STEM OPT Validation Engineer Jobs
Validation Engineer roles in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing qualify for STEM OPT work authorization, including the 24-month extension beyond your initial 12 months. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and your degree must fall under an eligible STEM CIP code. With 36 total months of authorization, you have a strong runway to secure H-1B visa sponsorship.
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INTRODUCTION
CelLink’s ultra-thin, flexible interconnect technology is transforming how next-generation data centers, EVs, and aerospace systems are built. As part of our engineering team, you’ll have the opportunity to directly influence how the world’s most advanced electronic systems are powered and connected.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
You will be a core contributor to development and validation programs for high-complexity data center server interconnect applications. You bring hands-on power electronics lab experience and can independently design and execute validation programs while communicating technical findings clearly across internal teams.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Design, plan, and execute DVT/EVT test programs including protocol development, fixture design, data analysis, and results reporting.
- Source and specify 2+ custom-designed components from new suppliers with no existing source, managing to under 6-week lead times.
- Lead technical discussions on power delivery architecture, bus bar/flex circuit electrical performance, signal integrity, and thermal management relevant to server platforms.
- Support mechanical integration of new components into existing assemblies.
- Participate in design release activities with guidance from senior engineers; support PPAP coordination.
- Collaborate cross-functionally on manufacturing readiness and process development.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering preferred, or a related field.
- 3–6 years of experience in a development or validation engineering role.
- Hands-on power electronics lab experience (oscilloscopes, power analyzers, thermal imaging, etc.).
- Experience sourcing and specifying custom components from new suppliers.
- Ability to independently develop and execute test plans and summarize results.
- Ability to travel as needed (up to 20%).
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with data center server power delivery systems or similar high-reliability electronics.
- Familiarity with PPAP or formal design release processes.
- Experience with flex circuit or busbar interconnect products.
COMPENSATION
Final salary determined by experience and level. We’re hiring for multiple positions and will align compensation accordingly.
WORKING CONDITIONS/ HOURS
Salaried Exempt
100% onsite
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
Physical Demands – Office and Manufacturing Environment
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms pull/push; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must lift and/or move up to 50 pounds without assistance. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment –
Includes both a typical office environment, with minimal exposure to excessive noise or adverse environmental issues, and a shop environment, with exposure to high noise levels from operating machines, physical hazards from moving equipment and machine parts, nuisance dust, and skin exposure to chemicals used to run/maintain machines.
PPE-
May be required to wear Personal Protective Equipment, including but not limited to safety glasses, safety shoes, bump caps, gloves, hair nets, masks, & clean-room frocks while adhering to the prescribed safety procedures.
CA Privacy Policy
You should be proficient in:
- PCB Assembly (Printed Circuit Board Assembly)
- PCB Components (Printed Circuit Board Components)
- 120/208/240/480 Voltage Systems
- CAD Software
- Electrical / Electronic Systems
See all 199+ STEM OPT Validation Engineer Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Validation Engineer
Verify your degree qualifies under STEM CIP codes
Check your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code against the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List before applying. Engineering disciplines like biomedical, chemical, and electrical engineering typically qualify, but computer science degrees used for validation roles need specific confirmation.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting an offer
Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify to sponsor your STEM OPT extension. Search the E-Verify employer database by company name before signing any offer letter. Regulated industries like medical devices often already participate, but contract manufacturers and smaller CROs may not.
Build a validation-specific I-983 training plan early
Your I-983 must list concrete learning objectives tied to your STEM degree, not just your job duties. For validation roles, document how your work on IQ/OQ/PQ protocols or 21 CFR Part 11 compliance directly applies skills from your engineering coursework.
Target employers filing LCAs in validation-heavy industries
Use Migrate Mate to filter Validation Engineer roles by employers with active Labor Condition Application filing history. Companies in FDA-regulated industries routinely file work visa paperwork and are structured to support the E-Verify and I-983 requirements your STEM OPT extension demands.
Understand cap-gap protection if your OPT expires during H-1B adjudication
If your STEM OPT end date falls between April 1 and October 1 during an H-1B petition year, cap-gap protection extends your work authorization automatically. USCIS issues guidance each cycle confirming the exact extension mechanism, so confirm your EAD end date against petition filing timelines.
Use O*NET to align your resume to SOC classification standards
Validation Engineer maps to specific Standard Occupational Classification codes that DOL uses to determine prevailing wage tiers. Cross-reference the O*NET occupation profile for your target role to ensure your resume reflects the core tasks and tools that validate your degree-to-role fit for adjudicators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Validation Engineer role qualify for the STEM OPT 24-month extension?
Yes, if your degree is on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. Engineering degrees in biomedical, chemical, mechanical, and industrial disciplines commonly support Validation Engineer roles. Your DSO will confirm CIP code eligibility when you apply for the extension through your school. The role itself must also represent a direct application of your STEM degree, which validation work in regulated industries typically satisfies.
Does my employer have to be E-Verify enrolled for my STEM OPT extension to be approved?
Yes, E-Verify enrollment is a hard requirement for STEM OPT extensions. Your employer must be actively enrolled, not just registered. You can confirm enrollment through the E-Verify employer search tool before accepting an offer. If the company acquired another entity recently, verify that your specific hiring entity, not just a parent company, is enrolled. USCIS will not approve a STEM OPT extension without confirmed E-Verify participation.
What should my I-983 training plan include for a Validation Engineer position?
Your I-983 must document specific learning objectives that connect your engineering degree to your daily validation work. For Validation Engineer roles, list tasks like developing validation protocols, executing IQ/OQ/PQ testing, or maintaining compliance under FDA or ISO standards, and explain how each draws on coursework from your degree program. Generic job descriptions copied from the offer letter are insufficient. Your DSO reviews the plan, and USCIS can audit it.
How does cap-gap protection work if my STEM OPT expires before October 1?
If your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf before April 1 and you're selected in the lottery, cap-gap protection automatically extends your STEM OPT work authorization through September 30. USCIS confirms the mechanism each fiscal year. You don't file anything separately; your EAD is extended by operation of law. You can continue working at the same employer in the same role during this bridge period without interruption.
Where can I find Validation Engineer jobs where the employer already understands STEM OPT requirements?
Migrate Mate filters Validation Engineer listings by employers with documented work visa filing history, so you're not starting from scratch explaining STEM OPT to an HR team that's never encountered it. Companies in FDA-regulated industries like medical devices and pharmaceuticals tend to have established compliance infrastructure, making them better positioned to complete the E-Verify enrollment and I-983 approval process your extension requires.