STEM OPT Entry Level Jobs
Entry level jobs are a strong fit for STEM OPT students: most require the bachelor's degrees that qualify you for the 24-month extension, and entry-level hiring cycles give you time to confirm E-Verify enrollment before your initial OPT period ends. Your 36 months of total work authorization covers a full early-career runway.
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Get Access To All JobsLocation:
Wilmington, Massachusetts
Job ID
2603954
We are looking for an early-career Junior AI Engineer to help build, test, monitor, optimize, and document enterprise-grade AI solutions using Microsoft Azure AI Services. Reporting to the AI Engineer, you will contribute to backend services, autonomous agents, retrieval systems, and client-facing tools that support the organization’s next generation of intelligent applications.
This role emphasizes hands-on engineering, structured evaluation, operational monitoring, performance and cost optimization, and reusable technical guidance. You will work closely with AI, software, architecture, and infrastructure teams while developing broader ownership of defined AI components and operational processes.
Responsibilities:
- Set up and configure AI-powered services using Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Services, Azure AI Search, Azure Machine Learning, and Azure Functions.
- Develop and maintain automated test suites for AI systems, including prompt regression, retrieval-quality, response-quality, safety, and end-to-end integration tests.
- Create reusable evaluation datasets, test cases, scorecards, and performance baselines for AI applications and components.
- Set up and maintain monitoring for response quality, failures, latency, token usage, model cost, retrieval performance, and other operational metrics.
- Run structured experiments across models, prompts, retrieval settings, and search parameters to maintain quality while reducing token usage, latency, and operating cost.
- Configure and optimize Azure AI Search, including semantic ranker, hybrid retrieval, vector search, filters, scoring profiles, top-k settings, chunking strategies, and reranking approaches.
- Evaluate alternative language, embedding, and reranking models using documented benchmarks and recommend appropriate options for defined use cases.
- Create backend components and lightweight client-side tools that expose AI capabilities across business systems.
- Research emerging AI engineering practices, tools, frameworks, and vendor guidance, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
- Partner with engineers and architects to document approved AI patterns, implementation guidance, troubleshooting procedures, and best practices in Confluence.
- Maintain developer-focused versions of AI guidance as Cursor rules, repository instructions, templates, and reusable examples, keeping them synchronized with enterprise documentation.
- Collaborate with AI engineers, enterprise architects, developers, infrastructure teams, and business partners to deliver secure, governed, and responsible AI solutions.
Qualifications
Experience:
- 0-2 years of relevant software development experience through professional work, internships, academic projects, or personal projects using Python, C#, JavaScript, or Java.
- Experience or demonstrated familiarity with one or more Azure AI services, such as Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Services, Azure AI Search, Azure Machine Learning, or Azure Functions.
- Familiarity with software testing concepts, including unit, integration, regression, and automated testing.
- Ability to use metrics and structured evaluations to compare AI model, prompt, or retrieval performance.
- Familiarity with application monitoring, logging, telemetry, dashboards, and operational troubleshooting.
- Ability to analyze tradeoffs among response quality, reliability, latency, token usage, and cost.
- Strong research, technical writing, collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Preferred:
- Experience orchestrating RAG pipelines or combining structured and unstructured data in AI workflows.
- Exposure to LLM evaluation frameworks, AI observability platforms, prompt testing tools, or custom evaluation pipelines.
- Experience experimenting with multiple language models, embedding models, rerankers, prompts, or retrieval configurations.
- Familiarity with Azure Data Lake, Blob Storage, document intelligence, or enterprise-scale datasets.
- Experience developing simple client-side applications using React, Streamlit, or JavaScript.
- Familiarity with MLOps practices and model lifecycle management.
- Familiarity with Confluence, Cursor rules, repository-level instructions, or similar engineering knowledge-management practices.
- Understanding of enterprise architecture, IT compliance, responsible AI, and production deployment patterns.
Required Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred Education:
- Relevant coursework, internships, certifications, or project experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data engineering, or software engineering.
- Microsoft Azure certifications, such as Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102) or Azure Data Scientist Associate (DP-100).
