Fashion & Apparel STEM OPT Jobs in California
California's fashion and apparel industry stretches from Los Angeles's garment district and Vernon manufacturing hub to San Francisco's retail headquarters, creating F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship opportunities in data science, supply chain technology, and e-commerce analytics. Companies like Gap Inc., lululemon, and Revolve Clothing have filed LCAs for STEM-qualifying roles, making California one of the most active states for fashion-tech talent.
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Get Access To All JobsWHO WE ARE:
Headquartered in Southern California, Skechers—the Comfort Technology Company®—has spent over 30 years helping men, women, and kids everywhere look and feel good. Comfort innovation is at the core of everything we do, driving the development of stylish, high-quality products at a great value. From our diverse footwear collections to our expanding range of apparel and accessories, Skechers is a complete lifestyle brand.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
The Data Scientist will join our Data and Analytics team, reporting to Sr. Director, BI and Reporting. This role will focus on building advanced analytics solutions utilizing data science, AI and ML solutions and technology, building the intelligence that powers our core data products. The Data Scientist will be a hybrid professional who combines deep statistical rigor with an engineering first mindset, with a mission to translate complex business challenges into an end-to-end machine learning solution that can thrive in production. They will build, test and document new or improved data science applications and machine learning techniques, develop innovative analytic reports, maintain best practices for change management and collaborate with business leads, data stewards and power users to creatively solve real-life business problems utilizing large-scale data supporting all areas of our business.
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
- End to end ML development: Evaluate, implement, and improve machine learning techniques to solve real world problems and aid business decision making.
- Contribute extensively to the full model development lifecycle, from ideation, analysis, model creation and operation.
- Leverage large language models (LLMs) and RAG (retrieval augmented generation) frameworks to enhance data product reach and automate internal workflows.
- Write production-grade, clean, maintainable, and scalable code for running experiments and proofs-of-concept. Collaborate with Data Engineers to build robust data pipelines and deploy models.
- Monitor model drift and bias in production, ensuring our AI solutions remain ethical, accurate and high performing over time.
- Lead Experimental Design, A/B testing and causal inference projects to measure the direct impact of product changes and model performance.
- Translate model outputs into actionable business strategies for non-technical leadership, utilizing storytelling as a vehicle to make analytics & insight deliverables accessible and memorable.
- Perform ad hoc analysis to uncover business insights and opportunities, exploring data to discover patterns, meaningful relationships, anomalies, and trends across different formats and platforms.
- Employ quick prototyping to gather feedback and adjust to user asks in an agile fashion.
- Follow best practices to build scalable enterprise BI and analytics solutions, ensuring data and reports are thoroughly tested before production release.
- Document objectives and solutions in summary as well as technical details.
- Collaborate with data and BI engineers, data product managers and business users to explore and create solutions for relevant business problems.
WHAT YOU’LL BRING:
- Proficiency with programming and data analysis using Python, Spark, and ML frameworks (NumPy, Pandas, Sci-kit Learn, XGBoost, TensorFlow, PyTorch).
- Strong mathematical foundation in statistics, probability, optimization algorithms, linear algebra and AI technologies.
- Working knowledge of statistical and machine learning techniques including classification, regression, clustering, and multivariate methods.
- Expertise with relational data modeling and advanced SQL for data manipulation and performance optimization.
- Experience working in an Agile/SCRUM environment.
- Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills (written, verbal, and interpersonal).
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize workload.
- Professional presence with ability to take initiative, be creative, curious, and collaborative in a flexible, team-oriented environment.
- Ability to independently conduct in-depth data analysis.
REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor's/Master's/Ph.D. in quantitative field (Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Physics) or equivalent industry experience.
- 3+ years in a professional data science role with proven track record of moving models from research to production.
- 5+ years experience in professional data science role with advanced analytics applications preferred.
- Strong communication and presentation skills – ability to articulate technical challenges and solutions to diverse audiences.
- Familiarity with retail, supply chain, digital & financial analysis, predictive analytics, and BI visualization toolsets.
