Infrastructure And Operations Jobs for OPT Students
Infrastructure and Operations roles, covering systems administration, cloud infrastructure, network engineering, and IT support, are among the most actively sponsored positions for F-1 OPT students. Your 12-month OPT window, extendable to 36 months with a STEM extension, aligns well with the multi-year hiring timelines common in enterprise IT environments.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The I&O Engineer is an enabler of the Healthfirst cloud and operational excellence strategy. This role manages enterprise solutions in both public and private clouds while also utilizing tools to automate system deployment and configuration management tasks. The incumbent works collaboratively with other engineers and/or autonomously in creating solutions. He/she works with diverse technologies utilizing tools and automation to eliminate manual operations and create reliable and repeatable orchestration. The role is responsible for establishing standards of usage across the Healthfirst public and private cloud footprint. This role works with other engineers to identify efficiency opportunities, eliminate waste, and improve the security and resiliency of infrastructure platforms, while working with application development teams to support continuous delivery of new capabilities. This position requires three days per week in office (Tues/Wed/Thurs)
Duties & Responsibilities
- Work horizontally across the Infrastructure and Operations portfolio supporting private/public cloud systems, operating systems, with a focus on remediation of security vulnerabilities
- Develop repeatable automation to efficiently deliver capabilities, inclusive of patching, software updates, etc.
- Drive solutions to problems impacting mission critical systems and implement automation to prevent reoccurrence.
- Execute changes on production systems in accordance with Change Management standards.
- Participate in a Center of Excellence for cloud usage and cloud standards.
- Maintain an accurate picture of existing server, storage, networking software and hardware and virtual environments to support scaling against various project requirements.
- Ensure all usage of cloud environments meets governance standards and contributes to improving standards for security and operational efficiency.
- Create standard operating procedures for Healthfirst operations teams to support the operations of the products.
- Act as an escalation point for operations teams for incident and ticket resolution and participate in an on-call rotation as an escalation point.
- Other duties as assigned or required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- A high school diploma or a GED from an accredited institution.
- Experience in designing, building, securing, and managing Windows systems.
- Familiar with Amazon Web Services (AWS) technologies
- Working knowledge of core cloud competencies, patching, and environment management.
- Automation scripting experience.
- Experience identifying repeatable processes and working with operations team to automate/document.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in designing, building, and managing Linux/Unix-based systems
- A technical degree from an accredited institution or work experience equivalent.
- Experience supporting Infrastructure as Code (IaC) delivery.
- Understanding of public and private cloud security best practices
- Troubleshooting skills that involve analysis of logs, traffic trace, configuration data, automation tools to resolve issues until end-to-end systems are functioning.
- Experience with system health monitoring and optimizing performance
- Experience working in regulated and/or high-security environments and industries (PCI, HIPAA, HITRUST, etc.).
Hiring Range:
- Greater New York City Area (NY, NJ, CT residents): $93,000 - $134,385
- All Other Locations (within approved locations): $82,600 - $122,910
As a candidate for this position, your salary and related elements of compensation will be contingent upon your work experience, education, licenses and certifications, and any other factors Healthfirst deems pertinent to the hiring decision. In addition to your salary, Healthfirst offers employees a full range of benefits such as, medical, dental and vision coverage, incentive and recognition programs, life insurance, and 401k contributions (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). Healthfirst believes in providing a competitive compensation and benefits package wherever its employees work and live.
- The hiring range is defined as the lowest and highest salaries that Healthfirst in “good faith” would pay to a new hire, or for a job promotion, or transfer into this role.
INTRODUCTION
The I&O Engineer is an enabler of the Healthfirst cloud and operational excellence strategy. This role manages enterprise solutions in both public and private clouds while also utilizing tools to automate system deployment and configuration management tasks. The incumbent works collaboratively with other engineers and/or autonomously in creating solutions. He/she works with diverse technologies utilizing tools and automation to eliminate manual operations and create reliable and repeatable orchestration. The role is responsible for establishing standards of usage across the Healthfirst public and private cloud footprint. This role works with other engineers to identify efficiency opportunities, eliminate waste, and improve the security and resiliency of infrastructure platforms, while working with application development teams to support continuous delivery of new capabilities. This position requires three days per week in office (Tues/Wed/Thurs)
Duties & Responsibilities
- Work horizontally across the Infrastructure and Operations portfolio supporting private/public cloud systems, operating systems, with a focus on remediation of security vulnerabilities
- Develop repeatable automation to efficiently deliver capabilities, inclusive of patching, software updates, etc.
- Drive solutions to problems impacting mission critical systems and implement automation to prevent reoccurrence.
- Execute changes on production systems in accordance with Change Management standards.
- Participate in a Center of Excellence for cloud usage and cloud standards.
- Maintain an accurate picture of existing server, storage, networking software and hardware and virtual environments to support scaling against various project requirements.
- Ensure all usage of cloud environments meets governance standards and contributes to improving standards for security and operational efficiency.
- Create standard operating procedures for Healthfirst operations teams to support the operations of the products.
- Act as an escalation point for operations teams for incident and ticket resolution and participate in an on-call rotation as an escalation point.
