STEM OPT Junior Software Developer Jobs
Junior Software Developer roles are among the most common STEM OPT placements for F-1 graduates in computer science, software engineering, and related fields. Your 24-month STEM OPT extension applies here, giving you up to 36 months total, provided your employer is enrolled in E-Verify and you maintain a valid I-983 training plan.
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Get Access To All JobsThe Mission:
We are building the next generation of connected digital cockpits, bridging high-performance vehicle hardware with intuitive, cloud-connected experiences. In this role, you will initially tackle critical platform security and connectivity challenges: establishing hardware-backed trust with Qualcomm silicon, securing backend communication channels, and tuning network routing inside a virtualized Android environment.
At the same time, we don’t believe in rigid silos. While your initial focus will be anchoring these core platform and security foundations, you will be part of an adaptable engineering team. As the platform matures, you will have plenty of room to flex across the broader Android stack—collaborating on core system services, framework features, and user-facing capabilities across the digital cockpit.
What You Will Work On:
Initial Platform & Security Focus:
- Hardware-Backed Trust & mTLS: Connect Android’s Keystore / KeyMint layer with Qualcomm TrustZone hardware to safely manage certificates, keys, and token lifecycles for secure mutual TLS (mTLS) communication with the backend.
- Network & Multi-APN Routing: Configure Android networking pipelines, cellular APN policies, and DNS whitelisting to cleanly route private telematics, cloud APIs, and consumer traffic through their intended channels.
- Hypervisor Network Integration: Work with virtual network interfaces (virtio-net, bridging) spanning the host hypervisor and the guest Android OS to ensure reliable, high-throughput data transport.
- Platform Hardening & SELinux: Write and refine SELinux policies (sepolicy) and define clean Binder IPC boundaries to keep platform services secure, stable, and compliant.
- Identity & Secure Transport: Support user profile isolation (IAM), secure storage for JWTs and session tokens, and reliable telemetry messaging using protocols like MQTT over TLS.
Looking Ahead (Generalist & Platform Evolution):
- Build, extend, and maintain Android framework services and system applications that power core cockpit experiences.
- Collaborate across teams on modern Android development—from IPC and background services to application logic and developer tooling.
- Help shape architecture, code quality, and engineering standards as our software footprint continues to grow.
What We Are Looking For:
- Strong Android Foundations: Solid, hands-on experience developing in Android—comfortable working with Kotlin, Java, and navigating the Android framework.
- Platform & Systems Curiosity: Practical experience with, or a strong desire to dive deep into, AOSP internals, native C/C++ services, and Binder/AIDL IPC.
- Security & Crypto Awareness: Familiarity with TLS/mTLS, PKI/certificates, token-based authentication (JWT, OAuth2), and leveraging Android’s KeyStore or hardware security modules (Qualcomm TrustZone / KeyMint).
- Networking Fundamentals: A solid grasp of IP networking, DNS, routing concepts, and socket communications in Linux or Android environments.
- Pragmatic Generalist Mindset: You enjoy solving tough infrastructure and security puzzles, but you’re equally excited to pivot and build feature-level Android code as team priorities evolve.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
- A minimum of 3 years of experience in embedded software development, preferably in the automotive domain.
- Experience with Android Automotive OS (AAOS) or infotainment domain controllers.
- Familiarity with Qualcomm automotive platforms (Snapdragon Cockpit) or hypervisor environments (e.g., QNX, Type-1 hypervisors).
- Hands-on experience debugging SELinux policy denials (auditd) or managing multi-user environments in Android.
- Exposure to MQTT brokers and telemetry messaging patterns over cellular connections.
Our Benefits - Designed with You in Mind
Comprehensive Health & Well-being Coverage
From your very first day, you'll have access to medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage—ensuring you and your family stay healthy and protected.
Generous Paid Time Off
We believe in work-life balance. That's why we offer: 17+ paid holidays, including shut-down from December 24th through New Years Day every year. Vacation, float & wellbeing days, sick time and fully paid parental leave when your family needs you most.
Competitive Retirement Savings Plans
We help you plan for the future with:
- An employer match on contributions to your 401k, Roth, and Catch-Up plans
- An employer contribution, even if you don't contribute
Income Protection & Insurance Options
Benefit from included and optional disability, life, and other insurance programs—because your peace of mind matters.
