval-based, and agent applications using automated quality checks, model/tool tracing, prompt and configuration versioning, and usage/cost monitoring within the common production lifecycle.
Security and engineering standards. Apply enterprise privacy, security, encryption, role-based access, and sensitive-data controls. Follow common infrastructure-as-code, pull-request, and deployment practices with the responsible teams; bring needed tooling or design exceptions through established review processes.
Collaboration and improvement. Help scientists and partner teams move prototypes into supported production solutions. Review code, tests, and documentation, resolve incidents across dependencies, provide constructive technical feedback, and improve reliability, reproducibility, performance, and efficiency.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- B.S./B.A. in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- At least three years of experience in software engineering, DevOps, or MLOps, including work with production systems.
- Proficiency in Python or another modern programming language, such as Java or Go, sufficient to build, test, troubleshoot, and maintain production components.
- Hands-on experience deploying and operating batch and/or real-time machine-learning models in production.
- Experience with CI/CD tools such as GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, or Azure DevOps; source control, code review, automated testing, and controlled releases.
- Hands-on experience with containerization and orchestration technologies using enterprise-approved platforms and tools.
- Experience in cloud and/or hybrid environments such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
- Working knowledge of SQL and experience with large datasets and data-workflow orchestration; ability to integrate model services with enterprise-managed pipelines and APIs.
- Experience implementing logging, metrics, monitoring, alerts, and operational diagnostics and investigating failures across model, application, data, and infrastructure dependencies.
- Understanding of security best practices, role-based access control, secrets management, and handling sensitive data.
- Ability to independently deliver assigned engineering work, communicate technical tradeoffs, and collaborate with data scientists, clinicians, data/API teams, cloud/DevOps, security, and support functions.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in healthcare, health technology, or another regulated industry handling PHI/PII.
- Familiarity with EHR/EMR integration and healthcare data standards such as HL7/FHIR, ICD, CPT, LOINC, or SNOMED.
- Experience with ML lifecycle tools such as MLflow, Kubeflow, SageMaker, Vertex AI, or Azure ML, including model registries, feature stores, and experiment tracking.
- Experience with ETL/ELT, data warehouse or lakehouse platforms, enterprise API platforms, infrastructure as code, and formal production-support practices.
- Experience monitoring model drift, fairness, and explainability and implementing healthcare AI governance controls.
- Experience operating LLM, retrieval-based, or agent applications, including quality evaluation, tracing, prompt/configuration management, and cost monitoring.
COMPENSATION
- $109,449.60 - $154,523.20 Annual
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Data Operations Analyst
Confirm your role qualifies for STEM OPT extension
Data Operations Analyst positions typically fall under CIP codes like Management Information Systems or Data Science. Verify your degree matches one of these before applying, since STEM OPT gives you 24 extra months beyond standard OPT authorization.
Target employers already familiar with OPT E-Verify
STEM OPT extensions require your employer to be E-Verify enrolled. Prioritize companies with established OPT hiring programs, particularly in finance, healthcare, and enterprise tech, where data operations roles are common and compliance teams handle these requirements routinely.
Highlight your data tools and technical stack upfront
Employers hiring Data Operations Analysts want proficiency in SQL, Python, and platforms like Snowflake or Databricks. Listing these prominently on your resume signals immediate value and shifts the conversation away from visa status toward your technical contribution.
Apply before your OPT start date whenever possible
Many employers hesitate if your OPT hasn't begun yet. Starting your search at least three months before your authorization date gives hiring managers confidence in your timeline and reduces the perceived risk of a delayed start date.
Prepare a clear, simple explanation of your OPT timeline
Recruiters often misunderstand OPT mechanics. Have a concise, factual explanation ready: your authorization period, your STEM extension eligibility, and when you would need H-1B visa sponsorship. Removing ambiguity early prevents unnecessary rejections from otherwise willing employers.
Focus on mid-size companies with active data infrastructure growth
Mid-size companies scaling their data operations are actively hiring and often more flexible with OPT candidates than large enterprises with rigid HR policies. These firms need the skills immediately and are more willing to commit to future H-1B sponsorship.
Data Operations Analyst OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Data Operations Analyst role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not just the job title. If your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as Computer Science, Information Systems, or Data Analytics, and the role involves applying those technical skills, it will generally qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Your DSO will confirm eligibility based on your specific degree CIP code.
How much work authorization time do I have as an OPT student in a Data Operations Analyst role?
Standard OPT gives you 12 months of post-graduation work authorization. If your degree is STEM-designated and your employer is enrolled in E-Verify, you can apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension, bringing your total to 36 months. That window is enough time for your employer to sponsor you through two H-1B lottery cycles.
Where can I find Data Operations Analyst jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters jobs by visa sponsorship openness, so you are not wasting applications on roles that will screen you out over work authorization. Browsing Migrate Mate lets you focus your search on employers who have hired OPT candidates before and understand the STEM extension process.
Do I need to report a Data Operations Analyst job to my DSO while on OPT?
Yes. Any job you accept while on OPT must be reported to your DSO, who updates your record in SEVIS within the required timeframe. The role must also be directly related to your degree field. For Data Operations Analyst positions, you should be able to document how the work connects to your area of study.
Can I work as a Data Operations Analyst as a contractor or through a staffing agency on OPT?
Yes, but with conditions. On standard OPT, contract or staffing agency placements are allowed as long as the work is related to your degree. On a STEM OPT extension, the rules are stricter: you must have a formal training plan with the end-client employer, not just the staffing agency, and that employer must be E-Verify enrolled.