Engineering Director Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
Engineering director roles in California attract strong international hiring, particularly across Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Companies like Google, Apple, Meta, Salesforce, and Qualcomm regularly sponsor work visas for senior engineering leadership. California's concentration of tech, semiconductor, and biotech employers makes it one of the most active states for engineering director sponsorship.
Find Engineering Director JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 958+ Engineering Director Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship
See all 958+ Engineering Director Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Engineering Director Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship.
Get Access To All JobsWe invite you to consider an opportunity with Denali to help achieve our goal of delivering meaningful therapeutics to patients.
This role calls for a leader who sets the operational agenda, anticipates risks and opportunities, and brings them forward with a considered point of view. The successful candidate builds the management structures, operating cadences, and accountability mechanisms their team needs to execute reliably, and sustains operational standards through periods of change, attrition, or competing priorities. They exercise independent operational judgment, take ownership of outcomes, and lead through clarity of expectations, professional managerial standards, and accountability. They contribute an operational perspective to emerging strategies, including AI infrastructure. They manage a multidisciplinary team of employees, consultants, and contractors, with the function expected to scale alongside Denali’s South San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Zurich operational footprint.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Architectural Partnership
- Lead IT Infrastructure as a function, owning the operational agenda, operating rhythms, and standards by which the team executes
- Build and maintain the management structures, operating cadences, escalation paths, and accountability mechanisms required for reliable delivery
- Anticipate operational risks, capacity constraints, attrition, and capability gaps, and act in advance of service impact
- Operate Platform Engineering decisions within architectural standards and governance forums set by Architecture, including the Architecture Review Board (ARB) for decisions of architectural significance; bring operational experience into architectural decisions and execute engineering work within architectural intent
- Represent Platform Engineering & Operations to peer functions at the appropriate working level; contribute operational perspective and recommendations to enterprise platform strategy, including AI infrastructure, FinOps, and modernization
Service Management & Resilience
- Execute the unified Change Advisory Board (CAB) process integrating IT, SOX, and GxP change control, with leadership oversight on judgment calls of strategic or compliance significance; continuously mature change control as a strategic mechanism for risk-managed delivery
- Prepare and deliver Platforms-area content, analysis, and follow-through for the Quarterly Service Review (QSR) led by the Senior Director
- Execute DR and BCP across platforms, including runbooks, failover testing, recovery validation, and RTO/RPO compliance; maintain DR/BCP as a continuously verified operational capability
- Support the platform layer underpinning OT and manufacturing IT systems in partnership with the Manufacturing IT lead and Technical Operations
- Partner with business and operational stakeholders during platform incidents or degradation events to evaluate operational impact, coordinate temporary workarounds, support continuity procedures, and prioritize restoration activities aligned to business risk and criticality
Platform Services & Enterprise AI Infrastructure
- Lead delivery and operation of Denali’s enterprise observability and integration platforms (e.g., Workato) as shared services, in partnership with Product as the primary business-facing consumer
- Evolve the team toward a platform engineering model with end-to-end lifecycle ownership, including Platform Engineer and Platform Reliability Engineer roles, governed by architectural standards
- Lead the operational ramp of newly deployed enterprise platforms (e.g., SAP, MES, clinical data platforms) from project handoff into sustained operations
- Lead operational delivery of the shared platform layer that supports enterprise AI, including runtime, controls, model access, monitoring, and operational governance
- Deliver and operate validated infrastructure for AI workloads that touch regulated workflows, including security and integration architecture for safely connecting external AI partners
- Implement and operate AI governance touchpoints in partnership with IT Risk, Quality, Legal, and Cybersecurity, including intake controls, access provisioning, audit trails, human-in-the-loop enforcement for regulated outputs, detection of unauthorized AI usage, and AI/ML observability for output quality and drift
- Apply AI within Platform Engineering & Operations (AIOps, predictive incident detection, FinOps anomaly detection, automated remediation, AI-assisted change risk scoring)
Security, Compliance & Vulnerability Management
- Operationalize vulnerability management and patching as sustained, measurable, SLA-driven programs in partnership with Cybersecurity, including continuous discovery, prioritization, remediation, and closure verification
- Execute platform operations in alignment with SOX ITGCs and GxP requirements, ensuring audit-ready evidence; partner with IT Risk on in-scope systems including SAP support
Vendor & People Leadership
- Lead operational management of Managed Service Providers, including SLA enforcement, performance management, and day-to-day vendor relationships
- Proactively manage the consultant and contractor workforce, anticipating capacity gaps and ensuring continuity of capability ahead of disruptions
- Lead, develop, and grow the team; set clear expectations, performance standards, and accountability; build team operating cadences, on-call rotations, and capacity planning
Required Qualifications
- 9+ years of progressive IT experience, including significant time in platform engineering, infrastructure, IT service management, or IT operations
- 3+ years of direct team leadership experience, including building management structures, operating cadences, and accountability mechanisms required for reliable team delivery
- Demonstrated experience setting and driving the operational agenda for a function and contributing operational perspective to enterprise or cross-functional strategy decisions, with specific examples of identifying what needed attention and what was brought to the table