Company Vehicle Lease Program
Eligible employees and their immediate families can enjoy company vehicle lease options with included insurance, maintenance, and unlimited mileage. Plus, take advantage of exclusive discounts on Stellantis products.
Family Building Benefit
We proudly support all paths to parenthood—including fertility and infertility treatments, adoption services, and gestational surrogacy.
Support for Your Growth and Giving Back
We believe in investing in your future and your passions:
- Tuition reimbursement
- Student loan refinancing programs
- 18 paid volunteer hours each year to make a difference in your community
And so much more!
When you join us, you're not just building a career—you’re joining a company that supports you, inside and outside of work.
The Mission:
We are building the next generation of connected digital cockpits, bridging high-performance vehicle hardware with intuitive, cloud-connected experiences. In this role, you will initially tackle critical platform security and connectivity challenges: establishing hardware-backed trust with Qualcomm silicon, securing backend communication channels, and tuning network routing inside a virtualized Android environment.
At the same time, we don’t believe in rigid silos. While your initial focus will be anchoring these core platform and security foundations, you will be part of an adaptable engineering team. As the platform matures, you will have plenty of room to flex across the broader Android stack—collaborating on core system services, framework features, and user-facing capabilities across the digital cockpit.
What You Will Work On:
Initial Platform & Security Focus:
- Hardware-Backed Trust & mTLS: Connect Android’s Keystore / KeyMint layer with Qualcomm TrustZone hardware to safely manage certificates, keys, and token lifecycles for secure mutual TLS (mTLS) communication with the backend.
- Network & Multi-APN Routing: Configure Android networking pipelines, cellular APN policies, and DNS whitelisting to cleanly route private telematics, cloud APIs, and consumer traffic through their intended channels.
- Hypervisor Network Integration: Work with virtual network interfaces (virtio-net, bridging) spanning the host hypervisor and the guest Android OS to ensure reliable, high-throughput data transport.
- Platform Hardening & SELinux: Write and refine SELinux policies (sepolicy) and define clean Binder IPC boundaries to keep platform services secure, stable, and compliant.
- Identity & Secure Transport: Support user profile isolation (IAM), secure storage for JWTs and session tokens, and reliable telemetry messaging using protocols like MQTT over TLS.
Looking Ahead (Generalist & Platform Evolution):
- Build, extend, and maintain Android framework services and system applications that power core cockpit experiences.
- Collaborate across teams on modern Android development—from IPC and background services to application logic and developer tooling.
- Help shape architecture, code quality, and engineering standards as our software footprint continues to grow.
What We Are Looking For:
- Strong Android Foundations: Solid, hands-on experience developing in Android—comfortable working with Kotlin, Java, and navigating the Android framework.
- Platform & Systems Curiosity: Practical experience with, or a strong desire to dive deep into, AOSP internals, native C/C++ services, and Binder/AIDL IPC.
- Security & Crypto Awareness: Familiarity with TLS/mTLS, PKI/certificates, token-based authentication (JWT, OAuth2), and leveraging Android’s KeyStore or hardware security modules (Qualcomm TrustZone / KeyMint).
- Networking Fundamentals: A solid grasp of IP networking, DNS, routing concepts, and socket communications in Linux or Android environments.
- Pragmatic Generalist Mindset: You enjoy solving tough infrastructure and security puzzles, but you’re equally excited to pivot and build feature-level Android code as team priorities evolve.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
- A minimum of 3 years of experience in embedded software development, preferably in the automotive domain.
- Experience with Android Automotive OS (AAOS) or infotainment domain controllers.
- Familiarity with Qualcomm automotive platforms (Snapdragon Cockpit) or hypervisor environments (e.g., QNX, Type-1 hypervisors).
- Hands-on experience debugging SELinux policy denials (auditd) or managing multi-user environments in Android.
- Exposure to MQTT brokers and telemetry messaging patterns over cellular connections.
Our Benefits - Designed with You in Mind
Comprehensive Health & Well-being Coverage
From your very first day, you'll have access to medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage—ensuring you and your family stay healthy and protected.
Generous Paid Time Off
We believe in work-life balance. That's why we offer: 17+ paid holidays, including shut-down from December 24th through New Years Day every year. Vacation, float & wellbeing days, sick time and fully paid parental leave when your family needs you most.
