Research Software Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Maryland
Research software engineer jobs in Maryland are concentrated around federal research hubs, university campuses, and biotech corridors. Employers like Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, NIH-affiliated contractors, and defense-adjacent tech firms in the Baltimore-Washington corridor regularly sponsor international candidates for this specialized role.
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INTRODUCTION
The Johns Hopkins Data Science and AI Institute (DSAI) is a pan-institutional initiative at Johns Hopkins to advance artificial intelligence and its applications, in part through investments in the software engineering, data science, and machine learning space. DSAI is focused on revolutionizing discovery by advancing artificial intelligence that evolves collaboratively with human intelligence, combining the strengths of each for the betterment of society and the world in which we live. DSAI will bring together the mathematical, computational, and ethical foundations of AI with the domains of Health & Medicine, Scientific Discovery, Engineered Systems, Security & Safety, and People, Policy & Governance.
DSAI seeks a Research Software Engineer – Image Analysis & Microscopy with strong academic and industry background focused on designing and building software for state-of-the-art AI and data science applications across diverse scientific domains. The successful candidates will work at the cutting edge of modern science in collaboration with DSAI affiliated faculty at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) on projects ranging from consulting and short-term service engagements to large, multiyear AI and data science initiatives and applications. DSAI will address the growing demand for high-quality professional software engineers within academia who can build dynamic, scalable, open software to facilitate accelerated scientific discovery across disciplines.
The DSAI engineers will be at the forefront of modern data intensive science, where professionally developed software is rapidly becoming a key ingredient for success. The DSAI initiative includes the build-out of a substantive and professional-scale software engineering capability.
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
- Work collaboratively in a team with other RSEs and scientists.
- Participates in ground-breaking research projects that need advanced software solutions requiring expertise in software engineering not commonly found in scientific collaborations.
The projects may:
- Require the creation of AI/ML solutions using the latest deep learning libraries trained on state-of-the-art hardware.
- Involve analysis of massive data sets either in the cloud or on premises.
- Require creation of novel data science techniques, software pipelines for processing of real-time high-frequency data processing workflows and may need the design of complex database models for storing and disseminating scientific data sets.
- Require deep engagement, possibly leading to co-authorship on scientific publications, while others may involve a more casual consulting engagement.
- Require software solutions developed from scratch or refactoring existing solutions to make them conform to industry standards (quality, efficiency, reusability, robustness, portability, documentation, etc.).
- It is a high-level goal of DSAI to translate the efforts for individual projects into frameworks and template patterns for sustainable scientific infrastructure benefiting future projects.
- Develop software to implement novel scientific research algorithms.
- Create and run data processing workflows utilizing on-premises or cloud-based computing infrastructure.
- Develop data models.
- Co-author scientific publications describing software and/or other contributions.
- Translate recurring themes from specific projects into frameworks and template patterns for sustainable scientific infrastructure benefiting future projects.
Lead and participate in service activities, potentially including:
- Providing guidance to faculty, staff, and students on AI, data science and software engineering.
- Developing and delivering presentations and short courses.
- Attending conferences and workshops.
- Code quality reviews.
- Hiring.
- Other activities as needed.
Special Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required
- Expert-level knowledge of Python and/or C++ and willingness to learn other languages as needed.
- Expert-level knowledge of multiple modern AI/ML, vision, NLP, bioinformatics and/or mathematical or computational libraries.
- Familiarity with software containerization technologies such as Docker and Singularity.
- Familiarity with RESTful web service principles and development.
- Familiarity with SQL and relational database principles and development.
- Fluency in the Linux operating system and related tools.
- Familiarity with modern software engineering best practices, such as Git source control, peer code review, test-driven development, build automation and continuous integration / continuous delivery.
- Familiarity with cloud development and deployment.
- Demonstrated leadership and self-direction.
- Willingness to teach others both informally and in short course format.
- Willingness to continually learn new tools and techniques as needed.
- Excellent verbal and written communication.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Masters in a Quantitative Discipline such as Computer Science, Engineering, Physics or Bioinformatics with strong scientific computing and/or mathematics background.
