STEM OPT AI Developer Jobs
AI Developer roles in machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision fall squarely within STEM OPT eligibility for graduates with degrees in computer science, data science, or related STEM fields. Your 24-month extension gives you up to 36 months total to build U.S. experience, provided your employer is enrolled in E-Verify.
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Get Access To All JobsLocation: Washington DC - 3 days onsite
Position Summary
The Senior AI Developer will lead the design, development, integration, and deployment of secure, scalable, accessible, and maintainable AI-enabled applications and services. The role involves turning approved AI models and data capabilities into production-ready applications, APIs, workflow automations, and human-in-the-loop solutions supporting Federal Government missions.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and develop full-stack AI applications, APIs, microservices, dashboards, and workflow automations.
- Integrate LLMs, Generative AI, RAG pipelines, NLP, classification models, document intelligence, predictive analytics, agentic workflows, and MCP-based services.
- Build AI backend services integrating with vector stores, data platforms, identity providers, enterprise systems, and cloud services.
- Develop accessible applications meeting Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 Level A/AA requirements.
- Implement human-in-the-loop capabilities, including review queues, approvals, overrides, escalation workflows, feedback mechanisms, audit trails, and role-based access.
- Design and implement secure AI solutions, including prompt-injection protection, secure prompt/context handling, output validation, controlled tool use, and audit logging.
- Develop modular and maintainable code using secure SDLC practices, Git, code reviews, automated testing, and CI/CD.
- Develop and maintain unit, integration, API, regression, performance, security, and accessibility tests.
- Support production deployments, monitoring, incident response, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
- Contribute to architecture decisions, technical documentation, deployment procedures, runbooks, and knowledge transfer.
- Collaborate with software engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity teams, product owners, and other stakeholders in an Agile environment.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline.
- 3+ years of professional software development experience, with significant hands-on experience developing AI-enabled applications.
- Strong programming experience with Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, C#, or similar languages.
- Strong experience with REST APIs, databases, Git, automated testing, CI/CD, and modern software-development practices.
- Hands-on experience with LLMs, Generative AI, RAG, NLP, AI/ML APIs, search, automation, or document intelligence.
- Experience designing and integrating AI capabilities into production applications.
- Understanding of application security, secure coding, authentication, authorization, API security, and data protection.
- Experience working in Agile and cross-functional development environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- React, Angular, Vue, Node.js, FastAPI, Flask, Django, Spring Boot, or .NET
- LangChain, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, Semantic Kernel, MCP
- Vector databases/stores and semantic search
- Docker, Kubernetes, serverless, Infrastructure as Code, API gateways
- Section 508 / WCAG accessibility development
- Federal Government IT or secure DevSecOps environments
- FedRAMP-authorized cloud services
- Experience with AI governance, AI security, human oversight, auditability, and responsible AI implementation
If you're open to exploring a senior-level AI opportunity where you can work on real-world Generative AI, LLM, RAG, and AI application development within a Federal Government
Location: Washington DC - 3 days onsite
Position Summary
The Senior AI Developer will lead the design, development, integration, and deployment of secure, scalable, accessible, and maintainable AI-enabled applications and services. The role involves turning approved AI models and data capabilities into production-ready applications, APIs, workflow automations, and human-in-the-loop solutions supporting Federal Government missions.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and develop full-stack AI applications, APIs, microservices, dashboards, and workflow automations.
- Integrate LLMs, Generative AI, RAG pipelines, NLP, classification models, document intelligence, predictive analytics, agentic workflows, and MCP-based services.
- Build AI backend services integrating with vector stores, data platforms, identity providers, enterprise systems, and cloud services.
- Develop accessible applications meeting Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 Level A/AA requirements.
- Implement human-in-the-loop capabilities, including review queues, approvals, overrides, escalation workflows, feedback mechanisms, audit trails, and role-based access.
- Design and implement secure AI solutions, including prompt-injection protection, secure prompt/context handling, output validation, controlled tool use, and audit logging.
- Develop modular and maintainable code using secure SDLC practices, Git, code reviews, automated testing, and CI/CD.
- Develop and maintain unit, integration, API, regression, performance, security, and accessibility tests.
- Support production deployments, monitoring, incident response, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
- Contribute to architecture decisions, technical documentation, deployment procedures, runbooks, and knowledge transfer.
- Collaborate with software engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity teams, product owners, and other stakeholders in an Agile environment.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline.
- 3+ years of professional software development experience, with significant hands-on experience developing AI-enabled applications.
