OPT User Experience Designer Jobs
User Experience Designer roles qualify for F-1 OPT work authorization when the position requires applying design principles through a relevant degree in UX, human-computer interaction, or a related field. Most UX roles at tech companies and agencies sponsor H-1B visa after OPT, making this a strong path for international students.
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Get Access To All JobsJoin us as we work to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.
Position Summary:
Design experiences that help healthcare teams work more effectively in athenahealth’s EHR and practice management products. In this role, you will partner with product and engineering to solve complex clinical and workflow challenges through thoughtful UX design, research-informed decision-making, and clear design execution. This position is based in Boston, MA and follows a hybrid work mode. This role reports to the UI & UX Design Director.
About the Team:
This team designs user experiences that support healthcare workflows across athenahealth’s product suite. The team partners closely with product, engineering, clinical, and other stakeholders to identify user needs, shape product direction, and deliver practical solutions. Team members use design, research, prototyping, and collaboration tools to explore ideas, test concepts, and support implementation. The team focuses on improving usability, clarity, and consistency across the experiences it helps create.
Essential Job Responsibilities:
- Frame user problems and facilitate solutioning sessions to guide design direction.
- Create sketches, wireframes, prototypes, and other design artifacts that communicate concepts clearly.
- Conduct user research and heuristic reviews to evaluate usefulness, usability, and workflow fit.
- Partner with product and engineering throughout planning, design, and development to support high-quality implementation.
- Apply systems thinking to simplify complex user, workflow, and data relationships.
- Contribute to journey maps, vision documents, and other design planning materials that inform prioritization.
- Present and explain design decisions to product, clinical, and engineering stakeholders.
- Use AI tools as part of the design process to support ideation, prototyping, and faster exploration of design options while applying sound judgment to determine when human review and refinement are needed.
- Support client engagements, including onsite sessions when needed, to gather feedback and validate design decisions.
Additional Job Responsibilities:
- Support junior designers through feedback, reviews, and informal coaching.
- Contribute to team process improvements and design standards.
- Participate in collaborative discussions that improve product direction and design quality.
- Help identify opportunities to improve consistency across product experiences.
- Assist with documentation that supports design decisions and implementation.
- Stay current on design methods, healthcare workflows, and emerging tools relevant to the role.
Expected Education & Experience:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Psychology, Computer Science, Business, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 4–5+ years of professional experience in digital product design.
- Experience creating high-quality design deliverables, including visual design, prototyping, copywriting, and specifications.
- Experience planning, facilitating, analyzing, and reporting user research using qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Experience working in an agile product development environment.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to explain design decisions clearly.
- Experience using Figma.
- Experience using AI tools such as Claude, Codex, Figma Make, or similar tools as part of a regular design workflow.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with peers, clients, and cross-functional partners throughout the design process.
- Comfort working in a changing environment and adapting to evolving priorities.
- Interest in experimentation and continuous learning, with the ability to apply critical thinking to determine when human judgment should guide the final outcome.
Expected Compensation
$107,000 - $181,000* The base salary range shown reflects the full range for this role from minimum to maximum. At athenahealth, base pay depends on multiple factors, including job-related experience, relevant knowledge and skills, how your qualifications compare to others in similar roles, and geographical market rates. Base pay is only one part of our competitive Total Rewards package - depending on role eligibility, we offer both short and long-term incentives by way of an annual discretionary bonus plan, variable compensation plan, and equity plans.
About athenahealth
Our vision: In an industry that becomes more complex by the day, we stand for simplicity. We offer IT solutions and expert services that eliminate the daily hurdles preventing healthcare providers from focusing entirely on their patients — powered by our vision to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.
Our company culture: Our talented employees — or athenistas, as we call ourselves — spark the innovation and passion needed to accomplish our vision. We are a diverse group of dreamers and do-ers with unique knowledge, expertise, backgrounds, and perspectives. We unite as mission-driven problem-solvers with a deep desire to achieve our vision and make our time here count. Our award-winning culture is built around shared values of inclusiveness, accountability, and support.
Our DEI commitment: Our vision of accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all requires addressing the inequities that stand in the way. That's one reason we prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in every aspect of our business, from attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce to maintaining an inclusive environment for athenistas, our partners, customers and the communities where we work and serve.
What we can do for you:
Along with health and financial benefits, athenistas enjoy perks specific to each location, including commuter support, employee assistance programs, tuition assistance, employee resource groups, and collaborative workspaces — some offices even welcome dogs.
