TN Visa Design Lead Jobs
Design Lead roles qualify for TN visa sponsorship under the USMCA's engineer and scientific technician categories when the position requires specialized design expertise tied to a relevant bachelor's degree. Canadian citizens can secure TN status at the border with an employer offer letter, while Mexican citizens apply through a U.S. consulate.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
ENABLE your future through light.
Excelitas is a global technology leader with more than 7,500 employees, focused on delivering market-driven solutions to fulfill the illumination, optical, detection and imaging needs of OEMs and end-users across the biomedical, semiconductor, industrial, consumer products, scientific, security, defense and aerospace sectors.
ENGAGE with us today and make your contribution to the future! Join the team that leading technology companies turn to for cutting-edge photonic innovation. At Excelitas Technologies you are how we EXCEL.
Excelitas is seeking a Team Lead, Custom Design Engineer to join our team of leaders and innovators at our Gaithersburg location.
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Works 25-30% of time as team leader and 70-75% of time as project engineer.
- Execution of global CDE strategy including team and project governance and effective cost management.
- Monitoring and achieving budget targets including sales, margin and EBIT contribution metrics for customized systems in the US.
- Manages overall team project timelines and resources to achieve delivery date targets.
- Liaise with and support the local US Field Sales organization in the effective expansion of business.
- Create / Delivers calculations and Customer Quotations with objective of retaining existing and expanding business and improving market share profitability.
- Conduct or organize sales training for Custom system products in consultation and with support from Application Engineering and pushes knowledge exchange.
- Leverage global custom system engineering solutions with focus on US markets - modularization and adaption.
- Establishes and maintains close cooperation with internal regional interfaces, such as sales, innovation, finance, supply chain, quality management and EHS.
- Improvement of existing processes and solutions, e.g., by using global synergies & knowledge exchange.
- Defines and maintains local supplier relationships in alignment with internal stakeholders as supply chain.
- Supply chain coordination, technical specifications for order scope, quality check, pre-acceptance at supplier site.
- Create CAD (SolidWorks) solid models and mechanical engineering design for Customized UV and EIR equipment, including mechanical engineering design drawings for fabrication.
- Develop project schedules and track key dates and progress for each project passing through key stages.
- Establish project inspection criteria, coordinating the review of project designs and ensuring proper implementation of project elements.
- Support electrical engineering activities with UL508A panel builder.
- Respond to customer/sales concerns or requests throughout the project.
- Manage engineering activities as required to maintain project schedules, such as electrical and mechanical design, PLC programming, and troubleshooting.
- Maintaining regional metrics and regulations for our products.
- Maintain team KPIs driven towards quality and growth.
Qualification & Requirements
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mechanical Engineering or direct experience in project management and complex electromechanical systems design.
- Business and management experience as a Team lead of a technical sales or engineering team in an industrial environment.
- Minimum of 4 years’ design engineering experience.
- Ability to install subsystems in process equipment and adjust as needed.
- Proficiency in Solidworks or Autodesk inventor.
- Knowledge of sales and service processes within industrial environment - sales experience asset.
- Commercial fundamentals in quoting and negotiating contracts & risk/liability assessment.
- Readiness for multi-day customer visits and international travel, if required.
- Communication with internal and external customers. Ability to lead cross-functional team projects.
- Positive attitude and confident demeanor even in difficult situations as well as strong customer orientation.
- Open and team-oriented personality.
- EHS: awareness of standard regulations.
- Driver's license mandatory.
- SAP and CRM knowledge is a plus.
- Broad expertise in industrial “light” applications from UV to Infrared is a plus.
Salary range is $129,000-$139,000 depending on level of experience.
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
Minorities/Females/Disability/Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation
INTRODUCTION
ENABLE your future through light.
Excelitas is a global technology leader with more than 7,500 employees, focused on delivering market-driven solutions to fulfill the illumination, optical, detection and imaging needs of OEMs and end-users across the biomedical, semiconductor, industrial, consumer products, scientific, security, defense and aerospace sectors.
ENGAGE with us today and make your contribution to the future! Join the team that leading technology companies turn to for cutting-edge photonic innovation. At Excelitas Technologies you are how we EXCEL.
Excelitas is seeking a Team Lead, Custom Design Engineer to join our team of leaders and innovators at our Gaithersburg location.
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Works 25-30% of time as team leader and 70-75% of time as project engineer.
- Execution of global CDE strategy including team and project governance and effective cost management.
- Monitoring and achieving budget targets including sales, margin and EBIT contribution metrics for customized systems in the US.
- Manages overall team project timelines and resources to achieve delivery date targets.
- Liaise with and support the local US Field Sales organization in the effective expansion of business.
- Create / Delivers calculations and Customer Quotations with objective of retaining existing and expanding business and improving market share profitability.
- Conduct or organize sales training for Custom system products in consultation and with support from Application Engineering and pushes knowledge exchange.
- Leverage global custom system engineering solutions with focus on US markets - modularization and adaption.
- Establishes and maintains close cooperation with internal regional interfaces, such as sales, innovation, finance, supply chain, quality management and EHS.
- Improvement of existing processes and solutions, e.g., by using global synergies & knowledge exchange.
