Lead Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois
Lead engineer roles in Illinois draw significant visa sponsorship activity from technology firms in Chicago's West Loop and Fulton Market districts, alongside major employers like Motorola Solutions, Zebra Technologies, and United Airlines. The state's dense engineering ecosystem, anchored by Northwestern University and the University of Illinois pipeline, supports consistent H-1B visa and green card filings for senior engineering talent.
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$119,030.52 - $165,000.00
This position is bonus and/or commission eligible.
CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. (CCC) is a leading cloud platform for the multi-trillion-dollar insurance economy, creating intelligent experiences for insurers, repairers, automakers, part suppliers, and more. At CCC, we’re making life just work by empowering more than 35,000 businesses with industry-leading technology to get drivers back on the road and to health quickly and seamlessly. We’re pushing boundaries with innovative AI solutions that simplify and enhance the claims and repair journey. Through purposeful innovation and the strength of its connections, CCC technologies empower the people and industry relied upon to keep lives moving forward when it matters most.
The Role
We are seeking a Lead Backend Engineer who is passionate about database modernization, performance optimization, and strategic refactoring of mission-critical systems. You will be a key member of the DPS Core & Data Engine Squad, working on the system-of-record platform that powers both internal (DPS) and external (IES) claims management experiences supporting millions of transactions and billions of dollars in claims.
This is a modernization engineering role for someone who gets excited about:
- Refactoring complex stored procedures and carving out domain logic into maintainable services
- Optimizing SQL performance and improving system efficiency
- Creating safe migration patterns that enable continuous modernization while maintaining business continuity
- Working in .NET codebases and evolving them into clean, testable, domain-aligned modules
If you love the challenge of strategic system evolution and want to participate in evolving the technical architecture of a multi-year transformation from monolithic database logic to service-oriented architecture—this role is for you.
Key Responsibilities
Database Engineering & Modernization (60%)
- Stored procedure refactoring: Analyze, optimize, and decompose complex stored procedures into smaller, testable, well-documented units
- Performance engineering: Query tuning, indexing strategy, execution plan analysis, optimizing data access patterns
- Schema evolution: Design backward-compatible schema changes with safe rollout/rollback patterns
- Migration seams: Create facades, wrappers, and anti-corruption layers around stored procedures to enable gradual extraction of business logic into services
Legacy .NET Modernization (30%)
- Refactor .NET Framework code supporting DPS workflows into maintainable, testable modules
- Implement strangler fig patterns to incrementally move logic from database service layer while maintaining production stability
- Build domain-aligned modules/services with clear contracts that enable the Domain & Services Squad to extract capabilities
- Establish patterns for dependency injection, observability, and error handling in established .NET codebases
Operational Excellence (10%)
- Implement performance baselines, regression detection, and alerting for data-intensive workflows
- Participate in incident response for data/performance-related production issues
- Create diagnostic tooling and runbooks to reduce time-to-resolution
- Collaborate with SRE/DevOps on deployment safety (blue/green, feature flags, canary releases for schema changes)
Requirements
Technical Skills
- 8+ years of professional software development experience in object-oriented languages (C#/.NET required)
- Expert-level SQL Server knowledge (SQL Server 2019):
- Advanced query optimization (execution plans, index tuning, query hints)
- Stored procedure, function, and trigger development/refactoring
- Database design and normalization
- Performance tuning at scale (multi-million row tables, complex joins, aggregations)
- Understanding of indexing strategies (clustered, non-clustered, filtered, columnstore)
- SQL Agent jobs and automated workflow patterns
- Transaction isolation levels, locking, and concurrency management
- C# and .NET Framework/.NET Core (legacy and modern)
- Experience refactoring established systems while maintaining production stability
- SQL source control (migrations, version control for schema/stored procedures)
Highly Desired
- Experience with strangler fig, anti-corruption layer, and facade patterns in practice
- Hands-on experience migrating logic from stored procedures service layer in production systems
- Familiarity with domain-driven design (DDD) concepts (bounded contexts, aggregates, repositories)
- Azure SQL Database, Azure DevOps experience
- Observability tools (Application Insights, SQL Profiler)
- API design and versioning (REST, OpenAPI/Swagger)
- Unit testing frameworks (xUnit, NUnit) and test data builder patterns
- PowerShell for database scripting/automation
- Experience with microservices architecture and event-driven patterns
- Familiarity with Entity Framework Core, Dapper, or other ORMs (and knowing when to use native SQL)
Interview Policy & Privacy Notice
A video interview is required for this position. Video interviews are transcribed. Transcriptions are retained and may be reviewed by CCC and our recruiters. Candidates are not permitted to use generative AI or automated assistance during the interviews unless explicitly allowed by the interview team for a specific exercise. Our Job Applicant Privacy Notice is available HERE.
