STEM OPT Systems Architect Jobs
Systems Architect roles qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension if your degree falls under an eligible CIP code in computer science, engineering, or a related STEM field. Employers must be enrolled in E-Verify to hire you on STEM OPT, and you'll need a signed I-983 training plan before your extension begins.
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Job Posting Title:
Full Stack Cloud Architect / Systems Engineering Lead
Hiring Department:
Applied Research Laboratories
Position Open To:
All Applicants
Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40
FLSA Status:
Exempt from FLSA
Earliest Start Date:
Immediately
Position Duration:
Expected to Continue
Location:
PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS
Job Details:
Purpose
The Space and Geophysics Laboratory (SGL) delivers capabilities to government customers for various applications, from real-time data-intensive network operations to standalone remote field systems.
We are seeking a full stack architect to oversee the implementation of mission-critical web applications. The implementations exist both on-prem and partially in Amazon Web Services with the goal of complete migration to AWS. They will serve as a technical leader within the laboratory in the areas of web and cloud systems architecture, development, decomposition, and design.
As a key member of a team of engineers, you will be responsible for eliciting systems scope from stakeholders, guiding the development of requirements, translating requirements into systems designs, guiding the decomposition of those systems into components of actionable units of work, and advising all stakeholders throughout the life-cycle, from systems definition to implementation.
Responsibilities
- Elicit system scope and requirements from stakeholders for use in systems designs
- Lead the development and evaluation of the systems architecture and design, including scope, requirements, components, interactions, and interfaces
- Communication of work process, products, and results, including documentation, written reports, and briefs presented to stakeholders
- Participate in Agile process, backlog management, and project decomposition into components and actionable units of work
- Coordinate with and provide support to stakeholders throughout the life-cycle of the systems definition, design, implementation, integration, and deployment
- Perform engineering estimates, guide project schedules, and identify dependencies
- Conduct engineering evaluations, such as trade studies, reliability analysis, functional analysis, risk analysis assessments
- Mentoring of junior developers and students
- Other related functions as assigned
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in science, applied science, or engineering
- Three years of relevant professional work experience
- Three years of experience architecting with Amazon Web Services
- Experience designing migrating applications from on-premises environment to cloud
- Experience developing or architecting full-stack web applications
- Experience in designing/maintaining formal APIs and Interface Specifications
- Experience with modern web stacks including frontend frameworks (e.g. React, Angular, Vue); server-side frameworks (e.g. Flask, Django, Express; WebSockets); web servers (e.g. Apache, nginx)
- Demonstrated ability to design, develop, evaluate, and support the development of large and complex systems.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to communicate technical detail to staff and stakeholders of varying backgrounds and experiences.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively, both independently and collaboratively, with a strong commitment to contribution and enabling the entire team.
- Demonstrated ability to make security-related architectural and implementation decisions for web applications throughout the stack
US Citizen. Applicant selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information at the level appropriate to the project requirements of the position.
Preferred Qualifications
- Post-graduate degree in systems engineering, engineering management, engineering mechanics, operations research, industrial engineering, or related field
- Experience with JavaScript, Python
- Security design of CAC (or other PIV)-authenticated web applications protecting CUI in compliance with IL Level 4 and NIST 800 -171, -53, and CMMC guidelines
- Immediate or previous eligibility to classified information
- More than 12 years relevant professional work experience
- Eight or more years in the architecting and/or design of web applications
- Work experience specific to GNSS observation and navigation data
- Experience with multiple clouds (e.g., AWS, Azure)
- Demonstrated experience participating in an Agile project management using Jira or similar Agile management tools
- Experience with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools and techniques (experience with Structurizr is a plus)
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0
General Notes
An agency designated by the federal government handles the investigation as to the requirement for eligibility for access to classified information. Factors considered during this investigation include but are not limited to allegiance to the United States, foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations, drug involvement, the likelihood of continuation of such conduct, etc.