- Demonstrated experience holding operational standards through attrition, competing priorities, or pressure to deprioritize, with specific examples
- Demonstrated experience operationalizing vulnerability management, patching, or comparable sustained operational disciplines as measurable, SLA-driven programs
- Demonstrated experience operating Platform Engineering within an architectural governance framework, including productive engagement with Architecture functions
- Direct experience operating in a regulated life sciences environment with working knowledge of GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, and SOX ITGC requirements
- Hands-on experience operating ITIL-aligned service management (incident, change, problem, service level)
- Experience operating enterprise network, virtualization, multi-cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure), backup and restore, observability tooling, and enterprise AI infrastructure or comparable shared platform services
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to brief senior leaders concisely with considered recommendations
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in a commercial-stage biotech or pharmaceutical company with a multi-site operational footprint, including operating AI infrastructure in validated environments for regulated workflows
- Experience supporting the platform layer for OT/manufacturing IT, operationalizing newly deployed enterprise platforms (e.g., SAP, MES, clinical data) into sustained operations, and leading platform engineering teams with end-to-end lifecycle ownership
- Hands-on familiarity with ITSM, Workato, Databricks, Reltio, and modern observability and AIOps tooling; ITIL v4, AWS/GCP/Azure, and/or FinOps foundations
Salary Range: $159,000.00 to $207,000.00. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Denali offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k, healthcare coverage, ESPP and a broad range of other benefits. This compensation and benefits information is based on Denali’s good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.
Denali is committed to its core company value of unity by creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.
We invite you to consider an opportunity with Denali to help achieve our goal of delivering meaningful therapeutics to patients.
This role calls for a leader who sets the operational agenda, anticipates risks and opportunities, and brings them forward with a considered point of view. The successful candidate builds the management structures, operating cadences, and accountability mechanisms their team needs to execute reliably, and sustains operational standards through periods of change, attrition, or competing priorities. They exercise independent operational judgment, take ownership of outcomes, and lead through clarity of expectations, professional managerial standards, and accountability. They contribute an operational perspective to emerging strategies, including AI infrastructure. They manage a multidisciplinary team of employees, consultants, and contractors, with the function expected to scale alongside Denali’s South San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Zurich operational footprint.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Architectural Partnership
- Lead IT Infrastructure as a function, owning the operational agenda, operating rhythms, and standards by which the team executes
- Build and maintain the management structures, operating cadences, escalation paths, and accountability mechanisms required for reliable delivery
- Anticipate operational risks, capacity constraints, attrition, and capability gaps, and act in advance of service impact
- Operate Platform Engineering decisions within architectural standards and governance forums set by Architecture, including the Architecture Review Board (ARB) for decisions of architectural significance; bring operational experience into architectural decisions and execute engineering work within architectural intent
- Represent Platform Engineering & Operations to peer functions at the appropriate working level; contribute operational perspective and recommendations to enterprise platform strategy, including AI infrastructure, FinOps, and modernization
Service Management & Resilience
- Execute the unified Change Advisory Board (CAB) process integrating IT, SOX, and GxP change control, with leadership oversight on judgment calls of strategic or compliance significance; continuously mature change control as a strategic mechanism for risk-managed delivery
- Prepare and deliver Platforms-area content, analysis, and follow-through for the Quarterly Service Review (QSR) led by the Senior Director
- Execute DR and BCP across platforms, including runbooks, failover testing, recovery validation, and RTO/RPO compliance; maintain DR/BCP as a continuously verified operational capability
- Support the platform layer underpinning OT and manufacturing IT systems in partnership with the Manufacturing IT lead and Technical Operations
- Partner with business and operational stakeholders during platform incidents or degradation events to evaluate operational impact, coordinate temporary workarounds, support continuity procedures, and prioritize restoration activities aligned to business risk and criticality
Platform Services & Enterprise AI Infrastructure
- Lead delivery and operation of Denali’s enterprise observability and integration platforms (e.g., Workato) as shared services, in partnership with Product as the primary business-facing consumer
- Evolve the team toward a platform engineering model with end-to-end lifecycle ownership, including Platform Engineer and Platform Reliability Engineer roles, governed by architectural standards
- Lead the operational ramp of newly deployed enterprise platforms (e.g., SAP, MES, clinical data platforms) from project handoff into sustained operations
- Lead operational delivery of the shared platform layer that supports enterprise AI, including runtime, controls, model access, monitoring, and operational governance
- Deliver and operate validated infrastructure for AI workloads that touch regulated workflows, including security and integration architecture for safely connecting external AI partners
- Implement and operate AI governance touchpoints in partnership with IT Risk, Quality, Legal, and Cybersecurity, including intake controls, access provisioning, audit trails, human-in-the-loop enforcement for regulated outputs, detection of unauthorized AI usage, and AI/ML observability for output quality and drift
- Apply AI within Platform Engineering & Operations (AIOps, predictive incident detection, FinOps anomaly detection, automated remediation, AI-assisted change risk scoring)
