OPT Data Science Director Jobs
Data Science Director jobs on OPT require an employer willing to sponsor H-1B visa or provide cap-exempt work authorization before your OPT period ends. Most roles demand 8-plus years of experience and strong leadership credentials, making early employer engagement and STEM OPT extension planning essential for international students.
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INTRODUCTION
Data is at the center of everything we do. As a startup, we disrupted the credit card industry by individually personalizing every credit card offer using statistical modeling and the relational database, cutting edge technology in 1988! Fast-forward a few years, and this little innovation and our passion for data has skyrocketed us to a Fortune 200 company and a leader in the world of data-driven decision-making.
As a Data Scientist at Capital One, you’ll be part of a team that’s leading the next wave of disruption at a whole new scale, using the latest in computing and machine learning technologies and operating across billions of customer records to unlock the big opportunities that help everyday people save money, time and agony in their financial lives.
ROLE DESCRIPTION
In this role, you will:
- Partner with a cross-functional team of data scientists, software engineers, and product managers to deliver a product customers love
- Leverage a broad stack of technologies — Python, Conda, AWS, H2O, Spark, and more — to reveal the insights hidden within huge volumes of numeric and textual data
- Build machine learning models through all phases of development, from design through training, evaluation, validation, and implementation
- Flex your interpersonal skills to translate the complexity of your work into tangible business goals
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE IS:
- Customer first. You love the process of analyzing and creating, but also share our passion to do the right thing. You know at the end of the day it’s about making the right decision for our customers.
- Innovative. You continually research and evaluate emerging technologies. You stay current on published state-of-the-art methods, technologies, and applications and seek out opportunities to apply them.
- Creative. You thrive on bringing definition to big, undefined problems. You love asking questions and pushing hard to find answers. You’re not afraid to share a new idea.
- A leader. You challenge conventional thinking and work with stakeholders to identify and improve the status quo. You’re passionate about talent development for your own team and beyond.
- Technical. You’re comfortable with open-source languages and are passionate about developing further. You have hands-on experience developing data science solutions using open-source tools and cloud computing platforms.
- Statistically-minded. You’ve built models, validated them, and backtested them. You know how to interpret a confusion matrix or a ROC curve. You have experience with clustering, classification, sentiment analysis, time series, and deep learning.
- A data guru. “Big data” doesn’t faze you. You have the skills to retrieve, combine, and analyze data from a variety of sources and structures. You know understanding the data is often the key to great data science.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
-
Currently has, or is in the process of obtaining one of the following with an expectation that the required degree will be obtained on or before the scheduled start date:
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A Bachelor's Degree in a quantitative field (Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field) plus 5 years of experience performing data analytics
- A Master's Degree in a quantitative field (Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field) or an MBA with a quantitative concentration plus 3 years of experience performing data analytics
- A PhD in a quantitative field (Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master’s Degree in “STEM” field (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) plus 3 years of experience in data analytics, or PhD in “STEM” field (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics)
- At least 1 year of experience working with AWS
- At least 3 years’ experience in Python, Scala, or R
- At least 3 years’ experience with machine learning
- At least 3 years’ experience with SQL
Capital One will consider sponsoring a new qualified applicant for employment authorization for this position
COMPENSATION
- McLean, VA: $161,800 - $184,600 for Princ Associate, Data Science
- New York, NY: $176,500 - $201,400 for Princ Associate, Data Science
- Richmond, VA: $147,100 - $167,900 for Princ Associate, Data Science
Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.
This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.
Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.
This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.
No agencies please.
Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.
If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Capital One Recruiting at 1-800-304-9102 or via email at RecruitingAccommodation@capitalone.com. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.
For technical support or questions about Capital One's recruiting process, please send an email to Careers@capitalone.com.
Capital One does not provide, endorse nor guarantee and is not liable for third-party products, services, educational tools or other information available through this site.
Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Data Science Director
Target companies with established data science organizations
Large technology, finance, and healthcare companies with dedicated data science teams are far more likely to support H-1B visa sponsorship for director-level hires than early-stage startups with no prior sponsorship track record.
Demonstrate P&L or organizational impact in your resume
Director-level candidates are evaluated on business outcomes, not just technical skills. Quantify team size managed, revenue influenced, and cost reductions driven by your data science programs to stand out from technical-only applicants.
Confirm your STEM OPT extension eligibility early
If your degree qualifies under the STEM OPT list, you can extend authorization by 24 months. Apply at least 90 days before standard OPT expiration to avoid gaps, giving employers more runway before H-1B sponsorship becomes necessary.
Address sponsorship directly in early conversations
At director level, hiring managers have budget authority and legal team access. Raising sponsorship in a first or second conversation is normal and professional, and avoids wasted time pursuing roles that will not support authorization.
Build a portfolio of cross-functional leadership examples
Employers sponsoring a director expect someone who can align data science strategy with business goals. Document specific cases where you partnered with product, engineering, or executive stakeholders to deliver measurable organizational outcomes.
Engage with data science executive communities to surface opportunities
Many director-level roles are filled through professional networks before they are publicly posted. Participating in data leadership forums, industry conferences, and peer groups increases visibility with hiring managers who influence sponsorship decisions.
Data Science Director OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as a Data Science Director?
Yes. F-1 students authorized under standard OPT or STEM OPT extension can work as a Data Science Director, provided the role is directly related to your degree field. Most Data Science Director positions require a degree in computer science, statistics, mathematics, or a related quantitative discipline, which aligns with STEM OPT eligibility.
How do I find Data Science Director jobs that offer OPT sponsorship?
Migrate Mate lists Data Science Director roles from employers with a verified history of sponsoring international candidates. Filtering by sponsorship-friendly employers saves significant time compared to applying broadly and discovering sponsorship limitations late in the hiring process, which is a common frustration for OPT students at director level.
Does a Data Science Director role qualify for STEM OPT extension?
It can, but eligibility depends on your underlying degree, not the job title. If your degree appears on the STEM Designated Degree Program List and the Data Science Director role is directly related to that field, you qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Your employer must also participate in E-Verify to support the extension.
What happens to my OPT authorization if I change employers as a Data Science Director?
You can change employers on OPT, but you must report the change to your DSO within 10 days. Your new role must still be directly related to your degree field. If you are on STEM OPT extension, your new employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify, and you will need to update your training plan accordingly.
Is a Data Science Director role strong enough to support an H-1B petition after OPT?
Yes. Data Science Director roles typically require a specialized degree and involve duties that qualify as a specialty occupation under H-1B standards. The seniority and compensation of director-level positions generally make the sponsorship investment easier to justify for employers, compared to more junior technical roles where the business case is less clear.