- Other duties as assigned or required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- A high school diploma or a GED from an accredited institution.
- Experience in designing, building, securing, and managing Windows systems.
- Familiar with Amazon Web Services (AWS) technologies
- Working knowledge of core cloud competencies, patching, and environment management.
- Automation scripting experience.
- Experience identifying repeatable processes and working with operations team to automate/document.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in designing, building, and managing Linux/Unix-based systems
- A technical degree from an accredited institution or work experience equivalent.
- Experience supporting Infrastructure as Code (IaC) delivery.
- Understanding of public and private cloud security best practices
- Troubleshooting skills that involve analysis of logs, traffic trace, configuration data, automation tools to resolve issues until end-to-end systems are functioning.
- Experience with system health monitoring and optimizing performance
- Experience working in regulated and/or high-security environments and industries (PCI, HIPAA, HITRUST, etc.).
Hiring Range:
- Greater New York City Area (NY, NJ, CT residents): $93,000 - $134,385
- All Other Locations (within approved locations): $82,600 - $122,910
As a candidate for this position, your salary and related elements of compensation will be contingent upon your work experience, education, licenses and certifications, and any other factors Healthfirst deems pertinent to the hiring decision. In addition to your salary, Healthfirst offers employees a full range of benefits such as, medical, dental and vision coverage, incentive and recognition programs, life insurance, and 401k contributions (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). Healthfirst believes in providing a competitive compensation and benefits package wherever its employees work and live.
- The hiring range is defined as the lowest and highest salaries that Healthfirst in “good faith” would pay to a new hire, or for a job promotion, or transfer into this role.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Infrastructure And Operations
Target employers with established IT teams
Large enterprises in finance, healthcare, and technology maintain dedicated infrastructure teams and are experienced with OPT and H-1B sponsorship. Mid-sized companies with 500-plus employees are more likely to have HR processes set up to handle work authorization paperwork.
Pursue your STEM OPT extension early
Infrastructure and Operations roles under CIP codes like Computer and Information Systems typically qualify for the 24-month STEM extension. File your I-983 training plan with your DSO at least 90 days before your initial OPT expires to avoid any gap in authorization.
Certify before you apply
AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and CompTIA certifications signal job-ready skills and reduce employer hesitation about sponsoring international candidates. Certified candidates in cloud and systems roles consistently report faster interview progression than those without credentials in this field.
Address your OPT timeline proactively
Bring up your work authorization status before the offer stage, not after. Explain your OPT end date and STEM extension eligibility clearly. Employers appreciate candidates who understand their own visa situation and can explain next steps without requiring HR to research everything from scratch.
Emphasize on-call and operational continuity experience
Hiring managers for infrastructure roles prioritize reliability and institutional knowledge. Highlight any experience maintaining systems uptime, managing incident response, or supporting 24/7 operations. These are hard roles to backfill quickly, which gives OPT candidates more leverage during sponsorship conversations.
Focus applications on cloud-adjacent and DevOps roles
Roles blending infrastructure with software skills, such as Site Reliability Engineering and DevOps, have stronger H-1B sponsorship histories because they satisfy specialty occupation requirements more clearly. A background combining scripting, automation, and infrastructure makes your sponsorship case significantly easier for employers to justify.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Do Infrastructure and Operations roles qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Most do, provided your degree falls under an eligible STEM CIP code such as Computer and Information Systems, Information Technology, or Computer Engineering. Your job duties must also align with your degree field. Roles like systems administrator, network engineer, cloud infrastructure engineer, and DevOps engineer typically satisfy both requirements. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before filing your extension application.
How do I find Infrastructure and Operations employers that sponsor OPT and H-1B visas?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and surfaces Infrastructure and Operations roles from employers with active sponsorship histories. Rather than manually filtering thousands of generic listings, Migrate Mate lets you focus on companies that have already demonstrated willingness to sponsor international candidates in technical roles, saving significant time during a limited OPT window.
Can I work as an IT contractor or through a staffing agency on OPT?
Yes, but with important constraints. Your employment must be directly related to your degree field, and you must work at least 20 hours per week. Third-party placements are permitted, but your actual day-to-day work must constitute practical training in your field of study. Self-employment and volunteer arrangements without pay are generally not approvable. Discuss any contractor arrangement with your DSO before accepting an offer.
What happens to my OPT status if I'm laid off from an infrastructure role?
You have a 90-day aggregate unemployment allowance during your OPT period, reduced to 60 days during the STEM extension. If you lose your job, notify your DSO promptly and begin your search immediately. The 90-day clock runs continuously regardless of whether you're actively searching, so time matters. Re-employment in a qualifying role stops the unemployment count from accumulating further.
Do Infrastructure and Operations roles qualify as specialty occupations for H-1B sponsorship?
It depends on how the role is defined. Generic helpdesk or broad IT support positions have historically faced more scrutiny. Roles requiring a specific bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field, such as cloud architects, network engineers, and systems reliability engineers, qualify more reliably. When evaluating a job offer, review whether the position description explicitly requires a relevant degree, not just a preference.
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