OPT Software Architect Jobs
Software Architect roles qualify for OPT work authorization when the position requires a bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, software engineering, or a related field. Most architects hold STEM-designated degrees, making them eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension beyond the initial 12 months.
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At Ford, you’ll work on ideas that matter, alongside passionate people who want to make a global impact. Together, we’re shaping the next era of transportation—grounded in purpose, driven by progress. Make your move.
- Job Type: Full time
- Work Type: Hybrid
At Ford Motor Company, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress. We also believe in providing you with the freedom to define and realize your dreams. With our incredible plans for the future of mobility, we have a wide variety of opportunities for you to accelerate your career potential as you help us define tomorrow’s transportation. In Product Development, we bring engineering ideas to life. The ADAS Software and Feature Development Team designs and develops software, providing magical experiences with features like Blue Cruise, Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, Pro Trailer Backup Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Park Assist, and 360 Camera Systems. We are seeking a diligent, detail-driven professional to provide vital expertise in support of our Driver Assist Technologies Embedded Software Design team.
Responsibilities
- Create high level documentation and develop software requirements for an embedded platform
- Leverage modular component-based design, standard C libraries, embedded design patterns, and Classic AUTOSAR architectural features to create robust, efficient, and reliable software
- Apply Functional Safety principles as it applies to Driver Assist Software and Platform Software
- Demonstrate commitment to quality by applying best practices to coding standards, static analysis, code coverage, code reviews
- Work with cross functional engineers to establish quality traceability between systems and software teams
- Highlight your technical leadership amongst a team of highly energized and collaborative peers in a fast-paced environment
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field or a combination of education and equivalent experience
- 3+ years of experience in software architecture using C++ and/or C
- 3+ years of experience designing and testing systems for high performance, high reliability computing applications
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or similar field of study
- 5+ years of ADAS/Autonomy software architecture experience with proven success in a fast-paced, cross-functional engineering team environment
- Strong understanding of modern Middleware designs and best practices
- Expertise with established software design patterns and efficient data structures
- Familiarity with Classic AUTOSAR stack
- Familiarity with ISO 26262, security, and safety in embedded systems
- Experience working within an Agile Software Development Methodology
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Preferred background in designing end-to-end perception pipelines, including the architectural definition of sensor abstraction layers in Basic Software and their interface with application-level fusion logic
You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!
As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:
- Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
- Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
- Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
- Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
- Tuition assistance
- Established and active employee resource groups
- Paid time off for individual and team community service
- A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
- Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
This position is a salary grade 7-8 and ranges from $87,000 - $160,000.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR.
Visa sponsorship is available for this position.
Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.
This position is hybrid (onsite four days per week).
LI-Hybrid
LI-CL2
Overview
At Ford, you’ll work on ideas that matter, alongside passionate people who want to make a global impact. Together, we’re shaping the next era of transportation—grounded in purpose, driven by progress. Make your move.
- Job Type: Full time
- Work Type: Hybrid
At Ford Motor Company, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress. We also believe in providing you with the freedom to define and realize your dreams. With our incredible plans for the future of mobility, we have a wide variety of opportunities for you to accelerate your career potential as you help us define tomorrow’s transportation. In Product Development, we bring engineering ideas to life. The ADAS Software and Feature Development Team designs and develops software, providing magical experiences with features like Blue Cruise, Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, Pro Trailer Backup Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Park Assist, and 360 Camera Systems. We are seeking a diligent, detail-driven professional to provide vital expertise in support of our Driver Assist Technologies Embedded Software Design team.
