Hospitality STEM OPT Jobs in Illinois
Hospitality F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Illinois are concentrated in Chicago, where major hotel groups like Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Hilton, and Marriott maintain global headquarters or large regional operations. Data analytics, revenue management, and hospitality technology roles at these employers are among the positions most likely to qualify under STEM OPT's degree-field requirements.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Who we are: Founded in 2001, Vivid Seats (NASDAQ: SEAT) is a leading online ticket marketplace committed to becoming the ultimate partner for connecting fans to the live events, artists, and teams they love. We believe in the power of experiences and are fiercely dedicated to building products that inspire human connections. Named as one of Built In's top places to work in 2025, we believe that our People are our greatest competitive advantage. To support our People, we have built a company culture that empowers our employees to embrace challenges, encourages unity through collaboration, and seeks to constantly evolve by leveraging data and inspiring innovation.
We believe in harnessing emerging technology to power performance and unlock creativity. As part of our culture of innovation, we actively embrace the use of AI tools to enhance decision-making, improve workflows, and produce better outcomes for our customers.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As a Software Engineer, you'll join a highly specialized internal team focused on building the systems that power how we source, process, and manage ticket supply across the live events ecosystem. This is an opportunity to help shape the internal tooling, automation frameworks, and operational systems that support high-volume workflows and data-driven decision making across the business.
How your role contributes to the success of Vivid Seats:
- Build and maintain systems that collect, normalize, and analyze inventory and pricing data from digital marketplaces and ticketing platforms.
- Design and implement scalable web scraping and browser automation solutions.
- Develop backend services and internal tools that support inventory workflows, ticket fulfillment, and operational automation.
- Create automated pipelines to ingest, validate, monitor, and store large volumes of structured and semi-structured data.
- Build workflows to parse and process ticket transfer emails, links, and related artifacts.
- Continuously iterate through prototyping, testing, and rebuilding based on real-world outcomes rather than rigid specifications.
- Partner closely with operations, data, and engineering teams to align tooling with business needs and technical standards.
- Help establish lightweight architectural patterns and scalable frameworks for internal automation systems.
- Use AI-assisted development tools, LLMs, and automation platforms to accelerate experimentation, debugging, and software delivery.
- Deliver pragmatic, maintainable solutions that prioritize business impact, speed, and adaptability.
How your role expectations will progress as a Software Engineer III in the first 30, 90, and 180 days:
30 Days In
- Complete new hire orientation, gaining the resources you need to be successful.
- Learn how ticket marketplaces operate and how your systems and automation work will support internal business operations.
- Acclimate to team and company norms, business objectives, and Vivid Seats values.
- Build a working understanding of the existing tools, workflows, tech stack, and operational processes supporting the department.
90 Days In
- Contribute to our approaches, methods, or technologies to support overall business goals and drive team efficiency.
- Maintain, harvest and aid internal and external relationships to achieve progress and advance objectives.
- Develop and deploy new automation workflows, ingestion pipelines, and internal tooling enhancements.
- Partner with operational stakeholders to identify automation opportunities and iteratively deliver impactful solutions.
- Leverage AI-assisted development workflows to improve iteration speed, debugging, and experimentation.
180 Days In
- Apply methods to execute individual tasks that positively impact the team.
- Play an active role in continued learnings to advance skill sets necessary for team goals.
- Operate with end-to-end ownership across the team’s internal applications, automation systems, and operational tooling.
- Independently design and deliver solutions for new automation and workflow challenges in a rapidly evolving environment.
- Continue advancing expertise in AI-assisted development, automation tooling, and cloud-native engineering practices.
WHAT YOU'LL BRING:
- 4+ years of professional experience building and supporting production software applications, internal platforms, or automation systems.
- Strong programming experience in Python or similar languages.
- Experience integrating LLM APIs or using AI-assisted development platforms in production workflows.
- Proven ability to design and debug web scrapers, browser automation, and data-ingestion pipelines.
- Experience with cloud services and distributed systems, preferably AWS.
- Strong SQL skills and experience working with relational databases.
- Solid understanding of HTTP, HTML/DOM structures, REST APIs, and JSON-based data exchange.
- Comfort manipulating data, reverse-engineering workflows, and adapting to frequently changing external systems.
- Familiarity with cron jobs, message queues, and event-driven architecture.
