STEM OPT Research Data Scientist Jobs
Research Data Scientist roles sit squarely within STEM OPT eligibility, drawing on degrees in statistics, computer science, and related fields. Your 24-month STEM OPT extension applies here, giving 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 JobsResponsibilities
- Lead day-to-day project execution. Develop and maintain research plans, milestones, responsibilities, and deliverable schedules. Track progress, identify risks and dependencies, and initiate follow-up and corrective actions.
- Mentor graduate and undergraduate researchers. Hold regular technical meetings, help students define achievable objectives, review their work, troubleshoot obstacles, and develop their independence and research judgment.
- Coordinate with program managers and collaborators. Prepare technical updates, organize meetings, communicate results and challenges clearly, and follow through on agreed actions in coordination with the PI.
- Conduct and guide substantive research. Contribute original methods, software, experiments, or system implementations in relevant research areas and help ensure the technical quality of the team’s work.
- Lead preparation of research outputs. Coordinate and contribute to manuscripts, sponsor reports, presentations, demonstrations, and other project deliverables.
- Strengthen research practices. Support reproducible experiments, clear documentation, shared code and data practices, and effective onboarding of new researchers.
- Contribute to proposal development and identify opportunities for collaboration and future research.
Required Qualifications
- A Ph.D. in computer science, electrical or computer engineering, systems engineering, or a closely related field by the start date.
- A strong research record in at least one area relevant to the group.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating research activities, leading a technical project or workstream, or mentoring junior researchers.
- Ability to translate broad research objectives into concrete tasks, realistic timelines, and measurable outcomes.
- Strong technical writing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Evidence of initiative, sound judgment, reliable follow-through, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- A collaborative and supportive mentoring approach, with a commitment to research rigor and student development.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working on externally funded, milestone-driven, or multi-institution research projects.
- Experience communicating with government program managers, industry partners, or other external stakeholders.
- Experience guiding student work toward publications, working prototypes, or research demonstrations.
- Hands-on experience with relevant software, hardware, simulation environments, or experimental testbeds.
- Experience contributing to proposals and technical reports.
Appointment and professional development appointment title and scope will be determined based on experience and institutional requirements. Candidates for the Research Scientist role should demonstrate sustained independent research and team leadership. Postdoctoral candidates should demonstrate readiness to assume responsibility for a defined research effort and mentor junior researchers. The position offers opportunities to publish, develop an independent research direction aligned with the group’s programs, build collaborations, and gain experience in research leadership and proposal development. We offer competitive compensation commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Application materials
Interested Applicants Should Submit
- A curriculum vitae, including publications.
- A brief cover letter describing relevant research expertise and interest in the role.
- Contact information for three references who can comment on research ability, leadership, mentoring, and reliability.
For inquiries, contact Professor Ying Wang at ywang6@stevens.edu, using the subject line “Research Scientist / Postdoctoral Researcher Inquiry.”
Department
Wireless Communications and Health AI
Compensation Range
In compliance with the New Jersey Wage Transparency Act, the annual base range for this position is $80,000-$110,000. This range represents the University’s good faith estimate of possible compensation at the time of posting. Stevens Institute of Technology determines compensation based on factors including the position’s scope and responsibilities, the candidate’s experience, education, skills, internal equity, market data, and organizational considerations. The final salary will be set considering departmental budget, qualifications, and relevant credentials. This pay range represents base pay only and excludes additional forms of compensation, such as incentives, stipends, or other applicable pay components. For a full overview of our benefits offerings, please refer to the Stevens Institute of Technology Benefits Guidebook, available at: Benefits Guidebook
General Submission Guidelines
Please submit an online application to be considered a candidate for any job at Stevens. Please attach a cover letter and resume with each application. Other requirements for consideration may depend on the job.
Still Have Questions?
If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact Jobs@Stevens.edu.
EEO Statement
Stevens Institute of Technology is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Accordingly, Stevens adheres to an employment policy that prohibits discriminatory practices or harassment against candidates or employees based on legally impermissible factor(s) including, but not necessarily limited to, race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, nationality, citizenship status, age, ancestry, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related medical conditions, disability, or any protected military or veteran status. Stevens is building a diverse faculty, staff, and student body and strongly encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. Stevens is a federal contractor under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as other federal statutes. Stevens seeks candidates who will contribute to a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, faculty and staff.