Responsibilities
- Create high level documentation and develop software requirements for an embedded platform
- Leverage modular component-based design, standard C libraries, embedded design patterns, and Classic AUTOSAR architectural features to create robust, efficient, and reliable software
- Apply Functional Safety principles as it applies to Driver Assist Software and Platform Software
- Demonstrate commitment to quality by applying best practices to coding standards, static analysis, code coverage, code reviews
- Work with cross functional engineers to establish quality traceability between systems and software teams
- Highlight your technical leadership amongst a team of highly energized and collaborative peers in a fast-paced environment
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field or a combination of education and equivalent experience
- 3+ years of experience in software architecture using C++ and/or C
- 3+ years of experience designing and testing systems for high performance, high reliability computing applications
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or similar field of study
- 5+ years of ADAS/Autonomy software architecture experience with proven success in a fast-paced, cross-functional engineering team environment
- Strong understanding of modern Middleware designs and best practices
- Expertise with established software design patterns and efficient data structures
- Familiarity with Classic AUTOSAR stack
- Familiarity with ISO 26262, security, and safety in embedded systems
- Experience working within an Agile Software Development Methodology
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Preferred background in designing end-to-end perception pipelines, including the architectural definition of sensor abstraction layers in Basic Software and their interface with application-level fusion logic
You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!
As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:
- Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
- Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
- Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
- Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
- Tuition assistance
- Established and active employee resource groups
- Paid time off for individual and team community service
- A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
- Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
This position is a salary grade 7-8 and ranges from $87,000 - $160,000.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR.
Visa sponsorship is available for this position.
Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.
This position is hybrid (onsite four days per week).
LI-Hybrid
LI-CL2
See all 477+ OPT Software Architect Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Software Architect
Target companies with established engineering orgs
Large tech companies and enterprise software firms hire architects at scale and have immigration counsel on staff. They're far more likely to understand OPT timelines and STEM extension eligibility than startups navigating sponsorship for the first time.
Lead with your systems design experience
Hiring managers for architect roles care about distributed systems, API design, and scalability decisions you've owned. Quantify scope: number of services, teams you influenced, or traffic volumes handled. This signals seniority faster than a list of languages.
Clarify your OPT timeline upfront
Architect roles often take 60 to 90 days to close. Confirm how many months remain on your EAD before applying. If you're within six months of expiration, address the STEM extension timeline proactively so hiring managers aren't caught off guard.
Frame yourself as a long-term H-1B candidate
Architects are exactly the kind of senior technical hire employers sponsor for H-1B visa. Position your OPT period as a bridge, not a risk. Mentioning your intent to pursue H-1B sponsorship signals commitment and helps employers plan their immigration budget.
Prioritize roles with a defined scope of ownership
Architect positions that report to a VP of Engineering or CTO with a clear domain, such as platform, data, or security, are easier for USCIS to classify as specialty occupations. Ambiguous titles with generalist duties can complicate future H-1B petitions.
Use Migrate Mate to filter for OPT-friendly openings
Not every architect posting is open to OPT candidates. Migrate Mate surfaces roles where employers have confirmed willingness to work with international students, saving you time and avoiding applications that will go nowhere before they start.
Software Architect OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Software Architect roles qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, in most cases. Software Architect positions typically require a degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related STEM field. If your degree is on the STEM Designated Degree Program List and your role is directly related to that field of study, you're eligible to apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to 36 months of total OPT work authorization.
Can I work as a Software Architect on OPT without employer sponsorship?
Yes. OPT is employment authorization tied to your F-1 status, not to a specific employer's petition. You don't need your employer to sponsor a visa to work during your OPT period. However, your role must be directly related to your field of study. For STEM OPT, your employer must enroll in E-Verify and sign a formal training plan with your DSO.
What should I know about changing employers as a Software Architect on STEM OPT?
You can change employers on STEM OPT, but you can't start working for the new company until your DSO updates your SEVIS record and you have an updated I-20 reflecting the new employer. The new employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify and sign a revised training plan. Build in at least two to three weeks for this process to avoid any unauthorized employment gap.
Is a Software Architect role specific enough to qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B?
Generally yes, provided the job description requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in a specific technical field. Architect roles that specify expertise in areas like cloud infrastructure, microservices architecture, or enterprise systems design are strong candidates. Vague job descriptions that accept any degree or list duties spanning unrelated disciplines can create problems during H-1B adjudication, so the specificity of your offer letter matters.
Where can I find Software Architect jobs open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students on OPT and filters for employers willing to work with F-1 candidates. Searching broadly on general job sites often means applying to roles where OPT isn't on the employer's radar at all. Migrate Mate removes that friction so you're spending time on applications that have a real path forward.