- Experience with browser automation frameworks or anti-bot mitigation strategies and automating email-based workflows is preferred.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain technical tradeoffs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- A self-directed, detail-oriented mindset and comfort operating with autonomy in fast-moving environments.
- A proactive mindset toward embracing, experimenting with, and integrating AI tools to drive efficiency, elevate engineering output, and support innovation.
COMPENSATION
- Full Salary Range: $115,000 – $150,000 USD
Vivid Seats Pay Transparency Disclaimer: Full time offers from Vivid Seats include annual bonus incentives; FLEX PTO; mental health days; medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401K matching; monthly credits and discounts for attending live events; and a variety of additional workplace perks. The typical starting salary within the full salary range for this position can range. Factors which may affect starting salary include geographic market, relevant skills/experience, education, and other qualifications.
LOCATION
Location: Chicago, IL
We believe in a hybrid working model which provides employees the flexibility to take advantage of in-person and remote collaboration. Check out our brand new HQ office, bursting with the energy of live events fandom and the vibrancy of Chicago’s rising tech scene.
LI-Hybrid
LI-MM1
Our Commitment:
We are an equal opportunity employer that values the critical importance of a diverse workforce and sense of belonging. Many of our roles have flexible requirements and we encourage you to apply regardless of whether you meet every qualification.
INTRODUCTION
Who we are: Founded in 2001, Vivid Seats (NASDAQ: SEAT) is a leading online ticket marketplace committed to becoming the ultimate partner for connecting fans to the live events, artists, and teams they love. We believe in the power of experiences and are fiercely dedicated to building products that inspire human connections. Named as one of Built In's top places to work in 2025, we believe that our People are our greatest competitive advantage. To support our People, we have built a company culture that empowers our employees to embrace challenges, encourages unity through collaboration, and seeks to constantly evolve by leveraging data and inspiring innovation.
We believe in harnessing emerging technology to power performance and unlock creativity. As part of our culture of innovation, we actively embrace the use of AI tools to enhance decision-making, improve workflows, and produce better outcomes for our customers.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As a Software Engineer, you'll join a highly specialized internal team focused on building the systems that power how we source, process, and manage ticket supply across the live events ecosystem. This is an opportunity to help shape the internal tooling, automation frameworks, and operational systems that support high-volume workflows and data-driven decision making across the business.
How your role contributes to the success of Vivid Seats:
- Build and maintain systems that collect, normalize, and analyze inventory and pricing data from digital marketplaces and ticketing platforms.
- Design and implement scalable web scraping and browser automation solutions.
- Develop backend services and internal tools that support inventory workflows, ticket fulfillment, and operational automation.
- Create automated pipelines to ingest, validate, monitor, and store large volumes of structured and semi-structured data.
- Build workflows to parse and process ticket transfer emails, links, and related artifacts.
- Continuously iterate through prototyping, testing, and rebuilding based on real-world outcomes rather than rigid specifications.
- Partner closely with operations, data, and engineering teams to align tooling with business needs and technical standards.
- Help establish lightweight architectural patterns and scalable frameworks for internal automation systems.
- Use AI-assisted development tools, LLMs, and automation platforms to accelerate experimentation, debugging, and software delivery.
- Deliver pragmatic, maintainable solutions that prioritize business impact, speed, and adaptability.
How your role expectations will progress as a Software Engineer III in the first 30, 90, and 180 days:
30 Days In
- Complete new hire orientation, gaining the resources you need to be successful.
- Learn how ticket marketplaces operate and how your systems and automation work will support internal business operations.
- Acclimate to team and company norms, business objectives, and Vivid Seats values.
- Build a working understanding of the existing tools, workflows, tech stack, and operational processes supporting the department.
90 Days In
- Contribute to our approaches, methods, or technologies to support overall business goals and drive team efficiency.
- Maintain, harvest and aid internal and external relationships to achieve progress and advance objectives.
- Develop and deploy new automation workflows, ingestion pipelines, and internal tooling enhancements.
- Partner with operational stakeholders to identify automation opportunities and iteratively deliver impactful solutions.
- Leverage AI-assisted development workflows to improve iteration speed, debugging, and experimentation.
180 Days In
- Apply methods to execute individual tasks that positively impact the team.
- Play an active role in continued learnings to advance skill sets necessary for team goals.
