OPT Software Development Manager Jobs
Software Development Manager jobs are accessible on F-1 OPT, including STEM OPT extension, since the role typically requires a degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field. Most employers filing H-1B visa sponsorship are large tech companies or enterprise software firms actively hiring engineering leaders.
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Get Access To All JobsAbout the Team/Role
As an Engineering Manager you will play an important role in the design and analysis of software projects with a high level of technical experience. For this role, we need someone excited about solving problems and being able to juggle multiple items in a day, taking joy in being very efficient in driving items through a pipeline process. Primary responsibilities are to solve current reported problems and find opportunities to resolve those with long term solutions. Other responsibilities may include planning, design, development and testing software systems or applications for software enhancements and new products.
Our goal is that about 50% of your responsibility is to provide technical leadership, direction, guidance, and support for the members of your team and about 50% of the role will be development.
How you'll make an impact
- Manage a small team of highly motivated developers and Systems Analysts
- Evaluate and respond to customer needs in a fashion that provides long-term benefit to WEX by finding strategic solutions to issues and driving that forward.
- Be in position to quickly and effectively resolve customer reported issues; taking ownership of the support process and collaborating with others on best solutions, effectively being a positive force for other teams by allowing focused development to continue.
- Become product domain expert and develop techniques to help team members gain expertise
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of the application architecture and ensures all development conforms to defined standards
- Analyze, design, program, debug and modify software enhancements and/or new products used in local, networked or internet related computer programs
- Recommend changes in development, maintenance and system standards
- Support technological aspects of a software development project so that the end product meets business & technology requirements and is delivered on-time and on-budget
Culturally, you're
- A highly motivated manager and engineer who loves working on small, high performing teams.
- Collaborative, a solid communicator, and work well with your team and stakeholders.
- Someone who cares deeply for team results, checks your ego at the door and takes pride in owning results.
- A professional who can advocate strongly for positions and still be 100% behind team decisions even if they don’t go your way
- A mentor who is capable at guiding the technical development of less experienced developers at the functional, component architectural levels
- Are comfortable balancing the need to move fast with the realities of working in a highly regulated space like payments
Technically, you
- Pick up new technology and can switch between tech stacks with a minimum of fuss
- Are comfortable working on front-end web code, back end services, data stores, and infrastructure systems
- Have experience writing modern software deployed in the cloud
- Are comfortable with encryption schemes, modern APIs, and front-end frameworks
- Have worked on agile teams to deliver software iteratively
Experience you'll bring
- BS in an engineering field OR can make us feel intensely confident that you don’t need one.
- A demonstrable working understanding of at least one modern web framework.
- 4+ years of experience managing team members
- 4+ years of experience with Java
- 2+ years of experience with cloud solutions - Azure, Google, Amazon
- 4+ years experience working on agile teams to deliver software iteratively
- Experience with designing and architecting applications
- Experience with continuous integration/continuous delivery
- Excellent overall knowledge of Enterprise Level technologies
- Strong analytical, prioritizing, interpersonal, problem-solving, presentation, budgeting, project management (from conception to completion), & planning skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills (including analysis, interpretation, & reasoning)
- Self-motivation with attention to detail, deadlines and reporting
It would be nice if you
- Have demonstrable experience with systems engineering and automation
- Have experience with Atlassian tools like Confluence and JIRA
- Experience with Linux, containerization and container orchestration like Kubernetes
- Have experience with logging, metrics, and monitoring tools like DataDog and Splunk
- Have experience with transaction processing
The base pay range represents the anticipated low and high end of the pay range for this position. Actual pay rates will vary and will be based on various factors, such as your qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. Base pay is one component of WEX's total compensation package. Most sales positions are eligible for commission under the terms of an applicable plan. Non-sales roles are typically eligible for a quarterly or annual bonus based on their role and applicable plan. WEX's comprehensive and market competitive benefits are designed to support your personal and professional well-being. Benefits include health, dental and vision insurances, retirement savings plan, paid time off, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, and more. For more information, check out the "About Us" section.
Pay Range: $150,600.00 - $180,100.00
About the Team/Role
As an Engineering Manager you will play an important role in the design and analysis of software projects with a high level of technical experience. For this role, we need someone excited about solving problems and being able to juggle multiple items in a day, taking joy in being very efficient in driving items through a pipeline process. Primary responsibilities are to solve current reported problems and find opportunities to resolve those with long term solutions. Other responsibilities may include planning, design, development and testing software systems or applications for software enhancements and new products.
Our goal is that about 50% of your responsibility is to provide technical leadership, direction, guidance, and support for the members of your team and about 50% of the role will be development.
How you'll make an impact
- Manage a small team of highly motivated developers and Systems Analysts
- Evaluate and respond to customer needs in a fashion that provides long-term benefit to WEX by finding strategic solutions to issues and driving that forward.
- Be in position to quickly and effectively resolve customer reported issues; taking ownership of the support process and collaborating with others on best solutions, effectively being a positive force for other teams by allowing focused development to continue.
- Become product domain expert and develop techniques to help team members gain expertise
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of the application architecture and ensures all development conforms to defined standards
- Analyze, design, program, debug and modify software enhancements and/or new products used in local, networked or internet related computer programs
- Recommend changes in development, maintenance and system standards
- Support technological aspects of a software development project so that the end product meets business & technology requirements and is delivered on-time and on-budget
Culturally, you're
- A highly motivated manager and engineer who loves working on small, high performing teams.
