STEM OPT Data Science Engineer Jobs
Data Science Engineer roles sit squarely within STEM OPT eligibility, letting you work for up to 36 months on your F-1 authorization if your employer is enrolled in E-Verify. Your STEM degree in computer science, statistics, or a related field qualifies you for the 24-month extension, giving you real runway to build U.S. experience.
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INTRODUCTION
Please note this posting is to advertise potential job opportunities. This exact role may not be open today but could open in the near future. When you apply, a Cisco representative may contact you directly if a relevant position opens.
Meet the team
Join the Enterprise Security team! We focus on understanding our performance and the value we deliver to customers by building reliable dashboards and providing clear financial analysis. We partner with Finance, Cloud Operations, and Engineering to guide the product roadmap and improve our daily operations. We want someone to lead these projects and connect with teams across the entire organization. How would you like to help us build our data strategy?
Your impact
As a Data Science Engineer II, you will lead the development of dashboards, automated reporting, and customer analysis. By analyzing business and product data, we examine costs and margins to prepare accurate forecasts. Success means delivering insights that stakeholders depend on for critical business choices. The work involves validating data, monitoring key metrics, and identifying trends to guide leadership decisions. We are eager to have someone translate product usage and financial trends into clear, actionable recommendations!
- Analyze business and product data to build and maintain dashboards that track 5+ key Enterprise Security metrics.
- Perform detailed cost and margin analysis to provide insights across 10+ customer groups.
- Automate recurring reports and data workflows to improve efficiency while partnering with Product and Engineering to validate data integrity for roadmap planning.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Meet one of the following (completed within the past 3 years or expected to be completed within the next 12 months):
A Master's degree with 0 years of work experience; or
A Bachelor's degree with 2 years of work experience.
Qualifying education and work experience should be in Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, Mathematics, Business Analytics, or a related field.
- Excel proficiency with 2+ years of experience in data analysis, forecasting, dashboarding, and reporting.
- Experience with data validation using SQL or similar tools for large datasets.
- Analytical problem-solving experience with at least 2 projects involving complex data sets.
- Experience explaining findings to non-technical partners in at least 2 professional settings.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with SQL, BI or visualization tools like Tableau or PowerBI, and reporting automation scripts.
- Familiarity with COGS, gross-margin analysis, cloud operations, or financial forecasting for SaaS products.
- Communication and teamwork skills, with experience partnering with Finance, Product, Cloud Operations, and Engineering departments.
- Ability to translate product usage, token consumption, or COGS trends into clear recommendations for senior leadership.
- Proven record of maintaining data quality, reporting accuracy, and meeting project deadlines consistently.
Why Cisco?
At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.
Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.
We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.
Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:
Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.
U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.
U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:
- 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
- 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco
- Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees
- Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)
- 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next
- Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members
- Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.
Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:
- .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;
- 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;
- 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and
- Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.
For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.
The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:
New York City Metro Area:
$137,500.00 - $200,500.00
Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$122,600.00 - $178,400.00
- For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.
Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Data Science Engineer
Verify your CIP code before applying
Check that your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code maps to a DHS-designated STEM field. Data science and computer science degrees typically qualify, but applied mathematics or information systems programs vary by institution and award year.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify before your STEM OPT extension start date, not after. Search the E-Verify employer database by company name or EIN to confirm active enrollment before you sign anything.
Research prevailing wages using OFLC Wage Search
Data Science Engineer salaries vary sharply by location and experience level. Pull the prevailing wage for your specific SOC code and metro area using OFLC Wage Search so you can negotiate from a position grounded in DOL wage data.
Target employers with active LCA filing history
Use Migrate Mate to filter Data Science Engineer roles by employers who have filed Labor Condition Applications, which signals both E-Verify enrollment and familiarity with the STEM OPT and H-1B visa process your career path will likely require.
Negotiate your I-983 training plan before your start date
The I-983 must detail specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree, not just your job description. Bring a draft to the offer stage so your DSO can review it alongside your start date rather than scrambling after you've already begun work.
Time your extension application around the 90-day window
USCIS requires you to file your STEM OPT extension before your initial OPT EAD expires. Apply within the 90-day window that opens before expiration so a timely filing keeps you authorized while USCIS adjudicates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a data science or computer science degree qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Most data science, computer science, statistics, and engineering degrees qualify because they map to DHS-designated CIP codes. Applied mathematics and information systems programs sometimes qualify depending on how your institution coded the award. Confirm your exact CIP code with your DSO before your initial OPT ends, since the designation is tied to the degree on your I-20, not your job title.
What E-Verify requirement applies to Data Science Engineer STEM OPT jobs?
Your employer must be actively enrolled in E-Verify before your STEM OPT extension period begins. Enrollment after your start date does not satisfy the requirement. You can verify a company's enrollment status by searching the E-Verify employer database by company name or EIN. If the employer isn't listed, your DSO cannot approve the I-983 training plan and your extension will be at risk.
What goes into the I-983 training plan for a Data Science Engineer role?
The I-983 must connect your specific work activities to the STEM field of your degree. For a Data Science Engineer role, that means detailing the models you'll build, the data pipelines you'll own, and the engineering methods you'll apply, alongside measurable learning objectives. Generic job descriptions aren't sufficient. Your employer's HR or engineering lead signs the plan, and your DSO must approve it before USCIS adjudicates the extension.
How does cap-gap protection work if I'm a Data Science Engineer on STEM OPT?
If your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf before your STEM OPT EAD expires and you're selected in the lottery, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization through September 30 of that fiscal year. You can continue working as a Data Science Engineer during this bridge period without a new EAD. USCIS provides guidance on cap-gap eligibility and documentation requirements.
Where can I find Data Science Engineer jobs where the employer is already set up for STEM OPT?
Migrate Mate filters Data Science Engineer listings by employers with active Labor Condition Application filing history, which indicates both E-Verify enrollment and prior experience sponsoring international candidates. Searching there saves you from spending weeks in a recruiting process only to discover the employer has never hired on OPT and isn't enrolled in E-Verify.