Competitive Retirement Savings Plans
We help you plan for the future with:
- An employer match on contributions to your 401k, Roth, and Catch-Up plans
- An employer contribution, even if you don't contribute
Income Protection & Insurance Options
Benefit from included and optional disability, life, and other insurance programs—because your peace of mind matters.
Company Vehicle Lease Program
Eligible employees and their immediate families can enjoy company vehicle lease options with included insurance, maintenance, and unlimited mileage. Plus, take advantage of exclusive discounts on Stellantis products.
Family Building Benefit
We proudly support all paths to parenthood—including fertility and infertility treatments, adoption services, and gestational surrogacy.
Support for Your Growth and Giving Back
We believe in investing in your future and your passions:
- Tuition reimbursement
- Student loan refinancing programs
- 18 paid volunteer hours each year to make a difference in your community
And so much more!
When you join us, you're not just building a career—you’re joining a company that supports you, inside and outside of work.
See all 1,912+ STEM OPT Junior Software Developer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Junior Software Developer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Junior Software Developer
Verify your CIP code qualifies first
Check that your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code appears on DHS's STEM Designated Degree Program List. Computer Science (11.0701) and Software Engineering (14.0903) both qualify, but some interdisciplinary programs don't. Confirm with your DSO before applying.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Any employer hiring you on STEM OPT must be actively enrolled in E-Verify, not just registered. Search the E-Verify employer search tool by company name to verify current enrollment status before you sign anything.
Use Migrate Mate to target STEM OPT-ready employers
Filter your Junior Software Developer search on Migrate Mate to surface companies with verified E-Verify enrollment and a history of hiring STEM OPT students, cutting out roles where you'd have to educate the recruiter from scratch.
Draft your I-983 training plan before the offer stage
Prepare a working I-983 draft that maps your Junior Software Developer duties to specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree. Employers unfamiliar with STEM OPT often stall at this step, so arriving with a draft accelerates the process significantly.
Benchmark your offer against the prevailing wage
Look up the Level 1 Software Developer wage for your metro area using the OFLC Wage Search before evaluating any offer. STEM OPT doesn't require prevailing wage compliance the way H-1B visa does, but underpayment relative to peers can raise red flags if you later pursue H-1B sponsorship.
Time your application window around cap-gap protection
If your OPT expires before October 1 and your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization. Apply for Junior Software Developer roles no later than late February so there's enough runway for H-1B registration in March.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Junior Software Developer role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, provided your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as computer science, software engineering, or a related discipline with an eligible CIP code. The role itself must also be directly related to your degree. Your DSO will confirm eligibility when you request the STEM OPT recommendation on your I-20, so verify the connection between your job duties and your degree field before submitting that request.
What E-Verify obligation does my employer have for STEM OPT?
Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify at the time you begin work on the STEM OPT extension, not just at the time of hiring. If your employer is not enrolled, they cannot legally employ you under STEM OPT. You can check current enrollment status through the E-Verify employer search before accepting an offer. Enrollment is the employer's responsibility, but confirming it protects your status.
What goes into the I-983 training plan for a Junior Software Developer?
The I-983 must identify specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree and map them to actual job duties you'll perform as a Junior Software Developer. Generic descriptions like 'write code' aren't sufficient. The plan should reference concrete skills such as software design patterns, version control workflows, or systems architecture that connect directly to your coursework. Both you and your employer supervisor sign it, and your DSO must approve it before your STEM OPT start date.
How does cap-gap work if my employer wants to sponsor my H-1B?
If your OPT EAD expires between April 1 and September 30 and USCIS receives a timely H-1B petition on your behalf before your OPT end date, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization through September 30. For Junior Software Developer roles, this means your employer needs to commit to H-1B sponsorship and file during the March registration window. Missing that window means a gap in authorization with no cap-gap bridge available until the following fiscal year.
Where can I find Junior Software Developer jobs where employers already understand STEM OPT?
Migrate Mate lists Junior Software Developer roles filtered for employers with verified E-Verify enrollment and prior STEM OPT hiring experience. Targeting these employers directly reduces the back-and-forth of explaining STEM OPT mechanics to HR teams unfamiliar with the I-983 process or the 24-month extension timeline. You can browse currently open roles and filter by location or company size to match your preferences.