STEM OPT Software Architect Jobs
Software Architect roles qualify for STEM OPT's 24-month extension if your degree falls under an eligible CIP code in computer science, software engineering, or a related STEM field. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify and sign your I-983 training plan before your extension begins. That's 36 months total to build your architecture career in the U.S.
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At Ford, you’ll work on ideas that matter, alongside passionate people who want to make a global impact. Together, we’re shaping the next era of transportation—grounded in purpose, driven by progress. Make your move.
- Job Type: Full time
- Work Type: Hybrid
At Ford Motor Company, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress. We also believe in providing you with the freedom to define and realize your dreams. With our incredible plans for the future of mobility, we have a wide variety of opportunities for you to accelerate your career potential as you help us define tomorrow’s transportation. In Product Development, we bring engineering ideas to life. The ADAS Software and Feature Development Team designs and develops software, providing magical experiences with features like Blue Cruise, Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, Pro Trailer Backup Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Park Assist, and 360 Camera Systems. We are seeking a diligent, detail-driven professional to provide vital expertise in support of our Driver Assist Technologies Embedded Software Design team.
Responsibilities
- Create high level documentation and develop software requirements for an embedded platform
- Leverage modular component-based design, standard C libraries, embedded design patterns, and Classic AUTOSAR architectural features to create robust, efficient, and reliable software
- Apply Functional Safety principles as it applies to Driver Assist Software and Platform Software
- Demonstrate commitment to quality by applying best practices to coding standards, static analysis, code coverage, code reviews
- Work with cross functional engineers to establish quality traceability between systems and software teams
- Highlight your technical leadership amongst a team of highly energized and collaborative peers in a fast-paced environment
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field or a combination of education and equivalent experience
- 3+ years of experience in software architecture using C++ and/or C
- 3+ years of experience designing and testing systems for high performance, high reliability computing applications
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or similar field of study
- 5+ years of ADAS/Autonomy software architecture experience with proven success in a fast-paced, cross-functional engineering team environment
- Strong understanding of modern Middleware designs and best practices
- Expertise with established software design patterns and efficient data structures
- Familiarity with Classic AUTOSAR stack
- Familiarity with ISO 26262, security, and safety in embedded systems
- Experience working within an Agile Software Development Methodology
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Preferred background in designing end-to-end perception pipelines, including the architectural definition of sensor abstraction layers in Basic Software and their interface with application-level fusion logic
You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!
As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:
- Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
- Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
- Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
- Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
- Tuition assistance
- Established and active employee resource groups
- Paid time off for individual and team community service
- A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
- Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
This position is a salary grade 7-8 and ranges from $87,000 - $160,000.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR.
Visa sponsorship is available for this position.
Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.
This position is hybrid (onsite four days per week).
LI-Hybrid
LI-CL2
Overview
At Ford, you’ll work on ideas that matter, alongside passionate people who want to make a global impact. Together, we’re shaping the next era of transportation—grounded in purpose, driven by progress. Make your move.
- Job Type: Full time
- Work Type: Hybrid
At Ford Motor Company, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress. We also believe in providing you with the freedom to define and realize your dreams. With our incredible plans for the future of mobility, we have a wide variety of opportunities for you to accelerate your career potential as you help us define tomorrow’s transportation. In Product Development, we bring engineering ideas to life. The ADAS Software and Feature Development Team designs and develops software, providing magical experiences with features like Blue Cruise, Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, Pro Trailer Backup Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Park Assist, and 360 Camera Systems. We are seeking a diligent, detail-driven professional to provide vital expertise in support of our Driver Assist Technologies Embedded Software Design team.
Responsibilities
- Create high level documentation and develop software requirements for an embedded platform
- Leverage modular component-based design, standard C libraries, embedded design patterns, and Classic AUTOSAR architectural features to create robust, efficient, and reliable software
- Apply Functional Safety principles as it applies to Driver Assist Software and Platform Software
- Demonstrate commitment to quality by applying best practices to coding standards, static analysis, code coverage, code reviews
- Work with cross functional engineers to establish quality traceability between systems and software teams
- Highlight your technical leadership amongst a team of highly energized and collaborative peers in a fast-paced environment
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field or a combination of education and equivalent experience
- 3+ years of experience in software architecture using C++ and/or C
- 3+ years of experience designing and testing systems for high performance, high reliability computing applications
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or similar field of study
- 5+ years of ADAS/Autonomy software architecture experience with proven success in a fast-paced, cross-functional engineering team environment
- Strong understanding of modern Middleware designs and best practices
- Expertise with established software design patterns and efficient data structures
- Familiarity with Classic AUTOSAR stack
- Familiarity with ISO 26262, security, and safety in embedded systems
- Experience working within an Agile Software Development Methodology
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Preferred background in designing end-to-end perception pipelines, including the architectural definition of sensor abstraction layers in Basic Software and their interface with application-level fusion logic
You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!