- Operate with end-to-end ownership across the team’s internal applications, automation systems, and operational tooling.
- Independently design and deliver solutions for new automation and workflow challenges in a rapidly evolving environment.
- Continue advancing expertise in AI-assisted development, automation tooling, and cloud-native engineering practices.
WHAT YOU'LL BRING:
- 4+ years of professional experience building and supporting production software applications, internal platforms, or automation systems.
- Strong programming experience in Python or similar languages.
- Experience integrating LLM APIs or using AI-assisted development platforms in production workflows.
- Proven ability to design and debug web scrapers, browser automation, and data-ingestion pipelines.
- Experience with cloud services and distributed systems, preferably AWS.
- Strong SQL skills and experience working with relational databases.
- Solid understanding of HTTP, HTML/DOM structures, REST APIs, and JSON-based data exchange.
- Comfort manipulating data, reverse-engineering workflows, and adapting to frequently changing external systems.
- Familiarity with cron jobs, message queues, and event-driven architecture.
- Experience with browser automation frameworks or anti-bot mitigation strategies and automating email-based workflows is preferred.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain technical tradeoffs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- A self-directed, detail-oriented mindset and comfort operating with autonomy in fast-moving environments.
- A proactive mindset toward embracing, experimenting with, and integrating AI tools to drive efficiency, elevate engineering output, and support innovation.
COMPENSATION
- Full Salary Range: $115,000 – $150,000 USD
Vivid Seats Pay Transparency Disclaimer: Full time offers from Vivid Seats include annual bonus incentives; FLEX PTO; mental health days; medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401K matching; monthly credits and discounts for attending live events; and a variety of additional workplace perks. The typical starting salary within the full salary range for this position can range. Factors which may affect starting salary include geographic market, relevant skills/experience, education, and other qualifications.
LOCATION
Location: Chicago, IL
We believe in a hybrid working model which provides employees the flexibility to take advantage of in-person and remote collaboration. Check out our brand new HQ office, bursting with the energy of live events fandom and the vibrancy of Chicago’s rising tech scene.
LI-Hybrid
LI-MM1
Our Commitment:
We are an equal opportunity employer that values the critical importance of a diverse workforce and sense of belonging. Many of our roles have flexible requirements and we encourage you to apply regardless of whether you meet every qualification.
STEM OPT Hospitality Job Roles in Illinois
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Search Hospitality Jobs in IllinoisHospitality STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which hospitality companies in Illinois sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas?
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is among the most prominent hospitality employers in Illinois with a history of sponsoring international students. Hilton and Marriott also maintain significant Illinois operations. Beyond hotel chains, hospitality technology companies and food-service management firms based in the Chicago metro area have filed Labor Condition Applications for roles in data, operations, and systems management.
Which Illinois cities have the most hospitality F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Chicago accounts for the overwhelming majority of hospitality F-1 STEM OPT opportunities in Illinois, driven by its concentration of hotel corporate offices, convention facilities like McCormick Place, and a dense restaurant and food-service sector. Suburbs including Rosemont and Schaumburg, which host large hotels near O'Hare International Airport and major convention venues, also see demand for analytically focused hospitality roles.
What types of hospitality roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship?
F-1 STEM OPT requires that your role directly relate to your STEM degree. In hospitality, positions in revenue management, data analytics, hospitality information systems, supply chain operations, and financial analysis are most likely to satisfy this requirement. Roles in front-of-house operations or general management rarely qualify unless the employer can document a direct connection to a designated STEM field on the official STEM OPT eligible programs list.
How do I find hospitality F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate filters hospitality job listings in Illinois specifically for employers with F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship history, using DOL Labor Condition Application data to surface companies that have actively sponsored international students. This is more reliable than general job boards because it reflects verified employer behavior rather than self-reported intent. Search by role type and city to target Chicago-area hospitality employers whose sponsorship records align with STEM-adjacent positions.
Are there Illinois-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in hospitality?
Illinois requires STEM OPT employers to be enrolled in E-Verify, which is a federal requirement applicable nationwide but worth confirming with any Illinois hospitality employer before accepting an offer. Chicago's large convention and trade-show economy creates seasonal demand spikes for analytically skilled hospitality professionals, which can influence hiring timelines. Illinois has no state-level visa sponsorship requirements beyond federal USCIS and DOL obligations.