- Experience with DSML Automation platforms and MLOps tools.
- Experience with Data Engineering/Cloud tools (Snowflake, BigQuery, AWS SageMaker), GenAI tools (Hugging Face, LangChain, LlamaIndex, OpenAI/Gemini APIs), and cloud-based BI and Analytics technologies.
- Ability to work with minimal oversight while ensuring timely, accurate task completion.
Pay range for this position is $95,000 – $130,000/year USD.
About Skechers
Skechers, a global Fortune 500® company, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel, and accessories. Serving over 180 countries and territories, Skechers connects customers to products through department and specialty stores, e-commerce and digital stores, and through our more than 5,300 Skechers retail locations.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Skechers is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful work environment. Skechers provides equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment without regard race, color, religion, gender, gender identification and expression, national origin, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, military status, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic established by local, state or federal law.
Reasonable Accommodation
Applicants for employment who require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job should request appropriate accommodation by emailing benefits@skechers.com.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The skills, abilities and physical demands described are representative of those duties that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities, who are otherwise qualified for the job position, to perform the essential functions.
WHO WE ARE:
Headquartered in Southern California, Skechers—the Comfort Technology Company®—has spent over 30 years helping men, women, and kids everywhere look and feel good. Comfort innovation is at the core of everything we do, driving the development of stylish, high-quality products at a great value. From our diverse footwear collections to our expanding range of apparel and accessories, Skechers is a complete lifestyle brand.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
The Data Scientist will join our Data and Analytics team, reporting to Sr. Director, BI and Reporting. This role will focus on building advanced analytics solutions utilizing data science, AI and ML solutions and technology, building the intelligence that powers our core data products. The Data Scientist will be a hybrid professional who combines deep statistical rigor with an engineering first mindset, with a mission to translate complex business challenges into an end-to-end machine learning solution that can thrive in production. They will build, test and document new or improved data science applications and machine learning techniques, develop innovative analytic reports, maintain best practices for change management and collaborate with business leads, data stewards and power users to creatively solve real-life business problems utilizing large-scale data supporting all areas of our business.
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
- End to end ML development: Evaluate, implement, and improve machine learning techniques to solve real world problems and aid business decision making.
- Contribute extensively to the full model development lifecycle, from ideation, analysis, model creation and operation.
- Leverage large language models (LLMs) and RAG (retrieval augmented generation) frameworks to enhance data product reach and automate internal workflows.
- Write production-grade, clean, maintainable, and scalable code for running experiments and proofs-of-concept. Collaborate with Data Engineers to build robust data pipelines and deploy models.
- Monitor model drift and bias in production, ensuring our AI solutions remain ethical, accurate and high performing over time.
- Lead Experimental Design, A/B testing and causal inference projects to measure the direct impact of product changes and model performance.
- Translate model outputs into actionable business strategies for non-technical leadership, utilizing storytelling as a vehicle to make analytics & insight deliverables accessible and memorable.
- Perform ad hoc analysis to uncover business insights and opportunities, exploring data to discover patterns, meaningful relationships, anomalies, and trends across different formats and platforms.
- Employ quick prototyping to gather feedback and adjust to user asks in an agile fashion.
- Follow best practices to build scalable enterprise BI and analytics solutions, ensuring data and reports are thoroughly tested before production release.
- Document objectives and solutions in summary as well as technical details.
- Collaborate with data and BI engineers, data product managers and business users to explore and create solutions for relevant business problems.
WHAT YOU’LL BRING:
- Proficiency with programming and data analysis using Python, Spark, and ML frameworks (NumPy, Pandas, Sci-kit Learn, XGBoost, TensorFlow, PyTorch).
- Strong mathematical foundation in statistics, probability, optimization algorithms, linear algebra and AI technologies.
- Working knowledge of statistical and machine learning techniques including classification, regression, clustering, and multivariate methods.
- Expertise with relational data modeling and advanced SQL for data manipulation and performance optimization.
- Experience working in an Agile/SCRUM environment.
- Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills (written, verbal, and interpersonal).
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize workload.
- Professional presence with ability to take initiative, be creative, curious, and collaborative in a flexible, team-oriented environment.
- Ability to independently conduct in-depth data analysis.
REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor's/Master's/Ph.D. in quantitative field (Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Physics) or equivalent industry experience.
- 3+ years in a professional data science role with proven track record of moving models from research to production.
- 5+ years experience in professional data science role with advanced analytics applications preferred.
- Strong communication and presentation skills – ability to articulate technical challenges and solutions to diverse audiences.
- Familiarity with retail, supply chain, digital & financial analysis, predictive analytics, and BI visualization toolsets.
- Experience with DSML Automation platforms and MLOps tools.
- Experience with Data Engineering/Cloud tools (Snowflake, BigQuery, AWS SageMaker), GenAI tools (Hugging Face, LangChain, LlamaIndex, OpenAI/Gemini APIs), and cloud-based BI and Analytics technologies.
- Ability to work with minimal oversight while ensuring timely, accurate task completion.
Pay range for this position is $95,000 – $130,000/year USD.
About Skechers
Skechers, a global Fortune 500® company, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel, and accessories. Serving over 180 countries and territories, Skechers connects customers to products through department and specialty stores, e-commerce and digital stores, and through our more than 5,300 Skechers retail locations.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Skechers is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful work environment. Skechers provides equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment without regard race, color, religion, gender, gender identification and expression, national origin, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, military status, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic established by local, state or federal law.
Reasonable Accommodation
Applicants for employment who require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job should request appropriate accommodation by emailing benefits@skechers.com.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The skills, abilities and physical demands described are representative of those duties that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities, who are otherwise qualified for the job position, to perform the essential functions.
STEM OPT Fashion & Apparel Job Roles in California
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Search Fashion & Apparel Jobs in CaliforniaFashion & Apparel STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which fashion and apparel companies in California sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas?
California-based fashion employers with documented LCA filings for STEM-qualifying roles include Gap Inc. and its brands (headquartered in San Francisco), Revolve Clothing (Cerritos), lululemon's U.S. operations, and numerous Los Angeles-area manufacturers and e-commerce platforms. Sponsorship activity tends to concentrate at companies with dedicated data, technology, or supply chain divisions, where STEM OPT extensions are more straightforwardly supported.
Which cities in California have the most fashion and apparel F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Los Angeles is California's dominant fashion employment center, with the Historic Garment District, Vernon, and Commerce hosting manufacturers, sourcing firms, and apparel tech companies. San Francisco and the Bay Area are home to retail and fashion-tech headquarters with stronger STEM OPT pipelines in analytics and engineering. Culver City and El Segundo have also emerged as hubs for e-commerce and direct-to-consumer fashion brands seeking data and technology talent.
What types of fashion and apparel roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in California?
Roles must fall under a STEM-designated degree classification to qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. In fashion and apparel, qualifying positions commonly include supply chain data analyst, demand forecasting analyst, e-commerce engineer, product data scientist, merchandising analytics associate, and fashion technology developer. Roles that are primarily creative, managerial, or design-focused without a quantitative or engineering component are less likely to satisfy STEM OPT eligibility requirements.
How do I find fashion and apparel F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students and filters fashion and apparel jobs in California by F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship history, so you can identify employers who have previously filed the right work authorizations rather than guessing. You can also cross-reference employer LCA filing records through the OFLC Wage Search to verify which California fashion companies have sponsored STEM-qualifying roles before applying.
Are there any California-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in fashion and apparel?
California's strict labor laws and classification rules can affect how employers structure internships and entry-level STEM OPT positions, so roles must be bona fide employment arrangements with proper compensation. The state's large concentration of small and mid-size apparel manufacturers means some employers are less familiar with STEM OPT's employer E-Verify enrollment requirement, which is mandatory for any employer hiring a student on the 24-month extension. Confirming E-Verify enrollment before accepting an offer is important.