Physics Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
Physics visa sponsorship jobs in California span national laboratories, aerospace contractors, and research universities. Employers like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Caltech, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory regularly hire international physicists. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the Bay Area are the primary hiring hubs, with demand concentrated in research, semiconductor technology, and defense sectors.
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Get Access To All JobsAbout the Team:
OpenAI’s Hardware organization develops silicon and system-level solutions designed for the unique demands of advanced AI workloads. The team is responsible for building the next generation of AI-native silicon while working closely with software and research partners to co-design hardware tightly integrated with AI models. In addition to delivering production-grade silicon for OpenAI’s supercomputing infrastructure, the team also creates custom design tools and methodologies that accelerate innovation and enable hardware optimized specifically for AI.
Role Overview:
We are seeking a highly motivated engineer to lead multi-physics modeling and simulation for next-generation advanced packaging systems. This role focuses on the co-optimization of thermal, mechanical, and electrical interactions across chip, package, and system levels to enable high-performance AI/HPC advanced packaging solutions.
The candidate will collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering teams and external partners to predict and optimize package mechanical, electrical and thermal performance, and system scalability for advanced heterogeneous integration platforms.
In this role you will:
-
Lead multi-physics modeling and simulation across thermal, mechanical, and electrical domains for next-generation AI/HPC advanced packaging systems.
-
Drive co-optimization of chip, package, and system interactions to improve power integrity, thermal performance, mechanical reliability, and overall package scalability.
-
Develop and validate electro-thermal-mechanical simulation methodologies for heterogeneous integration platforms including 2.5D/3D packaging, HBM integration, and chiplet architectures.
-
Perform reliability assessment and root-cause analysis for package warpage, stress, underfill interaction, solder fatigue, electromigration, and thermo-mechanical failures.
-
Correlate simulation results with silicon, hardware measurements, and reliability test data to improve modeling accuracy and design predictability.
You might thrive in this role if you have:
-
Enjoy solving extremely challenging thermal, mechanical and electrical challenges for some of the most advanced AI/HPC packaging technology.
-
Are motivated by pushing the limits of heterogeneous integration, high-power delivery, advanced cooling, and large-scale packaging architectures.
-
Like developing new modeling methodologies and engineering solutions rather than relying only on conventional industry approaches.
-
Want to influence real product architecture decisions through simulation-driven insights across chip, package, cooling, and system design.
-
Enjoy learning broadly across semiconductor technologies, including chip architecture, power delivery, package integration, materials, cooling, and system-level interactions.
-
Strong experience in thermal and mechanical modeling for advanced packaging systems.
-
Solid understanding of electro-thermal interactions and temperature-dependent electrical behavior.
-
Experience solving complex chip/package/system integration challenges using multi-physics simulation and first-principles engineering approaches.
-
Hands-on experience with finite element analysis (FEA) and multi-physics simulation tools such as ANSYS, COMSOL, Abaqus, Icepak, or equivalent.
-
Knowledge of package reliability mechanisms including warpage, solder fatigue, underfill stress, electromigration (EM), and thermo-mechanical interactions.
Preferred Qualifications:
-
Strong understanding of electro-thermal interactions and temperature-dependent electrical behavior in high-performance computing applications.
-
Familiarity with advanced packaging design including CoWoS, EMIB, chiplets, HBM integration, and 3D stacking.
-
Familiarity with advanced packaging technologies, design flows, materials, and manufacturing processes including CoWoS, EMIB, chiplets, HBM integration, and 3D stacking.
-
MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related technical field.
-
Strong communication, cross-functional collaboration, and technical leadership skills.
To comply with U.S. export control laws and regulations, candidates for this role may need to meet certain legal status requirements as provided in those laws and regulations.
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.
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
- Salary Range: $342K – $445K + Offers Equity
About the Team:
OpenAI’s Hardware organization develops silicon and system-level solutions designed for the unique demands of advanced AI workloads. The team is responsible for building the next generation of AI-native silicon while working closely with software and research partners to co-design hardware tightly integrated with AI models. In addition to delivering production-grade silicon for OpenAI’s supercomputing infrastructure, the team also creates custom design tools and methodologies that accelerate innovation and enable hardware optimized specifically for AI.
Role Overview:
We are seeking a highly motivated engineer to lead multi-physics modeling and simulation for next-generation advanced packaging systems. This role focuses on the co-optimization of thermal, mechanical, and electrical interactions across chip, package, and system levels to enable high-performance AI/HPC advanced packaging solutions.
The candidate will collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering teams and external partners to predict and optimize package mechanical, electrical and thermal performance, and system scalability for advanced heterogeneous integration platforms.
