TN Visa Research Engineer Jobs
Research Engineer roles qualify for TN visa sponsorship under the USMCA's engineer category, covering positions in product development, applied R&D, and computational research. Canadian citizens can apply at the U.S. border with no annual cap; Mexican citizens require a consular appointment. Your employer prepares a support letter documenting your qualifications and job role, which you present during your TN application.
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Get Access To All JobsAbout The Team
OpenAI’s infrastructure organization builds and operates the systems that power frontier AI workloads at global scale. As our compute footprint expands across first-party data centers, cloud providers, and strategic partners, efficient capacity planning and resource allocation become critical to delivering reliable and cost-effective compute. The Compute Optimization team sits at the intersection of engineering, operations, finance, and infrastructure strategy. We develop the models, decision systems, and planning frameworks that optimize how compute resources are deployed, scheduled, and scaled across a rapidly growing global environment.
About The Role
We are seeking Compute Optimization Researcher/Engineer to build the systems that maximize the value of OpenAI’s global compute capacity. In this role, you will work on high-impact optimization problems spanning capacity allocation, demand forecasting, cluster planning, workload placement, and infrastructure utilization. You will combine mathematical modeling, software systems, and cross-functional execution to improve how compute is planned and consumed across GPU clusters, networking, storage, and data center environments. This role is ideal for candidates with backgrounds in operations research, optimization, applied math, infrastructure systems, or large-scale capacity planning. This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance.
In this role, you will
- Build optimization models for compute allocation, workload scheduling, and cluster utilization.
- Develop planning systems that balance supply, demand, cost, latency, and reliability constraints.
- Create forecasting frameworks for GPU demand, infrastructure growth, and capacity needs.
- Design decision tools for allocating compute across internal teams, products, and strategic priorities.
- Partner with architecture, infrastructure engineering, finance, and operations teams to translate business needs into mathematical models.
- Integrate multiple operational data sources into planning systems and optimization workflows.
- Improve utilization of GPUs, networking, power, cooling, and storage infrastructure.
- Analyze tradeoffs across first-party data centers, cloud providers, and hybrid environments.
- Build dashboards, metrics, and operational tooling for capacity decision-making.
- Lead ambiguous, cross-functional initiatives that improve infrastructure efficiency at scale.
- Present recommendations clearly to technical leaders and executives.
- Continuously refine models based on changing workloads, supply constraints, and business priorities.
You might thrive in this role if you
- Doctorate degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Operations Research, Economics, or related field.
- 5+ years of experience in optimization, planning, infrastructure analytics, or systems engineering.
- Strong experience with linear programming, mixed-integer optimization, convex optimization, simulation, or forecasting methods.
- Proficiency in Python and data tooling (SQL, Pandas, Spark, etc.).
- Experience translating real-world business constraints into scalable optimization systems.
- Strong analytical problem-solving skills with comfort operating in ambiguous environments.
- Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders without formal authority.
- Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with large-scale infrastructure, cloud capacity planning, or data center operations.
- Familiarity with tools such as Gurobi, CPLEX, CVXPY, Pyomo, or similar solvers.
- Experience optimizing GPU fleets, networking systems, or distributed compute environments.
- Background in supply-demand planning, logistics, marketplace optimization, or resource scheduling.
- Experience working in fast-scaling technology environments.
About OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. For additional information, please see OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement. Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US-based candidates. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations. To notify OpenAI that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through this form. No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link. OpenAI Global Applicant Privacy Policy At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.
Compensation Range: $293K - $455K
About The Team
OpenAI’s infrastructure organization builds and operates the systems that power frontier AI workloads at global scale. As our compute footprint expands across first-party data centers, cloud providers, and strategic partners, efficient capacity planning and resource allocation become critical to delivering reliable and cost-effective compute. The Compute Optimization team sits at the intersection of engineering, operations, finance, and infrastructure strategy. We develop the models, decision systems, and planning frameworks that optimize how compute resources are deployed, scheduled, and scaled across a rapidly growing global environment.
About The Role
We are seeking Compute Optimization Researcher/Engineer to build the systems that maximize the value of OpenAI’s global compute capacity. In this role, you will work on high-impact optimization problems spanning capacity allocation, demand forecasting, cluster planning, workload placement, and infrastructure utilization. You will combine mathematical modeling, software systems, and cross-functional execution to improve how compute is planned and consumed across GPU clusters, networking, storage, and data center environments. This role is ideal for candidates with backgrounds in operations research, optimization, applied math, infrastructure systems, or large-scale capacity planning. This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance.
In this role, you will
- Build optimization models for compute allocation, workload scheduling, and cluster utilization.
- Develop planning systems that balance supply, demand, cost, latency, and reliability constraints.
- Create forecasting frameworks for GPU demand, infrastructure growth, and capacity needs.
- Design decision tools for allocating compute across internal teams, products, and strategic priorities.
