OPT Infrastructure Engineer Jobs
Infrastructure Engineer roles are consistently among the most OPT-friendly positions in tech, with employers regularly filing H-1B visa petitions for strong candidates. Most roles require a degree in computer science, information systems, or electrical engineering, and STEM OPT extensions apply, giving you up to three years of work authorization.
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UW Information Technology has an outstanding opportunity for a Linux Web Infrastructure Engineer to join their team.
About this Opportunity
Reporting to a Technology Manager in the Infrastructure Division, the Linux Web Infrastructure Engineer position is responsible for maintaining custom software and integrating it with third party software or systems using APIs or ETL processes. This position will also be responsible for maintaining and working on our UW Shared Web Hosting environment. Sometimes the work will involve maintaining our team’s internal systems to reduce technical debt or improving and optimizing our development and deployment workflows. In all cases this position will require evaluation, adaptation, integration, and management of sophisticated system, network, and application software to support the research, teaching, and administrative computing requirements of UW units. This position reduces the workload on other parts of the UW and beyond by removing repetitive work through workflow management, automation, and self-service.
This position is responsible for software troubleshooting, development work, assisting with deployment, integration, and maintenance in a very complex, distributed environment serving hundreds of thousands of faculty, staff, students, patients, and community members. This position directly interacts with and supports the UW (including three campuses and UW Medicine), K-20, and Pacific Northwest Gigapop. The successful position holder will be an active team member and engage with other subject matter experts throughout the University and beyond.
This is a full-time, hybrid position with expectations to be onsite in the U-District a minimum of two days per week.
Key Responsibilities
- UW Shared Web Hosting support and maintenance (40%)
- Helps implement technical solutions, working with partners across the UW
- Unix Engineering work (20%)
- Perform full-stack operational system support for Linux servers, Kubernetes clusters and other managed services (10%)
- Operate, extend and implement new supporting automation, tools and services. This includes deployment automation, configuration management systems, tool development. This may take the form of structured project work or individual tasks (10%).
- Help to evaluate and integrate software updates, security patches and improvements of all types across all platforms and infrastructure (10%).
- Participate in regular team and service meetings, project related meetings and cross-organizational technical forums (5%).
- Provide on-call support duties and after-hours support on rotation with other team members (5%).
Required Qualifications
To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or a related field or equivalent experience.
- Four years’ experience in software systems administration and support: designing, installing, configuring, and troubleshooting.
- Experience supporting a large (more than 10,000 sites) Web Hosting environment.
- Experience with SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and/or MySQL and supporting database-backed applications.
- Experience with the implementation and configuration of software packages and/or cloud-based applications.
- Experience with APIs to understand and support system integrations.
- Experience with coding shell scripts, such as PowerShell and JavaScript.
- Demonstrated ability to lead service delivery teams, construct and manage projects, and consistently and effectively document status.
- Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and apply new technologies.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver outstanding service to customers and peers.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Linux.
- Experience with Apache.
- Experience with MySQL.
- Experience with PHP.
- Experience with PERL.
- Experience with Ansible.
- Experience with all aspects of the software development lifecycle.
- Experience administering WordPress including developing custom themes and plugins.
Working Conditions
- Working conditions include open office environments. Minimum of 2 days in the Seattle office per week.
- Position participates in an on-call rotation and must be able to respond to outages during off-hours, including holidays and weekends.
About the Team
UW Information Technology (UW-IT) is the central information technology organization for the University of Washington, responsible for strategic planning, oversight, and direction of the UW’s IT infrastructure, resources, and services. UW-IT provides critical technology support to all three campuses, UW medical centers, and research operations around the world. UW-IT partners with the UW community to enable innovation, learning, discovery, and service. The IT Infrastructure division provides knowledgeable system design and administration, software engineering, and operational support for academic systems, administrative systems, and research computing.
The Infrastructure division of UW-IT delivers the technology infrastructure required to sustain UW as a leading research, teaching, learning, and medical institution. These technologies support the UW’s core mission at all levels – research, teaching, learning, healthcare, and the necessary underlying administrative and operational functions required to deliver these services.
This position must be able to work with a diverse group of people who are both technical and non-technical. The incumbent must be able to work iteratively in both self-directed and team environments and often with people who are not co-located.
