STEM OPT Backend Infrastructure Engineer Jobs
Backend Infrastructure Engineer roles in cloud platforms, distributed systems, and DevOps pipelines qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension when your employer is enrolled in E-Verify. A STEM degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or a related CIP-coded field makes you eligible to work up to 36 months on OPT total.
See All Backend Infrastructure Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 18+ Backend Infrastructure Engineer jobs
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
See all Backend Infrastructure Engineer jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Backend Infrastructure Engineer roles.
Get Access To All JobsOverview
As Microsoft continues to push the boundaries of AI, we are on the lookout for passionate individuals to work with us on the most interesting and challenging AI questions of our time. Our vision is bold and broad — to build systems that have true artificial intelligence across agents, applications, services, and infrastructure. It’s also inclusive: we aim to make AI accessible to all — consumers, businesses, developers — so that everyone can realize its benefits.
Our Platform Infrastructure team is responsible for building and scaling the backend platform at the core of Microsoft consumer products, the integrations with our AI models and the tools that our engineers use. We collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering, product management, and AI research, empowering all Microsoft Copilot teams to more effectively bring cutting-edge AI research to production.
We’re seeking experienced Platform Infrastructure Engineers who are passionate about AI, are deeply proficient in scaling backend technologies, and possess a mastery of templating to architect solutions that stand the test of time.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond. By applying to this U.S. Mountain View, CA position, you are required to be local to the San Francisco area and in office 3 days a week.
Starting January 26, 2026, MAI employees are expected to work from a designated Microsoft office at least four days a week if they live within 50 miles (U.S.) or 25 miles (non-U.S., country-specific) of that location. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain performant and secure AI Platform services that power Copilot.
- Work collaboratively with platform, infrastructure, application engineers, and AI researchers to build next generation AI products and services.
- Ship high-quality and maintainable code, and ensure the reliability, scalability, and performance of platform components.
- Find a path to get things done despite roadblocks to get your work into the hands of users quickly and iteratively.
- Enjoy working in a fast-paced, design-driven, product development cycle.
- Embody our Culture and Values.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, or related technical discipline AND 4+ years technical engineering experience building services and products in languages such as Python, C#, C++, Rust, Java, OR equivalent experience.
- 4+ years’ experience building scalable platforms on public cloud infrastructure like Azure, AWS, or GCP with extensive use of technologies like Docker, Kubernetes, nginx, RDBMS, key-value stores, etc.
- 4+ years’ experience in building and releasing production software at the platform level.
- Solid knowledge of APIs, data flows, systems, and services.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience managing high scale, multi-region, production environments on Kubernetes in cloud environments.
- Ability to identify, analyze, and resolve complex technical issues, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and user experience.
- Dedication to writing clean, maintainable, and well-documented code with a focus on reliability, security and ease of use.
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, and other engineers.
- Ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities, and adapt to changing requirements and deadlines.
- Passion for learning new technologies and staying up to date with industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in web development and AI.
- Proven ability to collaborate and contribute to a positive, inclusive work environment, fostering knowledge sharing and growth within the team.
Compensation
- Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $158,400 - $258,000 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
- Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process.
Overview
As Microsoft continues to push the boundaries of AI, we are on the lookout for passionate individuals to work with us on the most interesting and challenging AI questions of our time. Our vision is bold and broad — to build systems that have true artificial intelligence across agents, applications, services, and infrastructure. It’s also inclusive: we aim to make AI accessible to all — consumers, businesses, developers — so that everyone can realize its benefits.
Our Platform Infrastructure team is responsible for building and scaling the backend platform at the core of Microsoft consumer products, the integrations with our AI models and the tools that our engineers use. We collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering, product management, and AI research, empowering all Microsoft Copilot teams to more effectively bring cutting-edge AI research to production.
We’re seeking experienced Platform Infrastructure Engineers who are passionate about AI, are deeply proficient in scaling backend technologies, and possess a mastery of templating to architect solutions that stand the test of time.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond. By applying to this U.S. Mountain View, CA position, you are required to be local to the San Francisco area and in office 3 days a week.
Starting January 26, 2026, MAI employees are expected to work from a designated Microsoft office at least four days a week if they live within 50 miles (U.S.) or 25 miles (non-U.S., country-specific) of that location. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain performant and secure AI Platform services that power Copilot.
- Work collaboratively with platform, infrastructure, application engineers, and AI researchers to build next generation AI products and services.
- Ship high-quality and maintainable code, and ensure the reliability, scalability, and performance of platform components.
- Find a path to get things done despite roadblocks to get your work into the hands of users quickly and iteratively.
- Enjoy working in a fast-paced, design-driven, product development cycle.
