OPT Physics Jobs
Physics OPT jobs span research, data analysis, engineering, and instrumentation roles across academia, national labs, and private industry. Your OPT period gives you up to 12 months of work authorization, with a 24-month STEM extension available for qualifying physics and related degree programs. Employers range from university research groups to defense contractors and semiconductor firms.
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As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA
Performs duties to assist the Medical Physicist in performing external beam machine quality assurance (QA) and brachytherapy procedures and QA, patient specific QA, protocol management and implementation of new procedures.
Corporate Overview: The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center and is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in our comprehensive services, medical advancement, and overall patient outcomes.
Responsibilities
Essential Functions
External beam machine QA
- Assists/performs weekly, monthly and annual QA for linear accelerators (linac) and CT, participates in evaluation of the results and reports to the physicists with any concerns.
- May assist in performing proton morning QA.
- Ensures that machine QA is performed in a timely manner.
Brachytherapy procedures and QA
- Assists the brachytherapy physicist team to ensure safe and smooth treatment delivery with Prostate Seed Implants, Eye Plaque Implants and High Dose Rate Brachytherapy.
- Coordinates PSI seed ordering process, including source delivering and on-site seed QA, inventory, and radiation safety documentation/communication with the campus health physicists.
- Communicates with the Qualified Medical Physicist (QMP) and the rest of the team including the physician and nurse when potential issues, such as seed order/delivery schedule and QA discrepancy, arise.
- Assists PSI procedures in the operating room. Under the supervision of the QMP, ensures the sources are all accounted for before and after the PSI procedure.
Oversight and Maintenance of QA Equipment
- Maintains QA equipment inventory, and ensures that appropriate calibration is performed for each QA device.
- Facilitates damaged and/or defective QA equipment replacement and repair process.
- Assists in the maintenance of clinical treatment equipment including quality control (QC) and storage process. For example, stereotactic radiosurgery frame and hardware cleaning, inventory/storage, and QC.
- Participates in intradepartmental educational sessions and meetings that pertain to hardware QA/QC.
Patient Specific QA
- Performs patient specific QA for IMRT photon plans.
- Performs initial troubleshooting when QA fails. Responsible for bringing potential issue/s to the physicist's attention for additional analysis and corrective action.
- Assists or performs independent proton specific patient QA.
Protocol Management
- Prepares required protocol documents for submission.
- Ensures that credentialing requirements have been met for clinical protocols.
- Attends meetings, refines workflows, maintains and files credentialing letters and responds to other requests from the Clinical Trials Office (CTO).
Implementation of New Procedures
- Assists the Medical Physicist in implementation of new processes or procedures, programs or workflow in the clinic such as establishment of a new QA platform, creation of source calibration for a new brachytherapy program etc.
Knowledge / Skills / Abilities
- Demonstrated attention to detail and strong analytical skills.
- Ability to perform detailed measurements using modern, sensitive instrumentation.
- Demonstrates ability to work independently as well as in a team environment.
- Demonstrates ability to provide clear and professional written/verbal communication.
- Demonstrates accountability for work, taking ownership for quality and timeliness of work.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor's or higher degree (physical sciences preferred) from an accredited college or university and/or certification as a Radiation Therapist, or the equivalency.
Qualifications (Preferred)
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.
- This position is moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, moving from one work site to another. This position may exert up to 20 pounds and may lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
Physical Requirements
Carrying, Climbing, Color Determination, Crawling, Far Vision, Lifting, Listening, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Pulling and/or Pushing, Reaching, Sitting, Speaking, Standing, Stooping and Crouching, Tasting or Smelling, Walking
Multi-lingual Candidates Welcomed
To inquire about this posting, email: careers@hsc.utah.edu
EEO Statement
University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, a part of The University of Utah, values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and patients from all backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education and quality healthcare for historically underrepresented students and patient populations.
All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, a part of The University of Utah, is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.
To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources office at 801-581-6500. If you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at: www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination.
Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu.
The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources at (801) 581-6500 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources at (801) 581-6500 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.
Requisition Number 86208
Reg/Temp Regular
Employment Type Full-Time
Shift Day
Work Schedule M-F; 8-5, negotiable with team
Clinical/Non-Clinical Status Clinical
Location Name Huntsman Cancer Hospital
Workplace Set Up On-site
City SALT LAKE CITY
State UT
Department HCH ANC 60R RADIATION ONCOLOGY
Category Health Professional - Other
Workplace Set Up On-site
Overview
As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA
Performs duties to assist the Medical Physicist in performing external beam machine quality assurance (QA) and brachytherapy procedures and QA, patient specific QA, protocol management and implementation of new procedures.
Corporate Overview: The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center and is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in our comprehensive services, medical advancement, and overall patient outcomes.
Responsibilities
Essential Functions
External beam machine QA
- Assists/performs weekly, monthly and annual QA for linear accelerators (linac) and CT, participates in evaluation of the results and reports to the physicists with any concerns.
- May assist in performing proton morning QA.
- Ensures that machine QA is performed in a timely manner.
Brachytherapy procedures and QA
- Assists the brachytherapy physicist team to ensure safe and smooth treatment delivery with Prostate Seed Implants, Eye Plaque Implants and High Dose Rate Brachytherapy.
- Coordinates PSI seed ordering process, including source delivering and on-site seed QA, inventory, and radiation safety documentation/communication with the campus health physicists.
- Communicates with the Qualified Medical Physicist (QMP) and the rest of the team including the physician and nurse when potential issues, such as seed order/delivery schedule and QA discrepancy, arise.
- Assists PSI procedures in the operating room. Under the supervision of the QMP, ensures the sources are all accounted for before and after the PSI procedure.
