OPT Security Operations Manager Jobs
Security Operations Manager jobs are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with backgrounds in cybersecurity, information systems, or computer science. Most roles qualify as STEM OPT extensions, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization while you build experience overseeing SOC teams, incident response, and security infrastructure.
Find OPT Security Operations Manager JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 1,050+ Security Operations Manager jobs
See all 1,050+ Security Operations Manager Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Security Operations Manager roles.
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 1,050+ OPT Security Operations Manager Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Security Operations Manager Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Security Operations Manager
Certifications close the experience gap
Credentials like CISSP, CompTIA Security+, or CEH signal operational readiness to employers. Security operations hiring managers weigh certifications heavily, especially when candidates are earlier in their careers and seeking sponsorship consideration.
Target industries with dedicated security teams
Financial services, healthcare, and defense contractors maintain large SOC operations and hire regularly. These industries are also experienced with visa sponsorship processes, making them more receptive to OPT candidates than smaller organizations.
Quantify your SOC or incident response experience
Resume bullets that show scope, such as alerts triaged per day or mean time to detection improvements, are far more compelling than general descriptions. Hiring managers for manager-level roles want evidence of operational impact, not just task lists.
Frame yourself as a bridge between technical and leadership work
Security Operations Manager roles sit between hands-on engineering and executive reporting. Demonstrating that you can communicate risk to non-technical stakeholders while managing analysts makes you stand out in a competitive applicant pool.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with a sponsorship track record
Migrate Mate surfaces Security Operations Manager roles from employers who have sponsored work visas before. Focusing your search there reduces time spent applying to companies unlikely to support OPT-to-H-1B transitions.
Security Operations Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Security Operations Manager role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, in most cases. If your degree is in cybersecurity, information systems, computer science, or a related STEM field, a Security Operations Manager role will typically qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to 36 months of total work authorization. Your DSO must verify the degree and job match before filing the extension.
How can I find Security Operations Manager jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate is the most direct way to find Security Operations Manager openings from employers with a demonstrated history of visa sponsorship. General job boards do not filter by sponsorship willingness, which means you can spend significant time applying to employers who will not consider OPT candidates. Migrate Mate is built specifically to surface roles from sponsorship-friendly employers.
What degree backgrounds do employers expect for Security Operations Manager roles on OPT?
Most employers require or strongly prefer a bachelor's or master's degree in cybersecurity, information assurance, computer science, or information systems. These fields also align with STEM OPT eligibility, which matters for your authorization timeline. Some employers accept degrees in electrical engineering or related technical disciplines when paired with relevant certifications and experience.
How much experience do I need before applying for Security Operations Manager positions on OPT?
Most job postings list three to six years of experience in security operations, with at least one to two years in a supervisory or lead capacity. OPT students who have completed internships or graduate-level security coursework, hold recognized certifications, and can demonstrate hands-on SOC or incident response experience are competitive for junior manager or team lead roles that can grow into full manager titles.
Will employers see my OPT status as a barrier for a manager-level security role?
Some employers hesitate at manager-level roles because they assume higher-level hires require long-term commitment before H-1B sponsorship makes financial sense. The strongest counter is demonstrating your STEM OPT timeline clearly, showing you offer 36 months of authorized work, and targeting employers in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and defense who are already experienced with sponsorship processes and value retaining strong security leadership.