We also encourage a better work-life balance for athenistas with our flexibility. While we know in-office collaboration is critical to our vision, we recognize that not all work needs to be done within an office environment, full-time. With consistent communication and digital collaboration tools, athenahealth enables employees to find a balance that feels fulfilling and productive for each individual situation.
In addition to our traditional benefits and perks, we sponsor events throughout the year, including book clubs, external speakers, and hackathons. We provide athenistas with a company culture based on learning, the support of an engaged team, and an inclusive environment where all employees are valued.
Learn more about our culture and benefits here: athenahealth.com/careers
https://www.athenahealth.com/careers/equal-opportunity
Join us as we work to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.
Position Summary:
Design experiences that help healthcare teams work more effectively in athenahealth’s EHR and practice management products. In this role, you will partner with product and engineering to solve complex clinical and workflow challenges through thoughtful UX design, research-informed decision-making, and clear design execution. This position is based in Boston, MA and follows a hybrid work mode. This role reports to the UI & UX Design Director.
About the Team:
This team designs user experiences that support healthcare workflows across athenahealth’s product suite. The team partners closely with product, engineering, clinical, and other stakeholders to identify user needs, shape product direction, and deliver practical solutions. Team members use design, research, prototyping, and collaboration tools to explore ideas, test concepts, and support implementation. The team focuses on improving usability, clarity, and consistency across the experiences it helps create.
Essential Job Responsibilities:
- Frame user problems and facilitate solutioning sessions to guide design direction.
- Create sketches, wireframes, prototypes, and other design artifacts that communicate concepts clearly.
- Conduct user research and heuristic reviews to evaluate usefulness, usability, and workflow fit.
- Partner with product and engineering throughout planning, design, and development to support high-quality implementation.
- Apply systems thinking to simplify complex user, workflow, and data relationships.
- Contribute to journey maps, vision documents, and other design planning materials that inform prioritization.
- Present and explain design decisions to product, clinical, and engineering stakeholders.
- Use AI tools as part of the design process to support ideation, prototyping, and faster exploration of design options while applying sound judgment to determine when human review and refinement are needed.
- Support client engagements, including onsite sessions when needed, to gather feedback and validate design decisions.
Additional Job Responsibilities:
- Support junior designers through feedback, reviews, and informal coaching.
- Contribute to team process improvements and design standards.
- Participate in collaborative discussions that improve product direction and design quality.
- Help identify opportunities to improve consistency across product experiences.
- Assist with documentation that supports design decisions and implementation.
- Stay current on design methods, healthcare workflows, and emerging tools relevant to the role.
Expected Education & Experience:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Psychology, Computer Science, Business, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 4–5+ years of professional experience in digital product design.
- Experience creating high-quality design deliverables, including visual design, prototyping, copywriting, and specifications.
- Experience planning, facilitating, analyzing, and reporting user research using qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Experience working in an agile product development environment.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to explain design decisions clearly.
- Experience using Figma.
- Experience using AI tools such as Claude, Codex, Figma Make, or similar tools as part of a regular design workflow.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with peers, clients, and cross-functional partners throughout the design process.
- Comfort working in a changing environment and adapting to evolving priorities.
- Interest in experimentation and continuous learning, with the ability to apply critical thinking to determine when human judgment should guide the final outcome.
Expected Compensation
$107,000 - $181,000* The base salary range shown reflects the full range for this role from minimum to maximum. At athenahealth, base pay depends on multiple factors, including job-related experience, relevant knowledge and skills, how your qualifications compare to others in similar roles, and geographical market rates. Base pay is only one part of our competitive Total Rewards package - depending on role eligibility, we offer both short and long-term incentives by way of an annual discretionary bonus plan, variable compensation plan, and equity plans.
About athenahealth
Our vision: In an industry that becomes more complex by the day, we stand for simplicity. We offer IT solutions and expert services that eliminate the daily hurdles preventing healthcare providers from focusing entirely on their patients — powered by our vision to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.
Our company culture: Our talented employees — or athenistas, as we call ourselves — spark the innovation and passion needed to accomplish our vision. We are a diverse group of dreamers and do-ers with unique knowledge, expertise, backgrounds, and perspectives. We unite as mission-driven problem-solvers with a deep desire to achieve our vision and make our time here count. Our award-winning culture is built around shared values of inclusiveness, accountability, and support.