About CCC's Commitment to Employees
CCC Intelligent Solutions understands that our employees play an integral role in our vision to shape a world where life just works. Our team is defined by our values of Integrity, Customer-Focus, Innovation, Inclusion & Diversity, Tenacity, and Connection. Through diverse perspectives, purposeful innovation, and the strength of connections, our technologies empower the people and industry relied upon to keep lives moving forward when it matters most.
At CCC, together everyone can thrive as we innovate and collaborate, creating employee experiences that just work. We are committed to providing opportunities for our people to make real-life impacts, advance in their careers, and contribute to CCC’s success.
CCC offers competitive compensation and benefits to support you and your families, including:
- 401K Match
- Paid time off
- Annual Incentive Plan Performance Bonus
- Comprehensive health insurance
- Adoption Assistance
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Wellness Programs
- Stock Purchase Plan options
- Employee Resource Groups
For more information about our benefits, please check out our careers site.
Here, you belong. You are seen, valued, and respected. We celebrate you for who you are and all you bring. Every voice is heard and is important to our success. You can hear what employees have to say about our culture here.
If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, please contact (800) 621-8070.
Salary Range
$119,030.52 - $165,000.00
This position is bonus and/or commission eligible.
CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. (CCC) is a leading cloud platform for the multi-trillion-dollar insurance economy, creating intelligent experiences for insurers, repairers, automakers, part suppliers, and more. At CCC, we’re making life just work by empowering more than 35,000 businesses with industry-leading technology to get drivers back on the road and to health quickly and seamlessly. We’re pushing boundaries with innovative AI solutions that simplify and enhance the claims and repair journey. Through purposeful innovation and the strength of its connections, CCC technologies empower the people and industry relied upon to keep lives moving forward when it matters most.
The Role
We are seeking a Lead Backend Engineer who is passionate about database modernization, performance optimization, and strategic refactoring of mission-critical systems. You will be a key member of the DPS Core & Data Engine Squad, working on the system-of-record platform that powers both internal (DPS) and external (IES) claims management experiences supporting millions of transactions and billions of dollars in claims.
This is a modernization engineering role for someone who gets excited about:
- Refactoring complex stored procedures and carving out domain logic into maintainable services
- Optimizing SQL performance and improving system efficiency
- Creating safe migration patterns that enable continuous modernization while maintaining business continuity
- Working in .NET codebases and evolving them into clean, testable, domain-aligned modules
If you love the challenge of strategic system evolution and want to participate in evolving the technical architecture of a multi-year transformation from monolithic database logic to service-oriented architecture—this role is for you.
Key Responsibilities
Database Engineering & Modernization (60%)
- Stored procedure refactoring: Analyze, optimize, and decompose complex stored procedures into smaller, testable, well-documented units
- Performance engineering: Query tuning, indexing strategy, execution plan analysis, optimizing data access patterns
- Schema evolution: Design backward-compatible schema changes with safe rollout/rollback patterns
- Migration seams: Create facades, wrappers, and anti-corruption layers around stored procedures to enable gradual extraction of business logic into services
Legacy .NET Modernization (30%)
- Refactor .NET Framework code supporting DPS workflows into maintainable, testable modules
- Implement strangler fig patterns to incrementally move logic from database service layer while maintaining production stability
- Build domain-aligned modules/services with clear contracts that enable the Domain & Services Squad to extract capabilities
- Establish patterns for dependency injection, observability, and error handling in established .NET codebases
Operational Excellence (10%)
- Implement performance baselines, regression detection, and alerting for data-intensive workflows
- Participate in incident response for data/performance-related production issues
- Create diagnostic tooling and runbooks to reduce time-to-resolution
- Collaborate with SRE/DevOps on deployment safety (blue/green, feature flags, canary releases for schema changes)
Requirements
Technical Skills
- 8+ years of professional software development experience in object-oriented languages (C#/.NET required)
- Expert-level SQL Server knowledge (SQL Server 2019):
- Advanced query optimization (execution plans, index tuning, query hints)
- Stored procedure, function, and trigger development/refactoring
- Database design and normalization
- Performance tuning at scale (multi-million row tables, complex joins, aggregations)
- Understanding of indexing strategies (clustered, non-clustered, filtered, columnstore)
- SQL Agent jobs and automated workflow patterns
- Transaction isolation levels, locking, and concurrency management
- C# and .NET Framework/.NET Core (legacy and modern)
- Experience refactoring established systems while maintaining production stability
- SQL source control (migrations, version control for schema/stored procedures)
Highly Desired
- Experience with strangler fig, anti-corruption layer, and facade patterns in practice
- Hands-on experience migrating logic from stored procedures service layer in production systems
- Familiarity with domain-driven design (DDD) concepts (bounded contexts, aggregates, repositories)
- Azure SQL Database, Azure DevOps experience
- Observability tools (Application Insights, SQL Profiler)
- API design and versioning (REST, OpenAPI/Swagger)
- Unit testing frameworks (xUnit, NUnit) and test data builder patterns
- PowerShell for database scripting/automation
- Experience with microservices architecture and event-driven patterns
- Familiarity with Entity Framework Core, Dapper, or other ORMs (and knowing when to use native SQL)
Interview Policy & Privacy Notice
A video interview is required for this position. Video interviews are transcribed. Transcriptions are retained and may be reviewed by CCC and our recruiters. Candidates are not permitted to use generative AI or automated assistance during the interviews unless explicitly allowed by the interview team for a specific exercise. Our Job Applicant Privacy Notice is available HERE.
