Science & Research F-1 STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in California
Science and research F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in California are concentrated at biotech firms in San Diego and South San Francisco, national laboratories like Lawrence Berkeley and SLAC, and research-intensive universities across the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Employers here routinely hire international graduates in life sciences, computational biology, materials science, and environmental research.
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INTRODUCTION
Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo.
We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Applied Intuition is looking for a Software Quality Assurance Engineer to lead the development and implementation of the Quality Assurance process for the Self-Driving System (SDS) organization in compliance with Automotive SPICE and ISO 9001:2015. This role is central to our journey toward achieving and sustaining defined ASPICE capability levels across engineering, management, and support processes.
You will work closely with engineering, program management, and support teams to define, deploy, and continuously improve processes that meet the highest automotive quality standards. You will be the primary driver of process compliance, quality assurance, and process improvement within the SDS organization — acting as an independent, objective function that ensures our work products and processes meet defined criteria.
YOUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Define, implement, and maintain the Quality Assurance process, Work Instructions, and quality criteria for SDS in compliance with ASPICE and ISO 9001:2015
- Collaborate with process owners to develop process descriptions, RASIC matrices, and templates aligned with ASPICE PAM, and support their deployment across SDS projects
- Drive process training and awareness across engineering, management, and support teams
- Perform independent work product and process audits to verify compliance with ASPICE, ISO 9001:2015, and internal quality standards
- Conduct internal assessments against defined ASPICE capability level targets
- Identify, record, track, and drive process and work product non-conformances to closure using structured RCA methodologies (e.g., 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone), with formal escalation for unresolved items
- Ensure traceability of QA results, including process conformances, audit findings, and quality KPIs, and communicate findings to all affected parties
- Interface with Change Request Management (CCB) to ensure quality-related changes are properly analyzed, approved, and tracked
- Participate in design reviews and provide quality feedback on software architecture and implementation
- Define and maintain quality KPI dashboards aligned with ASPICE and ISO 9001:2015
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or other related fields
- 3+ years of experience in automotive SW quality assurance/ engineering
- Solid understanding and hands-on experience with Automotive SPICE (ASPICE) and ISO 9001:2015 compliance
- Experience developing process documentation, including Work Instructions, process descriptions, templates, and RASIC matrices
- Experience in conducting work product audits, process audits, according to ASPICE, process compliance with ISO9001:2015 and driving quality issues to closure
- Experience with problem solving methodologies, including hands-on knowledge of 8D, 5-Why, and Fishbone (Ishikawa) root cause analysis methodologies
- Experience defining and reporting quality metrics and KPIs, with strong data analysis and interpretation skills
- Ability to read and review C, C++ and Python code for quality assurance purposes; code development not required
- Experience with process documentation and knowledge of process framework, hierarchy, and guideline development
- Preparation and presentation of software product quality status, including quality metrics, audit metrics, top quality issues, and risks
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- intacs® certified Automotive SPICE Provisional or Competent Assessor
- Certified Internal Quality Management System Auditor — ISO 9001 or IATF 16949
- Experience with ASPICE PAM v4.0 processes MLE (Machine Learning Engineering) and HWE (Hardware Engineering)
- Knowledge of Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) practices and tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Buildkite)
- Experience with automated testing frameworks (e.g., GTest, Pytest) for quality review purposes
- Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git, SVN)
- Experience with international industry standards ISO 26262 and/or ISO/SAE 21434
- Familiarity with automotive standards and protocols (e.g., CAN, LIN, OBD-II)
- Experience with tools such as Jira, Confluence, Polarion, Codebeamer, and Power BI dashboards
COMPENSATION
Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.
Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.
Please reference the job posting’s subtitle for where this position will be located. For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full-time position in the location listed is: $150,000 - $188,000 USD annually.
Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.
Science & Research Job Roles in California
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Search Science & Research Jobs in CaliforniaScience & Research Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which science and research companies sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas in California?
California's science and research sector includes major STEM OPT sponsors such as Genentech, Illumina, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Gilead Sciences, and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. National laboratories like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory also hire STEM OPT workers in research roles, though lab-specific hiring procedures and security clearance requirements vary. DOL Labor Condition Application disclosure data reflects employer-level filing history across these organizations.
Which cities in California have the most science and research F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
San Diego's Torrey Pines and Sorrento Valley corridors anchor California's biotech hiring, with hundreds of life science employers concentrated there. South San Francisco and the broader Bay Area host major pharmaceutical and genomics firms. Los Angeles has growing research activity tied to UCLA and USC-affiliated institutes, and Sacramento-area employers include state environmental and agricultural research agencies. Each metro reflects a distinct research specialization worth considering when targeting applications.
What types of science and research roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship?
Roles that qualify must directly relate to a STEM-designated degree field and involve practical application of that training. In California's science and research sector, qualifying positions commonly include research scientist, computational biologist, data scientist in life sciences, laboratory analyst, materials scientist, environmental scientist, and bioinformatics specialist. Positions must be paid employment with a qualifying employer enrolled in E-Verify. O*NET occupation profiles can help confirm whether a specific role falls within a STEM-eligible classification.
How do I find science and research F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate filters science and research job listings specifically by F-1 STEM OPT eligibility and California location, showing employers with verified STEM OPT sponsorship history from DOL filing records. This removes the guesswork of contacting employers who may not support STEM OPT extensions. Search by city or subfield within the platform to surface roles in San Diego biotech, Bay Area genomics, or Los Angeles-area research institutes aligned with your degree.
Are there California-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT in science and research?
California does not impose additional state-level visa sponsorship requirements beyond federal STEM OPT rules, but a few practical factors are relevant. Many California research employers, particularly national laboratories and defense-adjacent firms, require security clearances that F-1 holders on OPT are generally ineligible for. Additionally, California's employee classification laws mean some contract or staffing arrangements that might otherwise accommodate OPT workers may not satisfy the bona fide employment standard USCIS applies to STEM OPT. Confirm employer E-Verify enrollment before accepting any offer.