- Defines and maintains local supplier relationships in alignment with internal stakeholders as supply chain.
- Supply chain coordination, technical specifications for order scope, quality check, pre-acceptance at supplier site.
- Create CAD (SolidWorks) solid models and mechanical engineering design for Customized UV and EIR equipment, including mechanical engineering design drawings for fabrication.
- Develop project schedules and track key dates and progress for each project passing through key stages.
- Establish project inspection criteria, coordinating the review of project designs and ensuring proper implementation of project elements.
- Support electrical engineering activities with UL508A panel builder.
- Respond to customer/sales concerns or requests throughout the project.
- Manage engineering activities as required to maintain project schedules, such as electrical and mechanical design, PLC programming, and troubleshooting.
- Maintaining regional metrics and regulations for our products.
- Maintain team KPIs driven towards quality and growth.
Qualification & Requirements
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mechanical Engineering or direct experience in project management and complex electromechanical systems design.
- Business and management experience as a Team lead of a technical sales or engineering team in an industrial environment.
- Minimum of 4 years’ design engineering experience.
- Ability to install subsystems in process equipment and adjust as needed.
- Proficiency in Solidworks or Autodesk inventor.
- Knowledge of sales and service processes within industrial environment - sales experience asset.
- Commercial fundamentals in quoting and negotiating contracts & risk/liability assessment.
- Readiness for multi-day customer visits and international travel, if required.
- Communication with internal and external customers. Ability to lead cross-functional team projects.
- Positive attitude and confident demeanor even in difficult situations as well as strong customer orientation.
- Open and team-oriented personality.
- EHS: awareness of standard regulations.
- Driver's license mandatory.
- SAP and CRM knowledge is a plus.
- Broad expertise in industrial “light” applications from UV to Infrared is a plus.
Salary range is $129,000-$139,000 depending on level of experience.
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
Minorities/Females/Disability/Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation
See all 924+ TN Visa Design Lead Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding TN Visa Sponsorship in Design Lead
Match your degree to the design specialization
TN visa eligibility depends on a direct link between your credential and the role. A degree in industrial design, graphic design, or architecture strengthens your case for a Design Lead position far more than a general arts credential.
Request a TN-specific offer letter
Ask your future employer to specify the design discipline, your degree field, and a clear description of specialty occupation duties in the offer letter. Vague letters citing only job title are the most common reason border officers ask follow-up questions.
Target employers with cross-border hiring experience
Design Lead roles at companies with Canadian or Mexican offices are more likely to have HR teams familiar with TN documentation requirements. Look for postings that explicitly list U.S. work authorization sponsorship rather than filtering out non-citizens.
Prepare a portfolio that demonstrates specialty-level work
CBP officers assess whether the role genuinely requires a bachelor's-level professional. A portfolio showing systems-level design leadership, not just execution, reinforces that the position isn't substitutable by a non-degreed candidate.
Use Migrate Mate to find Design Lead roles with TN sponsorship
Search Migrate Mate to surface Design Lead openings where employers have recent visa filings and experience with work visa sponsorship. Filtering by employer sponsorship experience helps you identify companies with established processes for supporting visa-sponsored candidates like yourself.
Understand the Mexican consular timeline before accepting an offer
Mexican citizens must schedule a consular interview rather than presenting at a port of entry. Build at least six to eight weeks into your start date negotiation to allow for appointment availability and processing at the U.S. consulate.
Design Lead TN Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Design Lead role qualify for TN visa status?
It depends on how the role is framed and what degree backs it up. TN visa eligibility for design professionals typically falls under engineer or scientific technician categories. The position must require a bachelor's degree in a relevant design field, such as industrial design, graphic design, or architecture, and the duties must reflect specialty-level work, not generalist creative direction.
How does TN visa sponsorship for Design Lead compare to H-1B?
TN has no annual lottery and no cap for Canadian citizens, so you can start a Design Lead role as soon as your employer issues an offer letter and you clear the port of entry. H-1B visa requires registration in the annual lottery, a wait of months, and significant legal fees. For Canadian design professionals with a qualifying degree, TN is faster and more predictable at every stage.
What documents does my employer need to provide for my TN application?
Your employer needs to provide a support letter on company letterhead that states your job title, the design discipline, your degree field, your anticipated start date, and confirmation that the role requires a bachelor's degree in a specific professional specialty. Some officers also ask for a detailed job description. Canadian citizens present these documents at the border; Mexican citizens submit them as part of the consular application package.
Where can I find Design Lead jobs that offer TN visa sponsorship?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for TN visa job seekers. You can search Design Lead roles filtered by employers who sponsor TN status, which removes the friction of reaching the interview stage only to learn the company doesn't have a process for cross-border hires. Generic job boards don't surface sponsorship history the way a TN-focused platform does.
Can I switch Design Lead employers on a TN visa without losing status?
Yes, but TN status is employer-specific. If you change employers, you need a new TN authorization tied to the new offer. Canadian citizens can get this processed at a port of entry on the way back from a trip abroad. Mexican citizens need to return to a U.S. consulate. You don't carry your TN status with you the way you would with certain other visa categories, so plan the transition carefully.