Please mark "yes" on the application question that asks if additional materials are required. Failure to attach all additional materials listed below may result in a delay in application processing.
UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes:
- 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage
- Retirement contributions
- Paid vacation and sick time
- Paid holidays
Salary Range
$104,000-$174,000+/negotiable depending on qualifications
Working Conditions
- Standard office conditions
- Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
- Use of manual dexterity
- Possible weekend, evening and holiday work
- Possible interstate/intrastate travel
Required Materials
- Resume/CV
- 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
- Letter of interest
- Unofficial college transcript
Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.
Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.
Employment Eligibility:
Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.
Retirement Plan Eligibility:
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
Pay Transparency:
The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
Employment Eligibility Verification:
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.
E-Verify:
The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:
- E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
- Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
- Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]
Compliance:
Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified as a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.
The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.
See all 137+ STEM OPT Systems Architect Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization in Systems Architect
Verify your CIP code before applying
Check your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code against the DHS STEM OPT designated degree list before targeting Systems Architect roles. Computer science, software engineering, and computer engineering codes cover most qualifying degrees, but information systems codes vary by program.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before interviews
Ask your recruiter or HR contact to confirm E-Verify Company ID enrollment before you invest time in interviews. A company can hire contractors through a verified employer of record, which is worth raising if the direct employer isn't enrolled.
Build your I-983 training plan around architecture competencies
Draft your I-983 learning objectives around specific systems design skills: distributed systems, cloud architecture, or enterprise integration patterns. Vague plans get rejected by DSOs, so tie each goal to a concrete deliverable your employer can evaluate.
Target employers with active H-1B filing history
Companies that file H-1B visa petitions for architects and senior engineers already understand specialty occupation requirements and run structured immigration programs. Use Migrate Mate to filter Systems Architect roles by employers with verified sponsorship history, so you're not educating every hiring manager from scratch.
File your STEM OPT extension 90 days early
USCIS recommends submitting your I-765 extension application at least 90 days before your initial OPT EAD expires. Your DSO must update your I-20 with the STEM OPT recommendation before you file, so build in time for that step.
Negotiate cap-gap coverage into your start date
If you receive an H-1B selection and your STEM OPT expires before October 1, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization. Tell your employer's HR team about this rule upfront so your start date and project assignments aren't put on hold unnecessarily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Systems Architect role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, if your employer files your I-983 training plan and the role genuinely develops engineering or technical skills tied to your STEM degree. The O*NET profile for Systems Architect sits in a STEM-designated occupational cluster. Your DSO will confirm eligibility based on your specific degree's CIP code, not just the job title.
How do I find Systems Architect employers enrolled in E-Verify?
You can ask HR directly for the company's E-Verify Company ID, or search Migrate Mate, which filters Systems Architect roles by employers with verified sponsorship and E-Verify enrollment. Don't wait until after an offer to check. If a company isn't enrolled, they can't legally employ you on STEM OPT, and enrollment takes time.
What goes into the I-983 training plan for a Systems Architect position?
Your I-983 must outline specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree, a supervision structure, and how the employer will evaluate your progress every six months. For Systems Architect roles, this typically means documenting goals around architecture design methodologies, system reliability engineering, or cloud infrastructure. Vague objectives are the most common reason DSOs send the plan back for revision.
Can I work on STEM OPT if my Systems Architect role is fully remote?
Yes, remote work is permitted under STEM OPT, but the employer must still be enrolled in E-Verify and must sign your I-983 training plan. USCIS requires that you have a bona fide employer-employee relationship, which means the company sets your deliverables, supervises your work, and can terminate the arrangement. Self-directed contractor setups without that structure don't qualify.
What happens to my STEM OPT authorization if I switch to a new Systems Architect employer?
You can change employers during your STEM OPT period, but the new employer must be enrolled in E-Verify and you must submit a new I-983 training plan to your DSO before starting work. USCIS doesn't require a new I-765 filing for an employer change alone, but your DSO updates your SEVIS record. Don't start the new role until your DSO confirms the update is complete.