Jeanne Clery Disclosure
In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), the Department of Public Safety is required to publish an annual security report which includes statistics mandated by the Clery Act. Click here for a copy of this report.
Responsibilities
- Lead day-to-day project execution. Develop and maintain research plans, milestones, responsibilities, and deliverable schedules. Track progress, identify risks and dependencies, and initiate follow-up and corrective actions.
- Mentor graduate and undergraduate researchers. Hold regular technical meetings, help students define achievable objectives, review their work, troubleshoot obstacles, and develop their independence and research judgment.
- Coordinate with program managers and collaborators. Prepare technical updates, organize meetings, communicate results and challenges clearly, and follow through on agreed actions in coordination with the PI.
- Conduct and guide substantive research. Contribute original methods, software, experiments, or system implementations in relevant research areas and help ensure the technical quality of the team’s work.
- Lead preparation of research outputs. Coordinate and contribute to manuscripts, sponsor reports, presentations, demonstrations, and other project deliverables.
- Strengthen research practices. Support reproducible experiments, clear documentation, shared code and data practices, and effective onboarding of new researchers.
- Contribute to proposal development and identify opportunities for collaboration and future research.
Required Qualifications
- A Ph.D. in computer science, electrical or computer engineering, systems engineering, or a closely related field by the start date.
- A strong research record in at least one area relevant to the group.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating research activities, leading a technical project or workstream, or mentoring junior researchers.
- Ability to translate broad research objectives into concrete tasks, realistic timelines, and measurable outcomes.
- Strong technical writing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Evidence of initiative, sound judgment, reliable follow-through, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- A collaborative and supportive mentoring approach, with a commitment to research rigor and student development.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working on externally funded, milestone-driven, or multi-institution research projects.
- Experience communicating with government program managers, industry partners, or other external stakeholders.
- Experience guiding student work toward publications, working prototypes, or research demonstrations.
- Hands-on experience with relevant software, hardware, simulation environments, or experimental testbeds.
- Experience contributing to proposals and technical reports.
Appointment and professional development appointment title and scope will be determined based on experience and institutional requirements. Candidates for the Research Scientist role should demonstrate sustained independent research and team leadership. Postdoctoral candidates should demonstrate readiness to assume responsibility for a defined research effort and mentor junior researchers. The position offers opportunities to publish, develop an independent research direction aligned with the group’s programs, build collaborations, and gain experience in research leadership and proposal development. We offer competitive compensation commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Application materials
Interested Applicants Should Submit
- A curriculum vitae, including publications.
- A brief cover letter describing relevant research expertise and interest in the role.
- Contact information for three references who can comment on research ability, leadership, mentoring, and reliability.
For inquiries, contact Professor Ying Wang at ywang6@stevens.edu, using the subject line “Research Scientist / Postdoctoral Researcher Inquiry.”
Department
Wireless Communications and Health AI
Compensation Range
In compliance with the New Jersey Wage Transparency Act, the annual base range for this position is $80,000-$110,000. This range represents the University’s good faith estimate of possible compensation at the time of posting. Stevens Institute of Technology determines compensation based on factors including the position’s scope and responsibilities, the candidate’s experience, education, skills, internal equity, market data, and organizational considerations. The final salary will be set considering departmental budget, qualifications, and relevant credentials. This pay range represents base pay only and excludes additional forms of compensation, such as incentives, stipends, or other applicable pay components. For a full overview of our benefits offerings, please refer to the Stevens Institute of Technology Benefits Guidebook, available at: Benefits Guidebook
General Submission Guidelines
Please submit an online application to be considered a candidate for any job at Stevens. Please attach a cover letter and resume with each application. Other requirements for consideration may depend on the job.
Still Have Questions?
If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact Jobs@Stevens.edu.
