OPT Engineering Team Leader Jobs
Engineering Team Leader jobs are well-suited for F-1 OPT students with degrees in mechanical, electrical, civil, or systems engineering. Most roles qualify as STEM-designated positions, making you eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, and many employers in this field have established H-1B visa sponsorship pathways.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
We are seeking a full-time Team Leader IT Software Engineering at Garmin’s U.S. headquarters in the Greater Kansas City area. In this role, you will provide leadership and direction to a Software Engineering team dedicated to building internal solutions and automation that advance the Cyber Security organization’s capabilities. This team develops platforms, tooling, and observability enhancements that enable Cyber Security associates to operate more efficiently, respond more effectively, and continuously strengthen the company’s security posture.
Lead and mentor software engineers working in Olathe as they design, build, and implement new tooling and capabilities. They will collaborate closely with a global development team as well as working alongside product owners and architects in the US to drive new initiatives. This role involves leading technical design, coordinating with the global development team for seamless implementation, and ensuring alignment with stakeholders.
Responsibilities
Essential Functions:
- Lead a team of Software Engineers with diverse capability levels in the design of new solutions and enhancement of existing applications and services
- Coordinate and participate in generating software requirements and designs for new solutions
- Participate in software design reviews as necessary, assuring proper attendees and proper coverage of topics, imparting lessons learned and good design practices to all who attend
- Create product development plans as directed by engineering management
- Ensure the team meets overall development goals in accordance with the product development plan and ensure project milestones are met
- Monitor progress of the software teams in meeting product requirements and timelines
- Directly supervise various levels of software team members by setting the tone for the team environment and providing individualized coaching, training and mentoring
- Participate in recruiting activities, interview, hire, train, and evaluate performance for the team
- Able to discern when to escalate issues to management
- Lead scrums, sprint-planning, etc.
- Support workflows around SIEM and SOAR technologies
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering or related field AND a minimum of 5 years relevant experience
- Previous software engineering leadership (direct manager of people) experience
- Must possess detailed knowledge and experience with writing Python
- Hands-on technical competence and the ability to question and refine technical decisions, and the ability to contribute code when required
- Demonstrated strong and effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
- Must be positive, detail oriented, organized, team oriented and a driven problem solver, multi-tasker, and self-starter with the ability to prioritize and lead in a fast paced, deadline-driven environment
- Ability to work in a fast paced environment that is building customized technology for Garmin’s development portal
- A desire to contribute as a leader to the overall success of the team and work alongside the team when necessary
- Available to support after hours when needed for incident management
Garmin International is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran's status, age or disability.
This position is eligible for Garmin's benefit program. Details can be found here: Garmin Benefits
INTRODUCTION
We are seeking a full-time Team Leader IT Software Engineering at Garmin’s U.S. headquarters in the Greater Kansas City area. In this role, you will provide leadership and direction to a Software Engineering team dedicated to building internal solutions and automation that advance the Cyber Security organization’s capabilities. This team develops platforms, tooling, and observability enhancements that enable Cyber Security associates to operate more efficiently, respond more effectively, and continuously strengthen the company’s security posture.
Lead and mentor software engineers working in Olathe as they design, build, and implement new tooling and capabilities. They will collaborate closely with a global development team as well as working alongside product owners and architects in the US to drive new initiatives. This role involves leading technical design, coordinating with the global development team for seamless implementation, and ensuring alignment with stakeholders.
Responsibilities
Essential Functions:
- Lead a team of Software Engineers with diverse capability levels in the design of new solutions and enhancement of existing applications and services
- Coordinate and participate in generating software requirements and designs for new solutions
- Participate in software design reviews as necessary, assuring proper attendees and proper coverage of topics, imparting lessons learned and good design practices to all who attend
- Create product development plans as directed by engineering management
- Ensure the team meets overall development goals in accordance with the product development plan and ensure project milestones are met
- Monitor progress of the software teams in meeting product requirements and timelines
- Directly supervise various levels of software team members by setting the tone for the team environment and providing individualized coaching, training and mentoring
- Participate in recruiting activities, interview, hire, train, and evaluate performance for the team
- Able to discern when to escalate issues to management
- Lead scrums, sprint-planning, etc.
