Software Development Manager Jobs for OPT Students
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 sponsorship are large tech companies or enterprise software firms actively hiring engineering leaders.
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Imagine being a part of an agile team where your ideas have the potential to reach millions. Picture working on consumer-facing products, where every single team member is a critical voice in the decision-making process. Envision being able to leverage the resources of a Fortune-500 company within the atmosphere of a start-up. Welcome to Amazon Music, where ideas are born and come to life as Amazon Music Unlimited, Prime Music, and so much more.
The Amazon Music Community and Fandom team is responsible for creating differentiated experiences for fans and artists. We are looking for new team members who are passionate about experimenting and innovating for customers, have a demonstrable track record of success in delivering new features and products, and is excited about having end-to-end ownership of high-impact, high-visibility projects.
We build systems that are distributed on a large scale, spanning our music apps, web player, and voice-forward audio engagement on mobile and Amazon Echo devices, powered by Alexa to support our customer base. Amazon Music offerings are available in countries around the world, and our applications support our mission of delivering music to customers in new and exciting ways that enhance their day-to-day lives.
Key job responsibilities
Amazon Music Community and Fandom is looking for an experienced Software Development Manager for our team in San Francisco. You'll operate at the intersection of technology strategy and hands-on engineering leadership.
A day in the life:
- Lead, coach, and grow a team of SDEs
- Own the technical vision and roadmap for Community and Fandom, working closely with Product, TPM, and business stakeholders
- Drive operational excellence for systems that directly impact our key metrics
- Champion best practices including code quality, testing, operational readiness, and on-call health
- Collaborate with peer SDMs to align on org-wide technical strategy
About the team
Amazon Music is an immersive audio entertainment service that deepens connections between fans, artists, and creators. From personalized music playlists to exclusive podcasts, concert livestreams to artist merch, Amazon Music is innovating at some of the most exciting intersections of music and culture. We offer experiences that serve all listeners with our different tiers of service: Prime members get access to all the music in shuffle mode, and top ad-free podcasts, included with their membership; customers can upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited for unlimited, on-demand access to 100 million songs, including millions in HD, Ultra HD, and spatial audio; and anyone can listen for free by downloading the Amazon Music app or via Alexa-enabled devices. Join us for the opportunity to influence how Amazon Music engages fans, artists, and creators on a global scale.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 3+ years of engineering team management experience
- 7+ years of working directly within engineering teams experience
- 3+ years of designing or architecting (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- 8+ years of leading the definition and development of multi tier web services experience
- Knowledge of engineering practices and patterns for the full software/hardware/networks development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, certification, and livesite operations
- Experience partnering with product or program management teams
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in communicating with users, other technical teams, and senior leadership to collect requirements, describe software product features, technical designs, and product strategy
- Experience in recruiting, hiring, mentoring/coaching and managing teams of Software Engineers to improve their skills, and make them more effective, product software engineers
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $212,700.00 - $287,700.00 USD annually
Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
DESCRIPTION
Imagine being a part of an agile team where your ideas have the potential to reach millions. Picture working on consumer-facing products, where every single team member is a critical voice in the decision-making process. Envision being able to leverage the resources of a Fortune-500 company within the atmosphere of a start-up. Welcome to Amazon Music, where ideas are born and come to life as Amazon Music Unlimited, Prime Music, and so much more.
The Amazon Music Community and Fandom team is responsible for creating differentiated experiences for fans and artists. We are looking for new team members who are passionate about experimenting and innovating for customers, have a demonstrable track record of success in delivering new features and products, and is excited about having end-to-end ownership of high-impact, high-visibility projects.
We build systems that are distributed on a large scale, spanning our music apps, web player, and voice-forward audio engagement on mobile and Amazon Echo devices, powered by Alexa to support our customer base. Amazon Music offerings are available in countries around the world, and our applications support our mission of delivering music to customers in new and exciting ways that enhance their day-to-day lives.
Key job responsibilities
Amazon Music Community and Fandom is looking for an experienced Software Development Manager for our team in San Francisco. You'll operate at the intersection of technology strategy and hands-on engineering leadership.
A day in the life:
- Lead, coach, and grow a team of SDEs
- Own the technical vision and roadmap for Community and Fandom, working closely with Product, TPM, and business stakeholders
- Drive operational excellence for systems that directly impact our key metrics
- Champion best practices including code quality, testing, operational readiness, and on-call health
- Collaborate with peer SDMs to align on org-wide technical strategy
About the team
Amazon Music is an immersive audio entertainment service that deepens connections between fans, artists, and creators. From personalized music playlists to exclusive podcasts, concert livestreams to artist merch, Amazon Music is innovating at some of the most exciting intersections of music and culture. We offer experiences that serve all listeners with our different tiers of service: Prime members get access to all the music in shuffle mode, and top ad-free podcasts, included with their membership; customers can upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited for unlimited, on-demand access to 100 million songs, including millions in HD, Ultra HD, and spatial audio; and anyone can listen for free by downloading the Amazon Music app or via Alexa-enabled devices. Join us for the opportunity to influence how Amazon Music engages fans, artists, and creators on a global scale.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 3+ years of engineering team management experience
- 7+ years of working directly within engineering teams experience
- 3+ years of designing or architecting (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- 8+ years of leading the definition and development of multi tier web services experience
- Knowledge of engineering practices and patterns for the full software/hardware/networks development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, certification, and livesite operations
- Experience partnering with product or program management teams
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in communicating with users, other technical teams, and senior leadership to collect requirements, describe software product features, technical designs, and product strategy
- Experience in recruiting, hiring, mentoring/coaching and managing teams of Software Engineers to improve their skills, and make them more effective, product software engineers
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $212,700.00 - $287,700.00 USD annually
Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
How to Get Visa 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.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently 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 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.
See which Software Development Manager employers are hiring and sponsoring visas right now.
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