As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:
- Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
- Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
- Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
- Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
- Tuition assistance
- Established and active employee resource groups
- Paid time off for individual and team community service
- A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
- Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
This position is a salary grade 7-8 and ranges from $87,000 - $160,000.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR.
Visa sponsorship is available for this position.
Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.
This position is hybrid (onsite four days per week).
LI-Hybrid
LI-CL2
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization in Software Architect
Verify your CIP code before applying
Check that your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code appears on the DHS STEM OPT designated degree list. Software engineering, computer science, and information systems degrees typically qualify, but interdisciplinary programs sometimes don't. Confirm with your DSO before targeting roles.
Filter for E-Verify employers in your search
Any employer that hires you on STEM OPT must be enrolled in E-Verify. Ask recruiters directly during the screening call, or search the E-Verify employer search tool to confirm enrollment before investing time in the interview process.
Negotiate your I-983 training plan early
Software Architect roles require a detailed I-983 showing how your day-to-day work relates to your STEM degree. Draft the learning objectives section before your offer letter is finalized so your employer's HR team isn't scrambling after you sign.
Target companies with active H-1B filing history
Employers who've sponsored H-1B visa petitions for software roles have already built the compliance infrastructure to support STEM OPT. Use Migrate Mate to surface companies with DOL Labor Condition Application filing history for software architect-level positions.
Apply before your OPT end date to trigger cap-gap
If your employer files an H-1B petition before your OPT expires, cap-gap protection extends your work authorization through September 30. For Software Architect roles, coordinate with your employer to submit the USCIS registration during the March lottery window.
Benchmark your offer against prevailing wage tiers
Your I-983 must reflect a bona fide employment relationship, and low offers can draw scrutiny. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the prevailing wage for Software Architect under SOC code 15-1243 in your metro area before evaluating any offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my degree qualify for the STEM OPT extension if I'm applying for Software Architect jobs?
Your degree qualifies if its CIP code appears on the DHS STEM designated degree list. Degrees in computer science, software engineering, information technology, and related fields typically qualify. Your DSO can confirm your specific CIP code. The qualification is tied to your degree program, not the job title itself, so a qualifying STEM degree supports your extension even in a senior architecture role.
How do I confirm a Software Architect employer is enrolled in E-Verify?
You can search the official E-Verify employer search tool by company name to confirm enrollment before you accept an offer. Ask your recruiter directly as well, since E-Verify enrollment is a legal requirement for any employer hiring a STEM OPT student. If the employer isn't enrolled, they can't legally hire you on the STEM OPT extension, and USCIS can terminate your authorization.
What goes into the I-983 training plan for a Software Architect role?
Your I-983 must describe how your day-to-day Software Architect responsibilities connect to your STEM degree, including specific learning objectives and supervision structure. For architecture roles, this typically covers system design methodologies, technical leadership, and engineering principles tied to your field of study. Both you and your employer's authorized representative must sign it, and your DSO must approve it before USCIS processes your extension.
What happens to my STEM OPT if my employer loses E-Verify enrollment during my extension?
USCIS requires your employer to maintain E-Verify enrollment for the full duration of your STEM OPT extension. If your employer loses enrollment, you must stop working and either find a new E-Verify enrolled employer or risk falling out of status. USCIS can terminate your STEM OPT authorization if the employer is no longer compliant, so monitor your employer's status and notify your DSO immediately if enrollment lapses.
Where can I find Software Architect jobs where the employer already understands STEM OPT requirements?
Migrate Mate lists Software Architect positions filtered for employers with verified E-Verify enrollment and active DOL LCA filing history, so you're not spending time on companies that haven't sponsored STEM workers before. Employers with existing STEM OPT or H-1B infrastructure are less likely to stall on I-983 preparation or E-Verify compliance, which matters when your authorization window is fixed.