- Support workflows around SIEM and SOAR technologies
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering or related field AND a minimum of 5 years relevant experience
- Previous software engineering leadership (direct manager of people) experience
- Must possess detailed knowledge and experience with writing Python
- Hands-on technical competence and the ability to question and refine technical decisions, and the ability to contribute code when required
- Demonstrated strong and effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
- Must be positive, detail oriented, organized, team oriented and a driven problem solver, multi-tasker, and self-starter with the ability to prioritize and lead in a fast paced, deadline-driven environment
- Ability to work in a fast paced environment that is building customized technology for Garmin’s development portal
- A desire to contribute as a leader to the overall success of the team and work alongside the team when necessary
- Available to support after hours when needed for incident management
Garmin International is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran's status, age or disability.
This position is eligible for Garmin's benefit program. Details can be found here: Garmin Benefits
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Engineering Team Leader
Lead with technical credentials, not just management experience
Hiring managers for Engineering Team Leader roles want to see deep domain expertise first. Highlight your engineering specialization, projects you've delivered, and any certifications before emphasizing your people leadership experience.
Target employers with established OPT hiring programs
Large engineering firms and defense contractors typically have structured international hiring pipelines. Companies that regularly file H-1B visa petitions are far more likely to sponsor OPT students through the transition from work authorization to long-term status.
Clarify your STEM OPT extension eligibility early
Engineering degrees almost universally qualify for the 24-month STEM extension, giving you up to three years of work authorization. Confirming this upfront removes a common employer concern about your timeline and makes the sponsorship conversation much easier.
Frame your OPT authorization timeline around the H-1B lottery cycle
H-1B registration opens each March. If your OPT start date aligns to give your employer at least one full lottery cycle, communicate that clearly. Employers are far more willing to sponsor when the timing makes logistical sense.
Demonstrate cross-functional leadership in your application materials
Engineering Team Leaders are expected to coordinate across design, quality, and operations teams. Show examples of cross-functional project ownership, not just individual technical contributions, to prove you can function at the seniority level the role demands.
Negotiate sponsorship intent before accepting an offer
Confirm explicitly, before signing, whether the employer will support your H-1B petition. Some companies sponsor OPT students but have internal caps or policies that exclude certain roles or seniority levels. Get clarity in writing where possible.
Engineering Team Leader OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as Engineering Team Leaders?
Yes. Engineering Team Leader is a specialized role that directly aligns with engineering degree fields, which means it qualifies for F-1 OPT work authorization. If your degree is in a STEM-designated program, you're also eligible to apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to three years of authorized work in this role.
Does an Engineering Team Leader role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
In most cases, yes. Engineering degrees, including mechanical, electrical, civil, industrial, and systems engineering, appear on the STEM Designated Degree Program list. The role must be directly related to your degree field, and your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify. Your DSO handles the extension application through your school.
How do I find Engineering Team Leader jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters Engineering Team Leader roles by sponsorship willingness, so you're not wasting time on employers who won't hire international candidates. Large engineering firms in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, and infrastructure are the most consistent OPT sponsors in this job category.
What happens to my OPT status if I'm promoted from engineer to Engineering Team Leader?
A promotion within the same employer doesn't affect your OPT authorization, as long as the new role remains directly related to your degree field. Engineering Team Leader still falls under engineering, so the connection is typically clear. Notify your DSO of any significant job title or scope changes to ensure your records stay accurate.
Do Engineering Team Leader roles typically lead to H-1B sponsorship?
Engineering Team Leader positions are strong H-1B candidates because they meet the specialty occupation standard, requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a specific engineering discipline. Employers in manufacturing, energy, technology, and construction regularly sponsor engineers at this level. The H-1B cap-subject lottery is the main bottleneck, not employer willingness in this field.