- Collaborative, a solid communicator, and work well with your team and stakeholders.
- Someone who cares deeply for team results, checks your ego at the door and takes pride in owning results.
- A professional who can advocate strongly for positions and still be 100% behind team decisions even if they don’t go your way
- A mentor who is capable at guiding the technical development of less experienced developers at the functional, component architectural levels
- Are comfortable balancing the need to move fast with the realities of working in a highly regulated space like payments
Technically, you
- Pick up new technology and can switch between tech stacks with a minimum of fuss
- Are comfortable working on front-end web code, back end services, data stores, and infrastructure systems
- Have experience writing modern software deployed in the cloud
- Are comfortable with encryption schemes, modern APIs, and front-end frameworks
- Have worked on agile teams to deliver software iteratively
Experience you'll bring
- BS in an engineering field OR can make us feel intensely confident that you don’t need one.
- A demonstrable working understanding of at least one modern web framework.
- 4+ years of experience managing team members
- 4+ years of experience with Java
- 2+ years of experience with cloud solutions - Azure, Google, Amazon
- 4+ years experience working on agile teams to deliver software iteratively
- Experience with designing and architecting applications
- Experience with continuous integration/continuous delivery
- Excellent overall knowledge of Enterprise Level technologies
- Strong analytical, prioritizing, interpersonal, problem-solving, presentation, budgeting, project management (from conception to completion), & planning skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills (including analysis, interpretation, & reasoning)
- Self-motivation with attention to detail, deadlines and reporting
It would be nice if you
- Have demonstrable experience with systems engineering and automation
- Have experience with Atlassian tools like Confluence and JIRA
- Experience with Linux, containerization and container orchestration like Kubernetes
- Have experience with logging, metrics, and monitoring tools like DataDog and Splunk
- Have experience with transaction processing
The base pay range represents the anticipated low and high end of the pay range for this position. Actual pay rates will vary and will be based on various factors, such as your qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. Base pay is one component of WEX's total compensation package. Most sales positions are eligible for commission under the terms of an applicable plan. Non-sales roles are typically eligible for a quarterly or annual bonus based on their role and applicable plan. WEX's comprehensive and market competitive benefits are designed to support your personal and professional well-being. Benefits include health, dental and vision insurances, retirement savings plan, paid time off, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, and more. For more information, check out the "About Us" section.
Pay Range: $150,600.00 - $180,100.00
See all 64+ OPT Software Development Manager Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Software Development Manager
Target companies already filing H-1B for engineering roles
Employers who sponsor H-1B visas for software engineers are far more likely to sponsor a Software Development Manager. Check OFLC disclosure data to confirm a company's sponsorship history before investing time in their application process.
Lead with your STEM OPT eligibility upfront
If your degree is in computer science, software engineering, or a related STEM field, you qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. Mentioning this early gives employers a longer runway and reduces hesitation about your authorization timeline.
Frame your technical depth alongside leadership scope
Hiring managers for this role want both engineering credibility and team leadership. Quantify team size, delivery outcomes, and technical decisions you owned. Generic management experience without technical grounding rarely clears the bar at sponsoring employers.
Prioritize companies with established immigration infrastructure
Large tech firms and well-funded scale-ups have immigration counsel on retainer and defined H-1B sponsorship processes. Smaller startups may be willing but lack the operational capacity to file correctly and on time before your OPT expires.
Prepare a clear authorization timeline for recruiter conversations
Know your OPT end date, STEM extension eligibility, and H-1B cap deadline. Recruiters frequently ask early in the process. A confident, organized answer reduces friction and signals you understand the sponsorship process as well as they do.
Negotiate the H-1B timeline into your offer conversation
If your OPT expires soon after your start date, raise the H-1B filing timeline before signing. Confirming the employer will file in the next cap season protects you from starting a role that loses authorization within months of joining.
Software Development Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Software Development Manager on F-1 OPT?
Yes. Software Development Manager is a specialty occupation that requires a bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field, which directly satisfies OPT work authorization requirements. Your employment must be in a role directly related to your major field of study, and you must report it to your DSO within the required timeframe.
Does a Software Development Manager role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It does if your underlying degree is in a STEM-designated field such as computer science, software engineering, or information systems, and your employer is enrolled in E-Verify. The role itself involves applying STEM knowledge in a managerial and technical capacity, which USCIS generally accepts. Confirm your degree's CIP code qualifies with your DSO before filing the extension.
How do I find Software Development Manager jobs that sponsor OPT and H-1B?
Migrate Mate filters Software Development Manager listings by employers who actively sponsor work visas, saving you from applying to roles where sponsorship is off the table. Focusing on companies with a documented H-1B filing history in engineering and technical management roles significantly improves your conversion rate from application to offer.
Do Software Development Manager roles typically require H-1B sponsorship to transition from OPT?
Yes, for most F-1 students this is the standard path after OPT. The H-1B cap-subject lottery opens each April for an October 1 start date, so timing matters if your OPT expires mid-year. Some employers also file for H-1B1 visa or O-1 visas depending on your background, and cap-exempt institutions like universities or nonprofits are an option worth considering.
Will employers view my OPT status as a barrier for a management-level role?
Some will, but many established tech employers routinely sponsor engineering managers and are comfortable with the process. The stronger your technical leadership record and the earlier you surface the sponsorship conversation, the less friction you'll encounter. Companies that have previously filed H-1B petitions for senior engineers have the infrastructure in place and are the most practical targets.