Our DEI commitment: Our vision of accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all requires addressing the inequities that stand in the way. That's one reason we prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in every aspect of our business, from attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce to maintaining an inclusive environment for athenistas, our partners, customers and the communities where we work and serve.
What we can do for you:
Along with health and financial benefits, athenistas enjoy perks specific to each location, including commuter support, employee assistance programs, tuition assistance, employee resource groups, and collaborative workspaces — some offices even welcome dogs.
We also encourage a better work-life balance for athenistas with our flexibility. While we know in-office collaboration is critical to our vision, we recognize that not all work needs to be done within an office environment, full-time. With consistent communication and digital collaboration tools, athenahealth enables employees to find a balance that feels fulfilling and productive for each individual situation.
In addition to our traditional benefits and perks, we sponsor events throughout the year, including book clubs, external speakers, and hackathons. We provide athenistas with a company culture based on learning, the support of an engaged team, and an inclusive environment where all employees are valued.
Learn more about our culture and benefits here: athenahealth.com/careers
https://www.athenahealth.com/careers/equal-opportunity
See all 51+ OPT User Experience Designer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT User Experience Designer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an User Experience Designer
Target companies with established UX practices
Large tech companies, product-led startups, and enterprise software firms maintain dedicated UX teams and regularly sponsor designers after OPT. Smaller agencies often lack the legal infrastructure to file H-1B visa petitions, so prioritize product companies over pure service shops.
Connect your degree field to the role explicitly
OPT authorization requires your job to relate to your field of study. In your resume and cover letter, draw a direct line between your degree in HCI, graphic design, or information systems and the specific UX responsibilities in the job description.
Build a portfolio that shows research, not just visuals
Employers sponsoring OPT and H-1B want designers who solve problems systematically. Case studies demonstrating user research, usability testing, and iteration signal the specialized expertise that justifies sponsorship and strengthens the specialty occupation argument for your visa.
Ask about sponsorship history before accepting offers
During final-round interviews, ask whether the company has sponsored H-1B visas for designers specifically, not just engineers. Some companies sponsor technical roles but not design roles, and learning this early prevents you from wasting OPT months at a dead end.
Get your STEM OPT extension if your degree qualifies
Degrees in computer science, information science, or human-computer interaction often qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you 36 months total. This significantly increases your H-1B lottery chances and gives employers more time to file your petition.
Specialize in a high-demand UX area to stand out
UX designers with depth in enterprise software, accessibility, design systems, or product analytics are harder to replace and easier to sponsor. A generalist portfolio is competitive for entry-level roles, but specialization is what gets employers to commit to sponsorship paperwork.
User Experience Designer OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a User Experience Designer role qualify as a specialty occupation for OPT?
Yes, UX Designer roles generally qualify as specialty occupations when the position requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field such as human-computer interaction, graphic design, information systems, or a related discipline. The key is that your employer's job requirements must align directly with your degree field. Roles at companies where any degree is accepted regardless of field are harder to justify under OPT authorization.
Which degree fields support OPT authorization for UX Designer jobs?
Degrees in human-computer interaction, UX design, graphic design, information science, computer science, psychology with a design focus, and cognitive science are all commonly used to support OPT authorization for UX roles. The connection between your specific coursework and the job duties matters, so a resume and offer letter that reflect that alignment strengthens your authorization. If your degree is in a tangential field, document how your coursework maps to the role.
Do UX Designer jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not your job title. If you graduated from a STEM-designated program such as computer science, information science, or human-computer interaction, you may qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension regardless of your job title. Check your program's CIP code against the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program list. If you qualify, the extension gives you 36 months of OPT total, significantly improving your H-1B odds.
How do I find UX Designer jobs that sponsor OPT and H-1B?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters for employers open to sponsoring work authorization, including H-1B for designers. Beyond using Migrate Mate, focus your applications on product-led companies with established design teams rather than consulting or staffing agencies, which rarely sponsor. Look for job postings that mention H-1B sponsorship or list design as a strategic function rather than a support role.
Can I do freelance or contract UX design work on OPT?
Yes, F-1 OPT allows self-employment and contract work as long as the work is directly related to your degree field. You must work at least 20 hours per week to avoid gaps that count against your 90-day unemployment limit, and each client engagement should connect to your field of study. Keep records of your contracts, project scope, and hours worked. Freelance UX work does not count toward H-1B sponsorship, so it is best treated as supplemental income while pursuing full-time employment.