Compensation, Benefits and Position Details
Pay Range Minimum:
$97,080.00 annual
Pay Range Maximum:
$157,764.00 annual
Other Compensation:
Benefits:
For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/
Shift:
First Shift (United States of America)
Temporary or Regular?
This is a regular position
FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):
100.00%
Union/Bargaining Unit:
Not Applicable
About the UW
Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world.
UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.
Our Commitment
The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.
Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.
Job Description
UW Information Technology has an outstanding opportunity for a Linux Web Infrastructure Engineer to join their team.
About this Opportunity
Reporting to a Technology Manager in the Infrastructure Division, the Linux Web Infrastructure Engineer position is responsible for maintaining custom software and integrating it with third party software or systems using APIs or ETL processes. This position will also be responsible for maintaining and working on our UW Shared Web Hosting environment. Sometimes the work will involve maintaining our team’s internal systems to reduce technical debt or improving and optimizing our development and deployment workflows. In all cases this position will require evaluation, adaptation, integration, and management of sophisticated system, network, and application software to support the research, teaching, and administrative computing requirements of UW units. This position reduces the workload on other parts of the UW and beyond by removing repetitive work through workflow management, automation, and self-service.
This position is responsible for software troubleshooting, development work, assisting with deployment, integration, and maintenance in a very complex, distributed environment serving hundreds of thousands of faculty, staff, students, patients, and community members. This position directly interacts with and supports the UW (including three campuses and UW Medicine), K-20, and Pacific Northwest Gigapop. The successful position holder will be an active team member and engage with other subject matter experts throughout the University and beyond.
This is a full-time, hybrid position with expectations to be onsite in the U-District a minimum of two days per week.
Key Responsibilities
- UW Shared Web Hosting support and maintenance (40%)
- Helps implement technical solutions, working with partners across the UW
- Unix Engineering work (20%)
- Perform full-stack operational system support for Linux servers, Kubernetes clusters and other managed services (10%)
- Operate, extend and implement new supporting automation, tools and services. This includes deployment automation, configuration management systems, tool development. This may take the form of structured project work or individual tasks (10%).
- Help to evaluate and integrate software updates, security patches and improvements of all types across all platforms and infrastructure (10%).
- Participate in regular team and service meetings, project related meetings and cross-organizational technical forums (5%).
- Provide on-call support duties and after-hours support on rotation with other team members (5%).
Required Qualifications
To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or a related field or equivalent experience.
- Four years’ experience in software systems administration and support: designing, installing, configuring, and troubleshooting.
- Experience supporting a large (more than 10,000 sites) Web Hosting environment.
- Experience with SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and/or MySQL and supporting database-backed applications.
- Experience with the implementation and configuration of software packages and/or cloud-based applications.
- Experience with APIs to understand and support system integrations.
- Experience with coding shell scripts, such as PowerShell and JavaScript.
- Demonstrated ability to lead service delivery teams, construct and manage projects, and consistently and effectively document status.
- Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and apply new technologies.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver outstanding service to customers and peers.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Linux.
- Experience with Apache.
- Experience with MySQL.
- Experience with PHP.
- Experience with PERL.
- Experience with Ansible.
- Experience with all aspects of the software development lifecycle.
- Experience administering WordPress including developing custom themes and plugins.
Working Conditions
- Working conditions include open office environments. Minimum of 2 days in the Seattle office per week.
- Position participates in an on-call rotation and must be able to respond to outages during off-hours, including holidays and weekends.
About the Team
UW Information Technology (UW-IT) is the central information technology organization for the University of Washington, responsible for strategic planning, oversight, and direction of the UW’s IT infrastructure, resources, and services. UW-IT provides critical technology support to all three campuses, UW medical centers, and research operations around the world. UW-IT partners with the UW community to enable innovation, learning, discovery, and service. The IT Infrastructure division provides knowledgeable system design and administration, software engineering, and operational support for academic systems, administrative systems, and research computing.
The Infrastructure division of UW-IT delivers the technology infrastructure required to sustain UW as a leading research, teaching, learning, and medical institution. These technologies support the UW’s core mission at all levels – research, teaching, learning, healthcare, and the necessary underlying administrative and operational functions required to deliver these services.