EEO Statement
Stevens Institute of Technology is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Accordingly, Stevens adheres to an employment policy that prohibits discriminatory practices or harassment against candidates or employees based on legally impermissible factor(s) including, but not necessarily limited to, race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, nationality, citizenship status, age, ancestry, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related medical conditions, disability, or any protected military or veteran status. Stevens is building a diverse faculty, staff, and student body and strongly encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. Stevens is a federal contractor under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as other federal statutes. Stevens seeks candidates who will contribute to a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, faculty and staff.
Jeanne Clery Disclosure
In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), the Department of Public Safety is required to publish an annual security report which includes statistics mandated by the Clery Act. Click here for a copy of this report.
See all 189+ STEM OPT Research Data Scientist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Research Data Scientist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Research Data Scientist
Verify your CIP code before applying
Check that your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code maps to a STEM-designated field recognized by ICE. Data science, statistics, and computer science degrees typically qualify, but interdisciplinary programs sometimes don't. Confirm with your DSO before you start applying.
Screen employers for E-Verify enrollment early
Before submitting any application, confirm the employer is actively enrolled in E-Verify through the E-Verify employer search tool. STEM OPT authorization is void without it, and many smaller research labs or startups aren't enrolled despite hiring data scientists.
Target research-heavy teams with established OPT pipelines
University research divisions, national labs, and large tech companies with dedicated data science teams file I-983 training plans regularly. Searching on Migrate Mate filters for employers with active STEM OPT hiring history, saving you from cold-applying to companies unfamiliar with the process.
Align your I-983 training goals to the actual role
Your I-983 must outline specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree, not generic job duties. For Research Data Scientist roles, document planned exposure to experimental design, statistical modeling, or ML methodology so USCIS can verify the training connection to your field of study.
Use OFLC Wage Search to set salary expectations by SOC code
Research Data Scientist roles map to a specific Standard Occupational Classification code. Run the OFLC Wage Search before negotiating an offer to confirm the employer's proposed wage meets prevailing wage levels, which affects both your offer and any future H-1B visa labor condition application.
Negotiate your start date around cap-gap timing
If your OPT expires before October 1 and your employer files an H-1B petition before that date, cap-gap extends your work authorization automatically. Structure your offer letter start date to account for this window so authorization doesn't lapse between OPT expiration and H-1B activation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Research Data Scientist role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, provided your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as statistics, computer science, applied mathematics, or a related discipline recognized on the ICE STEM Designated Degree Program List. The Research Data Scientist occupation falls under SOC codes aligned with mathematical science and computer-related occupations, both of which consistently qualify. Confirm your specific CIP code with your DSO before applying.
What E-Verify requirement applies to my STEM OPT employer?
Your employer must be actively enrolled in E-Verify for the specific worksite where you'll work. Enrollment at the company level doesn't automatically cover all locations, so verify that the hiring site is enrolled, not just the corporate headquarters. If the employer isn't enrolled, they must enroll before you can begin working under STEM OPT authorization. You can check enrollment status through the E-Verify employer search.
What does the I-983 training plan require for a Research Data Scientist position?
The I-983 must describe how the Research Data Scientist role provides practical training directly related to your STEM degree. You'll need to document specific learning objectives, such as applying statistical inference methods, building predictive models, or conducting data-driven experiments, rather than listing general job duties. Both you and your employer sign the form, and your DSO must receive it before your STEM OPT extension is approved by USCIS.
How does cap-gap protection work if I'm a Research Data Scientist on STEM OPT?
If your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf before your STEM OPT EAD expires, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization through September 30 of that fiscal year, or until USCIS makes a final decision on your case if it's still pending after October 1. You can continue working as a Research Data Scientist without interruption during that period, as long as the petition was filed on time and you remain in valid F-1 status.
Where can I find Research Data Scientist jobs where employers are already familiar with STEM OPT?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 STEM OPT students and surfaces Research Data Scientist roles at employers with documented work authorization hiring activity. Searching there filters out companies unlikely to navigate the I-983 process or E-Verify enrollment, so you're focusing your applications on employers already set up to hire you. Your DSO can also advise on employers in your institution's established OPT network.