OPT Machine Learning Scientist Jobs
Machine Learning Scientist roles are among the most actively sponsored positions for F-1 OPT students, with STEM OPT extensions available for up to three years. Most employers require a master's or PhD in computer science, statistics, or a related field, and STEM designation makes these roles strong candidates for H-1B visa sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
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
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
See all 502+ OPT Machine Learning Scientist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Machine Learning Scientist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Machine Learning Scientist
Target research-driven employers
Companies with dedicated AI research divisions, such as large tech firms and well-funded startups, file H-1B visa petitions at far higher rates than generalist employers. Search Migrate Mate to find Machine Learning Scientist roles at employers with verified sponsorship history.
Emphasize your STEM OPT timeline
Your STEM OPT extension gives you up to 36 months of work authorization. Framing this clearly in applications reassures employers that you have enough runway to complete the H-1B sponsorship process without disruption to your employment.
Lead with published research and benchmarks
Hiring managers for Machine Learning Scientist roles respond to concrete outcomes: papers published, benchmark improvements, and model performance gains. Quantified contributions signal genuine research depth and reduce perceived risk around visa sponsorship investment.
Prioritize roles requiring a master's or PhD
Positions that explicitly require an advanced degree in a specific technical field are stronger specialty occupation cases for H-1B purposes. Targeting these roles from the start makes the eventual sponsorship pathway more straightforward for both you and your employer.
Prepare your employer for the sponsorship conversation
Many hiring managers are unfamiliar with STEM OPT details. Coming prepared with a clear one-page summary of your authorization timeline, extension eligibility, and H-1B lottery timing removes friction and helps the employer make a faster, more confident decision.
Build relationships within research and ML communities
Referrals dramatically increase your chances at sponsoring employers. Contributing to open-source projects, presenting at workshops, or collaborating on preprints creates professional visibility that often leads to introductions before a role is ever posted publicly.
Machine Learning Scientist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Machine Learning Scientist on F-1 OPT?
Yes. Machine Learning Scientist is a STEM-designated role, so F-1 students who graduate from a qualifying program in computer science, statistics, or a related field are eligible for both standard 12-month OPT and the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization total. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify to support the STEM extension.
Do Machine Learning Scientist employers commonly sponsor visas?
Sponsorship rates are higher for this role than for most. Machine Learning Scientists are classified as specialty occupation workers under the H-1B, and demand for qualified candidates consistently outpaces supply. Research-intensive employers at large tech companies, AI labs, and well-funded startups sponsor at high rates. Browse verified sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate to narrow your search to companies with a demonstrated track record.
Does my degree field affect OPT eligibility for this role?
It does, particularly for the STEM OPT extension. Your degree must be from STEM-designated CIP code programs, such as computer science, applied mathematics, statistics, or electrical engineering. A degree in a non-STEM field can still support standard 12-month OPT, but the extension requires the STEM designation. The connection between your degree field and the Machine Learning Scientist role also matters for H-1B specialty occupation classification later.
What is the 24-month STEM OPT extension and how does it apply here?
The STEM OPT extension adds 24 months to your standard 12-month OPT period, for a total of 36 months. To qualify, your degree must be in a STEM field, your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and you must submit a formal training plan using Form I-983. For Machine Learning Scientists, most roles at qualifying employers meet these requirements. You must apply before your current OPT expires.
What should I expect from the H-1B transition process after OPT?
Most Machine Learning Scientists transition from OPT to H-1B sponsorship. Your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf, subject to the annual lottery held each April for an October 1 start date. With 36 months of STEM OPT, you have enough runway to enter the lottery up to three times if needed. Your role's advanced degree requirement strengthens the specialty occupation argument, which is one of the more scrutinized parts of the petition.