This position must be able to work with a diverse group of people who are both technical and non-technical. The incumbent must be able to work iteratively in both self-directed and team environments and often with people who are not co-located.
Compensation, Benefits and Position Details
Pay Range Minimum:
$97,080.00 annual
Pay Range Maximum:
$157,764.00 annual
Other Compensation:
Benefits:
For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/
Shift:
First Shift (United States of America)
Temporary or Regular?
This is a regular position
FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):
100.00%
Union/Bargaining Unit:
Not Applicable
About the UW
Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world.
UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.
Our Commitment
The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.
Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.
See all 224+ OPT Infrastructure Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Infrastructure Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an Infrastructure Engineer
Target companies with active H-1B filing histories
Employers who have sponsored H-1B visas for infrastructure roles in the past are far more likely to do it again. Check USCIS H-1B visa disclosure data to verify a company sponsors roles like yours before investing time in their application process.
Lead with your STEM OPT timeline upfront
Infrastructure Engineer roles fall squarely under STEM-designated CIP codes, making you eligible for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. Mentioning your full three-year authorization window early removes the biggest hesitation most hiring managers have about OPT candidates.
Emphasize cloud certifications on your resume
AWS, Azure, and GCP certifications signal job-ready skills that reduce employer onboarding costs. Certified candidates consistently move faster through infrastructure hiring pipelines, which matters when your OPT start date creates a narrow window for completing the process.
Apply to mid-size tech companies, not just large enterprises
Companies with 200 to 2,000 employees often have dedicated infrastructure teams but less competition than FAANG. They also tend to make faster hiring decisions, which reduces the risk of an offer arriving too late relative to your OPT authorization start date.
Frame your OPT period as immediate availability
Many infrastructure teams struggle to fill roles quickly. Positioning your OPT status as meaning you can start now, without waiting for a visa transfer or petition cycle, reframes the conversation from a compliance concern into a staffing advantage for the employer.
Build a portfolio of infrastructure projects with measurable outcomes
Concrete results, such as reduced deployment times, improved uptime percentages, or cost savings from cloud optimization, give hiring managers something defensible when advocating internally to HR about sponsoring an OPT candidate for a permanent role.
Infrastructure Engineer OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Infrastructure Engineer roles qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes. Infrastructure Engineering roles typically fall under STEM-designated degree programs including computer science, information technology, computer engineering, and electrical engineering. If your degree qualifies, you can apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension after your initial 12-month OPT period, giving you up to three years of total work authorization without employer sponsorship of an H-1B.
How common is H-1B sponsorship for Infrastructure Engineer positions?
Infrastructure Engineer is one of the more consistently sponsored roles in tech. Employers regularly file H-1B petitions for these positions because demand for qualified candidates routinely outpaces domestic supply, particularly in cloud infrastructure, DevOps, and network engineering. Companies with existing infrastructure teams and a history of H-1B filings are your strongest targets. You can browse OPT-friendly infrastructure roles directly on Migrate Mate.
Can I work as an Infrastructure Engineer on OPT if my degree is in electrical engineering rather than computer science?
Yes, provided the role has a direct connection to your field of study. Infrastructure Engineering spans both software and hardware systems, and electrical engineering degrees are accepted for roles involving network architecture, data center operations, and embedded systems. Your DSO will need to confirm the position relates to your degree program when authorizing your OPT, so review the job description carefully before applying.
What should I do if an Infrastructure Engineer role requires a security clearance?
Most security clearances require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, which OPT students do not hold. Roles requiring a clearance are effectively off-limits during OPT. Filter these out early by reading job descriptions carefully for language like "requires active clearance," "must be a U.S. citizen," or "clearance required." Focus instead on private-sector infrastructure roles, which represent the majority of open positions and have no clearance requirements.
Does the 90-day unemployment limit apply between infrastructure jobs on OPT?
Yes. F-1 students on OPT cannot accumulate more than 90 days of unemployment during the standard OPT period, and that limit increases to 150 days if you receive a STEM OPT extension. Infrastructure roles can sometimes have longer hiring cycles due to technical interviews and background checks, so starting your job search early and keeping your pipeline active is important for staying within the limit.