Oversight and Maintenance of QA Equipment
- Maintains QA equipment inventory, and ensures that appropriate calibration is performed for each QA device.
- Facilitates damaged and/or defective QA equipment replacement and repair process.
- Assists in the maintenance of clinical treatment equipment including quality control (QC) and storage process. For example, stereotactic radiosurgery frame and hardware cleaning, inventory/storage, and QC.
- Participates in intradepartmental educational sessions and meetings that pertain to hardware QA/QC.
Patient Specific QA
- Performs patient specific QA for IMRT photon plans.
- Performs initial troubleshooting when QA fails. Responsible for bringing potential issue/s to the physicist's attention for additional analysis and corrective action.
- Assists or performs independent proton specific patient QA.
Protocol Management
- Prepares required protocol documents for submission.
- Ensures that credentialing requirements have been met for clinical protocols.
- Attends meetings, refines workflows, maintains and files credentialing letters and responds to other requests from the Clinical Trials Office (CTO).
Implementation of New Procedures
- Assists the Medical Physicist in implementation of new processes or procedures, programs or workflow in the clinic such as establishment of a new QA platform, creation of source calibration for a new brachytherapy program etc.
Knowledge / Skills / Abilities
- Demonstrated attention to detail and strong analytical skills.
- Ability to perform detailed measurements using modern, sensitive instrumentation.
- Demonstrates ability to work independently as well as in a team environment.
- Demonstrates ability to provide clear and professional written/verbal communication.
- Demonstrates accountability for work, taking ownership for quality and timeliness of work.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor's or higher degree (physical sciences preferred) from an accredited college or university and/or certification as a Radiation Therapist, or the equivalency.
Qualifications (Preferred)
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.
- This position is moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, moving from one work site to another. This position may exert up to 20 pounds and may lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
Physical Requirements
Carrying, Climbing, Color Determination, Crawling, Far Vision, Lifting, Listening, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Pulling and/or Pushing, Reaching, Sitting, Speaking, Standing, Stooping and Crouching, Tasting or Smelling, Walking
Multi-lingual Candidates Welcomed
To inquire about this posting, email: careers@hsc.utah.edu
EEO Statement
University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, a part of The University of Utah, values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and patients from all backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education and quality healthcare for historically underrepresented students and patient populations.
All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, a part of The University of Utah, is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.
To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources office at 801-581-6500. If you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at: www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination.
Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu.
The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources at (801) 581-6500 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources at (801) 581-6500 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.
Requisition Number 86208
Reg/Temp Regular
Employment Type Full-Time
Shift Day
Work Schedule M-F; 8-5, negotiable with team
Clinical/Non-Clinical Status Clinical
Location Name Huntsman Cancer Hospital
Workplace Set Up On-site
City SALT LAKE CITY
State UT
Department HCH ANC 60R RADIATION ONCOLOGY
Category Health Professional - Other
Workplace Set Up On-site
See all 74+ OPT Physics Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Physics Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Physics
Target STEM OPT-eligible employers first
Physics degrees typically qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, but only with E-Verify employers. Prioritize companies enrolled in E-Verify from the start so your extension eligibility is never in question.
Highlight quantitative and computational skills
Employers hiring physics graduates often care more about your Python, MATLAB, or data modeling experience than your thesis topic. Lead with technical skills in your resume to connect your background to the role.
Look beyond academia for sponsorship pathways
National laboratories, semiconductor companies, and defense contractors regularly hire physics graduates and have established H-1B visa sponsorship pipelines. These employers often have dedicated immigration support teams for international hires.
Clarify your OPT timeline upfront
Tell employers your OPT start date, expiration date, and STEM extension eligibility early in the process. Employers unfamiliar with OPT benefit from knowing you have up to three years of work authorization available.
Connect your research to applied industry problems
Hiring managers outside academia rarely know what your thesis means in practice. Translate your research into outcomes: reduced error rates, improved detection accuracy, faster processing. Concrete results resonate far more than technical jargon.
Apply to roles with specialty occupation alignment
For future H-1B sponsorship, your physics role needs to qualify as a specialty occupation requiring a bachelor's degree in a specific field. Applied research, instrumentation, and data science roles tied directly to physics align well.
Physics OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do physics degrees qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes. Physics is on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, which means graduates are eligible for a 24-month STEM OPT extension beyond the standard 12-month period. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and you must apply for the extension before your initial OPT expires. That gives you up to 36 months of total work authorization.
What types of employers hire physics OPT students?
Physics graduates work across a wide range of sectors. National laboratories like Argonne, Brookhaven, and the national labs under DOE regularly hire OPT students for research roles. Private sector employers in semiconductors, defense, medical devices, and data science also recruit physics graduates. Migrate Mate filters OPT-friendly listings so you can find employers who actively sponsor international students.
Can I work at a university or research institution on OPT?
Yes, academic and research institution roles are fully compatible with OPT work authorization. However, confirm that any unpaid or stipend-based position meets your OPT employment requirements. USCIS requires that OPT employment be directly related to your degree and, for paid roles, that compensation is consistent with similarly situated U.S. workers in the same field.
Does a physics job qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B sponsorship?
Most physics roles do qualify, particularly those in applied research, instrumentation development, computational modeling, and materials science, where a bachelor's degree in physics or a closely related field is a standard requirement. General roles where any science degree would suffice are harder to support. The stronger the connection between the job duties and your specific physics training, the cleaner the specialty occupation argument.
Can I work part-time on OPT as a physics researcher or lab technician?
Yes, part-time OPT employment is permitted during the standard OPT period, defined as fewer than 20 hours per week. During the STEM OPT extension, however, you must work at least 20 hours per week to remain in valid status. If you hold multiple concurrent part-time positions, the combined hours must still meet that threshold during the extension period.