- Strong programming experience with Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, C#, or similar languages.
- Strong experience with REST APIs, databases, Git, automated testing, CI/CD, and modern software-development practices.
- Hands-on experience with LLMs, Generative AI, RAG, NLP, AI/ML APIs, search, automation, or document intelligence.
- Experience designing and integrating AI capabilities into production applications.
- Understanding of application security, secure coding, authentication, authorization, API security, and data protection.
- Experience working in Agile and cross-functional development environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- React, Angular, Vue, Node.js, FastAPI, Flask, Django, Spring Boot, or .NET
- LangChain, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, Semantic Kernel, MCP
- Vector databases/stores and semantic search
- Docker, Kubernetes, serverless, Infrastructure as Code, API gateways
- Section 508 / WCAG accessibility development
- Federal Government IT or secure DevSecOps environments
- FedRAMP-authorized cloud services
- Experience with AI governance, AI security, human oversight, auditability, and responsible AI implementation
If you're open to exploring a senior-level AI opportunity where you can work on real-world Generative AI, LLM, RAG, and AI application development within a Federal Government
See all 318+ STEM OPT AI Developer Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as an AI Developer
Verify your CIP code before applying
Your STEM OPT eligibility depends on your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code. Check your I-20 to confirm it maps to a STEM-designated field like computer science (11.0701) or data science (30.7001) before your DSO files the extension.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Before signing anything, ask your recruiter for the company's E-Verify Employer ID or look them up in the E-Verify employer search. An AI role at a company not enrolled in E-Verify disqualifies you from the 24-month STEM OPT extension entirely.
Target AI teams at E-Verify enrolled employers on Migrate Mate
Search AI Developer roles on Migrate Mate, which filters for employers with verified E-Verify enrollment and STEM OPT hiring history. This saves you from applying to roles where the employer can't legally support your extension.
Build a portfolio that speaks to LLM and production AI work
Hiring managers for AI Developer roles screen for applied experience, not just coursework. Projects involving fine-tuning large language models, deploying ML pipelines, or building retrieval-augmented generation systems directly address what STEM-heavy employers are evaluating during technical interviews.
File your I-983 training plan within the first five days
USCIS requires your employer to sign a Form I-983 establishing the formal training relationship. Get this completed at offer acceptance, not after your start date. Your DSO needs it before recommending the STEM OPT extension, and delays can create a gap in your work authorization.
Use the OFLC Wage Search to benchmark your offer against prevailing wages
AI Developer roles span multiple Standard Occupational Classification codes, including 15-2051 for data scientists and 15-1252 for software developers. Check the OFLC Wage Search by SOC code and your work location to verify your offer meets the DOL prevailing wage level before you negotiate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my degree qualify me for the STEM OPT extension as an AI Developer?
Your degree qualifies if it carries a STEM-designated CIP code. Computer science, electrical engineering, data science, applied mathematics, and statistics degrees typically qualify. Check your I-20 for the CIP code and cross-reference it against the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. Your DSO can confirm eligibility before you apply for the extension.
What E-Verify requirement applies to my STEM OPT employer?
Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify at the specific worksite where you'll be working, not just at company headquarters. This is a hard USCIS requirement for STEM OPT extensions. Before accepting an offer, ask the recruiter or HR team to confirm E-Verify enrollment and provide the Employer ID. You can verify enrollment through the E-Verify employer search tool.
What goes into the I-983 training plan for an AI Developer role?
The Form I-983 must describe how your day-to-day AI work relates directly to your STEM degree. For an AI Developer, this typically includes learning goals tied to your degree field, specific technical competencies you'll develop such as model development or ML systems design, and how your employer will supervise and evaluate your progress. Both you and your employer must sign it.
How does cap-gap protection work if my employer files an H-1B petition while I'm on STEM OPT?
If your STEM OPT expires between April 1 and October 1 and your employer filed a timely H-1B visa petition on your behalf, cap-gap protection automatically extends your work authorization through September 30. You can continue working as an AI Developer during this period without interruption. USCIS issues cap-gap eligibility based on the I-797 receipt notice from the H-1B filing.
Where can I find AI Developer jobs that are confirmed STEM OPT compatible?
Migrate Mate lists AI Developer roles filtered for employers with E-Verify enrollment and documented STEM OPT hiring history. This lets you focus your applications on companies that already understand the extension requirements and have a track record of onboarding students in your situation, rather than educating employers about STEM OPT from scratch during the interview process.