About CCC's Commitment to Employees
CCC Intelligent Solutions understands that our employees play an integral role in our vision to shape a world where life just works. Our team is defined by our values of Integrity, Customer-Focus, Innovation, Inclusion & Diversity, Tenacity, and Connection. Through diverse perspectives, purposeful innovation, and the strength of connections, our technologies empower the people and industry relied upon to keep lives moving forward when it matters most.
At CCC, together everyone can thrive as we innovate and collaborate, creating employee experiences that just work. We are committed to providing opportunities for our people to make real-life impacts, advance in their careers, and contribute to CCC’s success.
CCC offers competitive compensation and benefits to support you and your families, including:
- 401K Match
- Paid time off
- Annual Incentive Plan Performance Bonus
- Comprehensive health insurance
- Adoption Assistance
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Wellness Programs
- Stock Purchase Plan options
- Employee Resource Groups
For more information about our benefits, please check out our careers site.
Here, you belong. You are seen, valued, and respected. We celebrate you for who you are and all you bring. Every voice is heard and is important to our success. You can hear what employees have to say about our culture here.
If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, please contact (800) 621-8070.
Lead Engineer Job Roles in Illinois
See all 361+ Lead Engineer Jobs in Illinois
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Search Lead Engineer Jobs in IllinoisLead Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for lead engineers in Illinois?
Illinois employers with consistent lead engineer sponsorship activity include Motorola Solutions, Zebra Technologies, Allstate, United Airlines, and a range of Chicago-based technology firms such as Relativity and Paylocity. Large financial institutions headquartered in Chicago, including Northern Trust and CME Group, also file for lead engineering roles, particularly in software infrastructure and systems architecture.
Which visa types realistically fit lead engineer roles in Illinois?
The H-1B is the primary visa for lead engineers, as the role qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring a bachelor's degree in engineering or a closely related field. The employer files an LCA with DOL before submitting the H-1B petition to USCIS. Canadian and Mexican nationals may qualify for TN visa status under the USMCA Engineer category. EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based green cards are also common pathways for experienced lead engineers sponsored by Illinois employers.
How to find lead engineer visa sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate lists Illinois employers with verified visa sponsorship history for lead engineer roles, searchable by city and specialty. Because lead engineer positions often require demonstrated LCA filing activity before USCIS will approve an H-1B, targeting companies with an established Illinois sponsorship track record is a practical starting point. Migrate Mate surfaces that filing history, so you can focus applications on employers already familiar with the sponsorship process for engineering roles.
Which cities in Illinois have the most lead engineer sponsorship jobs?
Chicago accounts for the large majority of lead engineer sponsorship activity in Illinois, particularly in the West Loop, Fulton Market, and River North neighborhoods where technology companies and financial firms are concentrated. Naperville and Schaumburg, located along the Interstate 88 technology corridor, host engineering centers for companies including Motorola Solutions and Zurich North America. Peoria has a smaller but active presence driven by Caterpillar's engineering operations.
Are there state-specific factors that affect lead engineer sponsorship in Illinois?
Illinois benefits from a strong university pipeline through the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University, which means many Illinois employers already have established processes for sponsoring engineers transitioning from OPT or STEM OPT. Chicago's status as a major financial technology hub creates consistent demand for lead engineers with infrastructure and backend systems experience, roles that map clearly to H-1B specialty occupation requirements and EB-3 skilled worker green card filings.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored lead engineer jobs in Illinois?
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.