OPT UX Research Intern Jobs
UX Research Intern roles are well-suited for F-1 OPT students with backgrounds in human-computer interaction, cognitive science, psychology, or design. Most positions involve user interviews, usability testing, and synthesizing insights, which aligns directly with STEM-adjacent coursework. Your 12-month OPT window gives you enough time to make a measurable contribution and build a portfolio of real research projects.
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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 UX Research Intern Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT UX Research Intern Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a UX Research Intern
Target companies with dedicated UX research functions
Large tech companies, design consultancies, and product-led startups maintain full research teams and are more likely to sponsor OPT. A standalone internship at a company without a research practice rarely leads to cap-gap or H-1B visa sponsorship afterward.
Frame your research methods as transferable skills
Employers want to see that you can run studies independently. Highlight specific methods you've used, such as moderated interviews, tree testing, or card sorting, and the tools behind them. Competence with methods signals you can contribute from week one.
Clarify your OPT timeline early in the process
Before accepting an offer, confirm your OPT start date, end date, and whether your degree qualifies for the 24-month STEM extension. Employers need this information to plan your role and evaluate whether sponsorship timelines are viable.
Build a portfolio that shows the research process, not just the output
Hiring managers for research internships want to see how you think. Include case studies that document your recruitment approach, discussion guides, analysis method, and how your findings influenced a product decision, not just the final slide deck.
Prioritize roles with a clear research mentor or supervisor
Internships where you report directly to a senior UX researcher or research manager give you better training and stronger references. Avoid roles where research is embedded inside a design or product team with no dedicated research leadership.
Use Migrate Mate to filter for OPT-friendly research internships
Browse UX Research Intern listings on Migrate Mate to find employers who have sponsored international students before. Filtering by sponsorship history saves time and increases the likelihood your application reaches a hiring team open to OPT candidates.
UX Research Intern OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a UX Research Intern on OPT?
Yes, if the internship is directly related to your field of study. UX research typically qualifies for students with degrees in human-computer interaction, psychology, cognitive science, design, or related fields. Your employment must be in a role that aligns with your major, so review your degree classification against the job description before accepting an offer.
Does a UX Research Internship qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not the job title. If you graduated from a STEM-designated program, such as human-computer interaction, information science, or computer science, and your internship qualifies as practical training in that field, you may be eligible for the 24-month STEM extension. Your employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify. Confirm your program's CIP code with your DSO before applying for the extension.
How do I find UX Research Intern roles that are open to OPT students?
Search on Migrate Mate, which surfaces roles from employers who have sponsored international students before. When reviewing postings, look for language like 'OPT accepted' or 'visa sponsorship available.' Applying through channels that already filter for sponsorship-friendly employers saves significant time compared to general job searches where most listings don't disclose their position on work authorization.
What happens to my OPT status if my UX Research Internship ends early?
You have a cumulative 90-day unemployment limit during standard OPT. If your internship ends before your OPT authorization period expires, that clock starts running immediately. You need to report the employment end date to your DSO within 10 days. If you're on STEM OPT, the unemployment limit drops to 60 days. Finding your next role quickly is important to staying in status.
Do UX Research Intern roles typically lead to H-1B sponsorship?
Some do, but it varies significantly by employer. Large product companies with established research teams, such as those in enterprise software or consumer technology, are more likely to convert strong interns and sponsor H-1B petitions. Smaller companies or agencies may not have the legal infrastructure or budget to sponsor. When evaluating an internship, ask directly whether the company has sponsored previous research interns for full-time roles.