In this role you will:
-
Lead multi-physics modeling and simulation across thermal, mechanical, and electrical domains for next-generation AI/HPC advanced packaging systems.
-
Drive co-optimization of chip, package, and system interactions to improve power integrity, thermal performance, mechanical reliability, and overall package scalability.
-
Develop and validate electro-thermal-mechanical simulation methodologies for heterogeneous integration platforms including 2.5D/3D packaging, HBM integration, and chiplet architectures.
-
Perform reliability assessment and root-cause analysis for package warpage, stress, underfill interaction, solder fatigue, electromigration, and thermo-mechanical failures.
-
Correlate simulation results with silicon, hardware measurements, and reliability test data to improve modeling accuracy and design predictability.
You might thrive in this role if you have:
-
Enjoy solving extremely challenging thermal, mechanical and electrical challenges for some of the most advanced AI/HPC packaging technology.
-
Are motivated by pushing the limits of heterogeneous integration, high-power delivery, advanced cooling, and large-scale packaging architectures.
-
Like developing new modeling methodologies and engineering solutions rather than relying only on conventional industry approaches.
-
Want to influence real product architecture decisions through simulation-driven insights across chip, package, cooling, and system design.
-
Enjoy learning broadly across semiconductor technologies, including chip architecture, power delivery, package integration, materials, cooling, and system-level interactions.
-
Strong experience in thermal and mechanical modeling for advanced packaging systems.
-
Solid understanding of electro-thermal interactions and temperature-dependent electrical behavior.
-
Experience solving complex chip/package/system integration challenges using multi-physics simulation and first-principles engineering approaches.
-
Hands-on experience with finite element analysis (FEA) and multi-physics simulation tools such as ANSYS, COMSOL, Abaqus, Icepak, or equivalent.
-
Knowledge of package reliability mechanisms including warpage, solder fatigue, underfill stress, electromigration (EM), and thermo-mechanical interactions.
Preferred Qualifications:
-
Strong understanding of electro-thermal interactions and temperature-dependent electrical behavior in high-performance computing applications.
-
Familiarity with advanced packaging design including CoWoS, EMIB, chiplets, HBM integration, and 3D stacking.
-
Familiarity with advanced packaging technologies, design flows, materials, and manufacturing processes including CoWoS, EMIB, chiplets, HBM integration, and 3D stacking.
-
MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related technical field.
-
Strong communication, cross-functional collaboration, and technical leadership skills.
To comply with U.S. export control laws and regulations, candidates for this role may need to meet certain legal status requirements as provided in those laws and regulations.
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.
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
- Salary Range: $342K – $445K + Offers Equity
Physics Job Roles in California
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Search Physics Jobs in CaliforniaPhysics Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for physicists in California?
California's national laboratories are among the most active sponsors, including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Aerospace and defense employers such as Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Boeing also sponsor physics roles, particularly in Southern California. Semiconductor companies including Applied Materials and KLA sponsor physicists for materials and process research positions.
Which visa types are most common for physics roles in California?
The H-1B visa is the most common visa for physics roles in California, as most positions require at least a bachelor's degree in physics or a closely related field, satisfying the specialty occupation requirement. Postdoctoral researchers at universities frequently use J-1 visa exchange visitor status. Physicists with exceptional records of research achievement may qualify for the O-1A visa or employment-based green card categories such as EB-1A or EB-2 NIW.
Which cities in California have the most physics sponsorship jobs?
The San Francisco Bay Area leads, driven by national laboratories in Berkeley and Menlo Park, university research at UC Berkeley and Stanford, and semiconductor employers throughout Silicon Valley. Los Angeles and the surrounding region support significant demand through JPL in Pasadena, defense contractors in El Segundo and Torrance, and research institutions at UCLA and Caltech. San Diego also has a notable concentration in biophysics and photonics.
How to find physics visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate filters physics job listings to show only employers who sponsor visas, saving time spent researching individual company policies. You can search specifically for California-based physics roles spanning national laboratories, universities, and private sector employers. Because physics positions vary widely by specialization, filtering by subfield or employer type on Migrate Mate helps narrow results to roles that match your research background.
Are there state-specific considerations for physicists seeking visa sponsorship in California?
California's concentration of federally funded national laboratories means many physics positions are subject to security clearance requirements, which can restrict eligibility for some international candidates. Department of Energy facilities in particular often limit certain roles to U.S. persons. University postdoc positions offer more open access for international physicists. Prevailing wage determinations for physics roles in the Bay Area are among the highest in the country given regional cost of living, which employers must certify when filing H-1B Labor Condition Applications.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored physics 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.