- Partner with architecture, infrastructure engineering, finance, and operations teams to translate business needs into mathematical models.
- Integrate multiple operational data sources into planning systems and optimization workflows.
- Improve utilization of GPUs, networking, power, cooling, and storage infrastructure.
- Analyze tradeoffs across first-party data centers, cloud providers, and hybrid environments.
- Build dashboards, metrics, and operational tooling for capacity decision-making.
- Lead ambiguous, cross-functional initiatives that improve infrastructure efficiency at scale.
- Present recommendations clearly to technical leaders and executives.
- Continuously refine models based on changing workloads, supply constraints, and business priorities.
You might thrive in this role if you
- Doctorate degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Operations Research, Economics, or related field.
- 5+ years of experience in optimization, planning, infrastructure analytics, or systems engineering.
- Strong experience with linear programming, mixed-integer optimization, convex optimization, simulation, or forecasting methods.
- Proficiency in Python and data tooling (SQL, Pandas, Spark, etc.).
- Experience translating real-world business constraints into scalable optimization systems.
- Strong analytical problem-solving skills with comfort operating in ambiguous environments.
- Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders without formal authority.
- Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with large-scale infrastructure, cloud capacity planning, or data center operations.
- Familiarity with tools such as Gurobi, CPLEX, CVXPY, Pyomo, or similar solvers.
- Experience optimizing GPU fleets, networking systems, or distributed compute environments.
- Background in supply-demand planning, logistics, marketplace optimization, or resource scheduling.
- Experience working in fast-scaling technology environments.
About OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. For additional information, please see OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement. Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US-based candidates. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations. To notify OpenAI that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through this form. No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link. OpenAI Global Applicant Privacy Policy At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.
Compensation Range: $293K - $455K
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding TN Visa Sponsorship as a Research Engineer
Align your credentials to TN engineer criteria
The TN engineer category requires a degree in engineering or a closely related field. A computer science or physics degree can qualify for research engineer roles, but you'll need documentation showing the field directly supports the position's technical scope.
Target labs with visa sponsorship experience
National laboratories, university-affiliated research centers, and large technology companies have recent visa filings and are experienced with work visa sponsorship, often hiring for roles that qualify for TN status. Focusing your applications on employers with this sponsorship background simplifies the process—they're already familiar with visa requirements and can move quickly with your support letter and port-of-entry application.
Get your support letter ready before your port of entry
Your employer must prepare a support letter before your TN application is submitted. Flag this requirement to your hiring manager during the offer stage, not after signing. For Canadian applicants, you'll present this letter at the U.S. port of entry; for Mexican applicants, it's submitted with your consulate application. The process typically moves quickly once documentation is ready.
Distinguish applied research from pure research in your offer letter
CBP officers evaluate whether your role fits the engineer definition, not a scientist or researcher category. Your offer letter should describe engineering methods, systems, or applied technical problem-solving rather than open-ended or theoretical research.
Use Migrate Mate to find TN-ready research engineer openings
Searching general job boards surfaces roles with no sponsorship pathway. Migrate Mate filters for employers actively offering TN visa sponsorship for research engineer positions, so you apply only where the visa pathway already exists.
Prepare a credential package before your first interview
Have your degree transcripts, a credential evaluation if your degree is from outside the U.S. or Canada, and a current employment verification letter ready before offers begin. Delays in gathering these documents are the most common bottleneck after an offer is extended.
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Find Research Engineer JobsResearch Engineer TN Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a research engineer role qualify for TN visa status?
Yes, if the position falls under the TN engineer category and requires a degree in engineering or a directly related technical field. Roles focused on applied R&D, systems development, or computational engineering typically qualify. Roles framed as pure scientific research may be assessed under the scientist category instead, so your offer letter's language matters.
How does TN compare to H-1B for research engineer positions?
TN has no lottery, no annual cap for Canadians, and can be approved at the border on the same day for Canadian citizens. H-1B requires entering a lottery with roughly a 25% selection rate and waiting months for processing. For research engineers who qualify under USMCA, TN is a faster and more predictable path to U.S. employment.
What documents does my employer need to sponsor my TN visa as a research engineer?
Your employer must prepare a support letter describing your engineering duties and qualifications, confirming that the role qualifies under the TN category for professionals. Canadian citizens present this support letter at a U.S. port of entry; Mexican citizens submit it as part of a visa application at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
Where can I find research engineer jobs that already offer TN visa sponsorship?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for Canadian and Mexican professionals seeking roles with active TN visa sponsorship. Rather than filtering through general postings where sponsorship availability is unclear, Migrate Mate surfaces research engineer positions from employers who have confirmed they will support the TN process.
Can I switch research engineer employers while on TN status?
Yes, but your TN status is tied to your current employer. You cannot begin working for a new employer until your new TN is approved. Your new employer must prepare a support letter and either support a new port-of-entry application for Canadians or a new consular application for Mexican citizens before your start date.
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