Security, Compliance & Vulnerability Management
- Operationalize vulnerability management and patching as sustained, measurable, SLA-driven programs in partnership with Cybersecurity, including continuous discovery, prioritization, remediation, and closure verification
- Execute platform operations in alignment with SOX ITGCs and GxP requirements, ensuring audit-ready evidence; partner with IT Risk on in-scope systems including SAP support
Vendor & People Leadership
- Lead operational management of Managed Service Providers, including SLA enforcement, performance management, and day-to-day vendor relationships
- Proactively manage the consultant and contractor workforce, anticipating capacity gaps and ensuring continuity of capability ahead of disruptions
- Lead, develop, and grow the team; set clear expectations, performance standards, and accountability; build team operating cadences, on-call rotations, and capacity planning
Required Qualifications
- 9+ years of progressive IT experience, including significant time in platform engineering, infrastructure, IT service management, or IT operations
- 3+ years of direct team leadership experience, including building management structures, operating cadences, and accountability mechanisms required for reliable team delivery
- Demonstrated experience setting and driving the operational agenda for a function and contributing operational perspective to enterprise or cross-functional strategy decisions, with specific examples of identifying what needed attention and what was brought to the table
- Demonstrated experience holding operational standards through attrition, competing priorities, or pressure to deprioritize, with specific examples
- Demonstrated experience operationalizing vulnerability management, patching, or comparable sustained operational disciplines as measurable, SLA-driven programs
- Demonstrated experience operating Platform Engineering within an architectural governance framework, including productive engagement with Architecture functions
- Direct experience operating in a regulated life sciences environment with working knowledge of GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, and SOX ITGC requirements
- Hands-on experience operating ITIL-aligned service management (incident, change, problem, service level)
- Experience operating enterprise network, virtualization, multi-cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure), backup and restore, observability tooling, and enterprise AI infrastructure or comparable shared platform services
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to brief senior leaders concisely with considered recommendations
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in a commercial-stage biotech or pharmaceutical company with a multi-site operational footprint, including operating AI infrastructure in validated environments for regulated workflows
- Experience supporting the platform layer for OT/manufacturing IT, operationalizing newly deployed enterprise platforms (e.g., SAP, MES, clinical data) into sustained operations, and leading platform engineering teams with end-to-end lifecycle ownership
- Hands-on familiarity with ITSM, Workato, Databricks, Reltio, and modern observability and AIOps tooling; ITIL v4, AWS/GCP/Azure, and/or FinOps foundations
Salary Range: $159,000.00 to $207,000.00. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Denali offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k, healthcare coverage, ESPP and a broad range of other benefits. This compensation and benefits information is based on Denali’s good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.
Denali is committed to its core company value of unity by creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.
Engineering Director Job Roles in California
See all 958+ Engineering Director Jobs in California
Sign up for free to filter by visa type, set job alerts, and find employers with verified sponsorship history.
Search Engineering Director Jobs in CaliforniaEngineering Director Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for engineering directors in California?
Large tech employers in California with consistent engineering director sponsorship track records include Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Salesforce, Adobe, Nvidia, and Qualcomm. Semiconductor and defense contractors in San Diego and aerospace firms in Southern California also sponsor at this level. Sponsorship at director level typically requires that no qualified U.S. candidate is available for the role.
Which visa types are most common for engineering director roles in California?
The H-1B visa is the most common visa for engineering directors in California, given that these roles qualify as specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a related technical field. Senior candidates with extraordinary ability may qualify for the O-1A. Those transferring within a multinational company may be eligible for the L-1A, which covers managerial and executive roles.
Which cities in California have the most engineering director sponsorship jobs?
The San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, and Palo Alto, accounts for the largest share of engineering director sponsorship activity in California. Los Angeles has a growing tech and entertainment-tech sector with active sponsorship. San Diego is a significant hub for semiconductor, biotech, and defense engineering leadership roles.
How to find engineering director visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically by visa sponsorship availability, so you can search engineering director roles in California without sifting through positions that don't sponsor. Because director-level roles are filled less frequently than individual contributor positions, setting up alerts on Migrate Mate for California engineering director openings helps you respond quickly when relevant roles are posted.
Are there any California-specific considerations for engineering directors seeking visa sponsorship?
California employers must comply with the Department of Labor's prevailing wage requirements for H-1B sponsorship, which are benchmarked to the local wage level for the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles metro, some of the highest in the country. California's volume of H-1B filings also means immigration attorneys are widely available and experienced with director-level petitions. University pipelines from Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Caltech supply a steady flow of international talent into senior engineering tracks.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored engineering director jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.