- Embody our Culture and Values.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, or related technical discipline AND 4+ years technical engineering experience building services and products in languages such as Python, C#, C++, Rust, Java, OR equivalent experience.
- 4+ years’ experience building scalable platforms on public cloud infrastructure like Azure, AWS, or GCP with extensive use of technologies like Docker, Kubernetes, nginx, RDBMS, key-value stores, etc.
- 4+ years’ experience in building and releasing production software at the platform level.
- Solid knowledge of APIs, data flows, systems, and services.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience managing high scale, multi-region, production environments on Kubernetes in cloud environments.
- Ability to identify, analyze, and resolve complex technical issues, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and user experience.
- Dedication to writing clean, maintainable, and well-documented code with a focus on reliability, security and ease of use.
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, and other engineers.
- Ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities, and adapt to changing requirements and deadlines.
- Passion for learning new technologies and staying up to date with industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in web development and AI.
- Proven ability to collaborate and contribute to a positive, inclusive work environment, fostering knowledge sharing and growth within the team.
Compensation
- Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $158,400 - $258,000 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
- Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process.
See all Backend Infrastructure Engineer jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Backend Infrastructure Engineer roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Backend Infrastructure Engineer
Verify your degree CIP code eligibility
Check that your degree program appears on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List before applying. Computer science, computer engineering, and information systems degrees almost always qualify, but applied computing or interdisciplinary programs can have mismatched CIP codes your DSO needs to confirm.
Filter employers by E-Verify enrollment status
STEM OPT requires your employer to be enrolled in E-Verify before your extension is approved. Ask recruiters to confirm E-Verify participation early in the process, not after an offer. Many infrastructure teams at mid-size startups aren't enrolled, which disqualifies them regardless of willingness to hire.
Target infrastructure roles at E-Verify companies using Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate surfaces backend and infrastructure roles at employers already verified for STEM OPT hiring. Filtering by E-Verify status upfront saves you from pursuing roles at companies that can't legally employ you on an OPT extension.
Build your I-983 training plan around the job description
Your I-983 must map specific learning objectives to your backend infrastructure role. Pull responsibilities from the job description directly and frame them as training goals tied to your STEM degree. Vague plans citing only 'software development' get flagged by DSOs and can delay your extension.
Research prevailing wages before negotiating your offer
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up wage levels for your SOC code and work location before your offer conversation. Backend infrastructure engineers fall under SOC 15-1244 or 15-1252 depending on scope. Knowing the Level 1 through Level 4 range helps you assess whether an offer is competitive.
Time your extension filing to cover your cap-gap window
If your employer files an H-1B petition before your OPT expires, cap-gap rules extend your authorization through September 30. Submit your STEM OPT extension application to USCIS at least 90 days before your current EAD expires to avoid any gap in work authorization during the transition.
Backend Infrastructure Engineer jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Backend Infrastructure Engineer JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does a Backend Infrastructure Engineer role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, if your degree is in a STEM field listed on the DHS Designated Degree Program List and your employer is enrolled in E-Verify. Backend infrastructure roles typically align with SOC codes for software developers or network and computer systems administrators, both of which fall within qualifying STEM occupational categories. Confirm your specific degree CIP code with your DSO before applying.
How do I confirm my employer is enrolled in E-Verify?
Ask your recruiter or HR contact directly and request written confirmation before signing an offer. You can also ask them to provide their E-Verify company ID number. E-Verify enrollment is a federal requirement for STEM OPT employers, and your extension application cannot be approved without it. Some infrastructure-focused companies, especially smaller startups, enroll specifically when hiring OPT students.
What should my I-983 training plan include for a backend infrastructure role?
Your I-983 should list concrete learning objectives tied to your STEM degree and the actual responsibilities in your job description. For backend infrastructure, that means goals around distributed systems design, cloud architecture, CI/CD pipeline development, or systems reliability engineering. Objectives must be specific enough that a DSO can verify the connection to your academic discipline, not generic references to software work.
What happens to my STEM OPT authorization if my H-1B is selected in the lottery?
If your employer files an H-1B petition before your OPT EAD expires, cap-gap protection automatically extends your work authorization through September 30 of that year. You don't need a new EAD for the cap-gap period, but you should carry your expired EAD, your I-20 with the cap-gap notation, and proof of the pending H-1B petition when traveling.
Where can I find Backend Infrastructure Engineer jobs that accept STEM OPT students?
Migrate Mate lists backend and infrastructure roles at employers already confirmed for E-Verify enrollment, so you can filter by STEM OPT eligibility from the start. Searching there saves time compared to applying broadly and discovering late in the process that an employer can't legally hire you on an OPT extension without first completing E-Verify enrollment.
See which Backend Infrastructure Engineer employers are hiring and sponsoring visas right now.
Search Backend Infrastructure Engineer Jobs