The estimated salary for this position ranges from $65,000 to $90,000 yearly. Actual compensation will vary based on factors including but not limited to the candidate’s skills, experience, and qualifications. Geographic differentials may also apply depending on the position’s location. There is no application deadline for this role; recruitment will remain open until the position is filled.
UniFirst is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment against any individual on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, or any other factor protected by anti-discrimination laws.
If you require an accommodation during any part of the application process due to a disability or medical condition, please contact us by email at TalentAcquisition@unifirst.com or through our EthicsFirst portal at UniFirst.ethicspoint.com. You may also call the EthicsFirst Hotline at (800) 213-8979 to let us know the nature of your request.
UniFirst Recruiters and/or representatives will not ask job seekers to provide personal financial information when submitting a job application. Please be vigilant as such requests for information may be fraudulent.
Location:
Wilmington, Massachusetts
Job ID
2603954
We are looking for an early-career Junior AI Engineer to help build, test, monitor, optimize, and document enterprise-grade AI solutions using Microsoft Azure AI Services. Reporting to the AI Engineer, you will contribute to backend services, autonomous agents, retrieval systems, and client-facing tools that support the organization’s next generation of intelligent applications.
This role emphasizes hands-on engineering, structured evaluation, operational monitoring, performance and cost optimization, and reusable technical guidance. You will work closely with AI, software, architecture, and infrastructure teams while developing broader ownership of defined AI components and operational processes.
Responsibilities:
- Set up and configure AI-powered services using Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Services, Azure AI Search, Azure Machine Learning, and Azure Functions.
- Develop and maintain automated test suites for AI systems, including prompt regression, retrieval-quality, response-quality, safety, and end-to-end integration tests.
- Create reusable evaluation datasets, test cases, scorecards, and performance baselines for AI applications and components.
- Set up and maintain monitoring for response quality, failures, latency, token usage, model cost, retrieval performance, and other operational metrics.
- Run structured experiments across models, prompts, retrieval settings, and search parameters to maintain quality while reducing token usage, latency, and operating cost.
- Configure and optimize Azure AI Search, including semantic ranker, hybrid retrieval, vector search, filters, scoring profiles, top-k settings, chunking strategies, and reranking approaches.
- Evaluate alternative language, embedding, and reranking models using documented benchmarks and recommend appropriate options for defined use cases.
- Create backend components and lightweight client-side tools that expose AI capabilities across business systems.
- Research emerging AI engineering practices, tools, frameworks, and vendor guidance, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
- Partner with engineers and architects to document approved AI patterns, implementation guidance, troubleshooting procedures, and best practices in Confluence.
- Maintain developer-focused versions of AI guidance as Cursor rules, repository instructions, templates, and reusable examples, keeping them synchronized with enterprise documentation.
- Collaborate with AI engineers, enterprise architects, developers, infrastructure teams, and business partners to deliver secure, governed, and responsible AI solutions.
Qualifications
Experience:
- 0-2 years of relevant software development experience through professional work, internships, academic projects, or personal projects using Python, C#, JavaScript, or Java.
- Experience or demonstrated familiarity with one or more Azure AI services, such as Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Services, Azure AI Search, Azure Machine Learning, or Azure Functions.
- Familiarity with software testing concepts, including unit, integration, regression, and automated testing.
- Ability to use metrics and structured evaluations to compare AI model, prompt, or retrieval performance.
- Familiarity with application monitoring, logging, telemetry, dashboards, and operational troubleshooting.
- Ability to analyze tradeoffs among response quality, reliability, latency, token usage, and cost.
- Strong research, technical writing, collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Preferred:
- Experience orchestrating RAG pipelines or combining structured and unstructured data in AI workflows.
- Exposure to LLM evaluation frameworks, AI observability platforms, prompt testing tools, or custom evaluation pipelines.
- Experience experimenting with multiple language models, embedding models, rerankers, prompts, or retrieval configurations.
- Familiarity with Azure Data Lake, Blob Storage, document intelligence, or enterprise-scale datasets.
- Experience developing simple client-side applications using React, Streamlit, or JavaScript.
- Familiarity with MLOps practices and model lifecycle management.
- Familiarity with Confluence, Cursor rules, repository-level instructions, or similar engineering knowledge-management practices.
- Understanding of enterprise architecture, IT compliance, responsible AI, and production deployment patterns.