- Three (3) years’ experience working in software development in large projects and three (3) years’ experience in development and application of:
- AI/ML: developing, training and applying state of the art models in practical scientific applications aligned with DSAI domains, or
- Data science: modeling, transforming, applying ETL pipelines, and similar operations to complex data sets at scale.
- Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- PhD in a quantitative discipline (highly preferred).
- Five (5) years’ experience as above in either AI/ML or data science concentration.
- Experience with one or more of:
- Image analysis
- Microscopy
- Particle tracking
- Data management for high-throughput screening
- Experience developing, training, fine-tuning and applying LLMs and/or foundational models.
- Experience deploying AI models onto clinical platforms.
- Familiarity with data formats common in scientific domains such as medical imaging, genomic sequences, proteins, chemical structures, geospatial, oceanographic, and health record data.
- Experience in CUDA GPU programming.
- Experience authoring open-source Python packages in PyPI.
- Experience in open-source project governance.
- Experience in open-source community adoption initiatives.
LOCATION
Location: Hybrid/Mount Washington Campus
COMPENSATION
Starting Salary Range: Commensurate w/exp.
SCHEDULE
Schedule: M-F, 37.5 hrs wkly
EEO STATEMENT
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion.
BACKGROUND CHECKS
The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check. Johns Hopkins is committed to hiring individuals with a justice-involved background, consistent with applicable policies and current practice. A prior criminal history does not automatically preclude candidates from employment at Johns Hopkins University. In accordance with applicable law, the university will review, on an individual basis, the date of a candidate's conviction, the nature of the conviction and how the conviction relates to an essential job-related qualification or function.
VACCINE REQUIREMENTS
Johns Hopkins University requires all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Exceptions to the flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry.
Research Software Engineer Job Roles in Maryland
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Search Research Software Engineer Jobs in MarylandResearch Software Engineer Jobs in Maryland: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies in Maryland sponsor visas for research software engineers?
Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland College Park, and federally funded research contractors near Bethesda and Silver Spring are among the more active sponsors for research software engineer roles in Maryland. Biotechnology firms in the I-270 corridor and defense-adjacent technology companies in the Baltimore-Washington area also sponsor international candidates, particularly for research-intensive positions tied to grant-funded projects or government contracts.
Which visa types realistically apply to research software engineer roles in Maryland?
H-1B visa is the primary option, as research software engineering qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring a bachelor's degree in a directly related field. Canadian and Mexican nationals can pursue TN visa status under the USMCA Engineer category. E-3 visa applies to Australian citizens. H-1B1 visa covers Chilean and Singaporean nationals. F-1 students may use OPT or STEM OPT if their degree is STEM-designated. EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based green cards are also viable long-term paths.
How to find research software engineer visa sponsorship jobs in Maryland?
Migrate Mate lists Maryland employers with verified visa sponsorship history for research software engineer roles, letting you focus on companies that have already filed for this type of position. This is particularly useful in Maryland, where sponsoring employers range from university research departments in College Park to NIH-affiliated contractors in Bethesda and technology firms along the Baltimore-Washington corridor.
Which cities in Maryland have the most research software engineer sponsorship jobs?
Bethesda and Silver Spring lead due to proximity to NIH, federal health agencies, and their contractor ecosystems. College Park and Baltimore generate consistent demand through the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University respectively. Rockville, along the I-270 biotech corridor, also hosts research-focused employers that sponsor international software engineers for data-intensive and computational research roles.
Are there state-specific factors that affect visa sponsorship for research software engineers in Maryland?
Maryland's heavy concentration of federally funded research institutions and government contractors creates consistent demand for research software engineers with security clearance potential or specialized scientific computing skills. University positions often come with cap-exempt H-1B eligibility, which bypasses the annual lottery entirely. Candidates with computational biology, bioinformatics, or defense-related software backgrounds may find Maryland's employer base particularly well-matched to their profiles.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored research software engineer jobs in Maryland?
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.