Required Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred Education:
- Relevant coursework, internships, certifications, or project experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data engineering, or software engineering.
- Microsoft Azure certifications, such as Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102) or Azure Data Scientist Associate (DP-100).
The estimated salary for this position ranges from $65,000 to $90,000 yearly. Actual compensation will vary based on factors including but not limited to the candidate’s skills, experience, and qualifications. Geographic differentials may also apply depending on the position’s location. There is no application deadline for this role; recruitment will remain open until the position is filled.
UniFirst is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment against any individual on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, or any other factor protected by anti-discrimination laws.
If you require an accommodation during any part of the application process due to a disability or medical condition, please contact us by email at TalentAcquisition@unifirst.com or through our EthicsFirst portal at UniFirst.ethicspoint.com. You may also call the EthicsFirst Hotline at (800) 213-8979 to let us know the nature of your request.
UniFirst Recruiters and/or representatives will not ask job seekers to provide personal financial information when submitting a job application. Please be vigilant as such requests for information may be fraudulent.
See all 2,192+ STEM OPT Entry Level Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Entry Level Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization in Entry Level
Verify your CIP code before applying
Check that your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code maps to a DHS-designated STEM field. Your DSO can confirm this from your I-20, and mismatches discovered after filing delay or invalidate your extension.
Screen job postings for E-Verify language
Look for 'E-Verify employer' or 'authorized to work in the U.S.' disclosures in the job listing. If neither appears, ask the recruiter directly before investing time in the process, since E-Verify enrollment is a hard requirement for STEM OPT.
Search verified sponsors on Migrate Mate
Filter entry level roles by employers already confirmed as E-Verify participants on Migrate Mate. This removes the guesswork of vetting sponsorship eligibility yourself and puts you in front of roles structured for OPT students from day one.
Draft your I-983 training plan early
The I-983 must document specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree before your employer signs it. Prepare a draft outlining your role, skills you'll develop, and how each maps to your field so the employer review goes quickly.
Time your application to your OPT end date
Submit your STEM OPT extension application no later than 90 days before your initial OPT expires. USCIS recommends filing earlier given processing variability, and a gap in authorization resets your job search timeline significantly.
Confirm the role qualifies as a training experience
USCIS requires that your entry level position provide practical training directly related to your degree. Review the job description against your I-983 objectives before accepting an offer to avoid a denial or a required amendment later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work in an entry level job on STEM OPT?
Yes. Entry level roles qualify for STEM OPT as long as the position provides practical training directly related to your STEM degree and your employer is enrolled in E-Verify. The role doesn't need to be senior or highly specialized. What matters is the connection between your job duties and your degree field, which you document on the I-983 training plan.
How do I know if an entry level employer is enrolled in E-Verify?
Ask the recruiter or HR contact directly whether the company is an E-Verify participant. Some job postings include this disclosure, but many don't. You can also ask for the company's E-Verify company ID as confirmation. Migrate Mate filters entry level listings by verified E-Verify employers, so you can skip this vetting step and apply with confidence.
What STEM degrees qualify me for the 24-month OPT extension?
Your degree must fall under a DHS-designated STEM Classification of Instructional Programs code. Common qualifying fields include computer science, engineering, mathematics, biology, chemistry, and data science, but the full list is maintained by DHS and tied to the CIP code on your I-20. Your DSO can confirm your eligibility before you file. Degrees outside designated codes don't qualify regardless of how technical the role is.
What is the I-983 and what do I need from my entry level employer?
The I-983 is a training plan that documents how your entry level role connects to your STEM degree. You and your employer complete it together before your extension is filed. Your employer must describe your job duties, identify the skills you'll gain, and sign the form. USCIS can request it during a site visit, so both you and your employer should keep copies for the full duration of your authorization.
Does cap-gap coverage apply while my STEM OPT extension is pending?
Cap-gap applies to F-1 students whose H-1B visa petition is filed before their OPT expires, not to the STEM OPT extension itself. If you're in your initial OPT period and your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf, cap-gap extends your work authorization through September 30 of that fiscal year. The STEM OPT extension is a separate process filed with USCIS and doesn't trigger cap-gap coverage on its own.