Forward Deployed Engineering Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Forward Deployed Engineering roles sit at the intersection of software development and customer-facing consulting, making them a strong fit for H-1B visa and O-1 visa sponsorship. Most employers classify this as a specialty occupation requiring a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related engineering field. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Get Access To All JobsSUMMARY
This position can be based remotely anywhere in the U.S. Please note that this role would not provide relocation as a result. The expectation of working hours and travel (domestic and/or international) will be defined by the Hiring Manager.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Strategy, Platforms & Transformation team is dedicated to enabling improved decision-making at Novartis by leveraging data and advanced analytics capabilities to generate actionable insights that drive business growth. We work within the US business, bringing insights and challenging ideas to empower smarter, data-driven decision-making. This role is crucial in driving AI transformation by bringing the best in AI and tech to unlock opportunities for growth and improve patient outcomes.
The Executive Director, AI Forward Deployed Engineering Lead will lead the engineering delivery of agentic AI solutions embedded within business functions, with responsibility across solution architecture, development, implementation, operations, and continuous improvement. This role will be critical to transforming existing processes, products, and services into agentic AI products and intelligent workflows by partnering closely with business teams to design and deploy practical, scalable solutions that address high value use cases. The ideal candidate will bring strong engineering leadership, solution orientation, and cross functional execution skills to guide the development of fit for purpose AI applications, oversee deployment into real world operating environments, and ensure solutions are reliable, maintainable, and aligned with enterprise standards. Working closely with product leaders, platform teams, data partners, business stakeholders, and transformation leaders, this role will help accelerate AI adoption, drive measurable business impact, and ensure solutions continuously evolve based on operational feedback and emerging needs.
MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Define and lead the engineering strategy, delivery model, and execution approach for forward deployed agentic AI solutions across business functions.
- Oversee the design, development, implementation, and ongoing support of AI solutions that transform business processes and products into agentic workflows.
- Partner directly with business stakeholders, product teams, and domain experts to identify requirements, shape technical solutions, and ensure adoption in operational environments.
- Lead engineering teams in building, deploying, and maintaining scalable, reliable, and user centered AI applications aligned with enterprise architecture and standards.
- Drive integration of AI solutions with existing systems, data sources, workflows, and operational processes to enable effective end to end execution.
- Establish engineering practices, support models, and feedback loops that promote quality, reliability, operational performance, and continuous improvement.
- Coordinate closely with platform, data, security, and infrastructure teams to ensure solutions leverage shared capabilities and comply with enterprise requirements.
- Communicate engineering priorities, solution progress, business impact, risks, and resource needs to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor degree required and advanced degree preferred, ideally in business, engineering, computer science, data science, or a related field.
- 15 plus years of progressive product management experience, including significant leadership over senior product leaders, with a strong track record of defining and scaling enterprise level product strategy and execution.
- Deep expertise in AI driven product management, including experience bringing innovative data, machine learning, and generative AI products from concept to commercialization in complex enterprise environments.
- Proven people leadership and organizational development capability, with experience leading directors and senior product teams, building high performing organizations, and establishing effective product operating models and governance.
- Strong cross functional and executive influence skills, with demonstrated success partnering across Engineering, Innovation, Commercial, Data Science, and business leadership to align strategy, prioritize investments, and drive outcomes.
The salary for this position is expected to range between $225,400.00 and $418,600.00 annual per year. The final salary offered is determined based on factors like, but not limited to, relevant skills and experience, and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change the published salary range based on company and market factors. Your compensation will include a performance-based cash incentive and, depending on the level of the role, eligibility to be considered for annual equity awards. US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits. In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves.
WHY NOVARTIS: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together?
BENEFITS AND REWARDS: Learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally.
EEO STATEMENT:
The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.
ACCESSIBILITY & REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call +1(877)395-2339 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.
LOCATION
Location: USA
JOB TYPE
Job Type: Full time
EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Employment Type: Regular
SHIFT WORK
Shift Work: No
SUMMARY
This position can be based remotely anywhere in the U.S. Please note that this role would not provide relocation as a result. The expectation of working hours and travel (domestic and/or international) will be defined by the Hiring Manager.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Strategy, Platforms & Transformation team is dedicated to enabling improved decision-making at Novartis by leveraging data and advanced analytics capabilities to generate actionable insights that drive business growth. We work within the US business, bringing insights and challenging ideas to empower smarter, data-driven decision-making. This role is crucial in driving AI transformation by bringing the best in AI and tech to unlock opportunities for growth and improve patient outcomes.
The Executive Director, AI Forward Deployed Engineering Lead will lead the engineering delivery of agentic AI solutions embedded within business functions, with responsibility across solution architecture, development, implementation, operations, and continuous improvement. This role will be critical to transforming existing processes, products, and services into agentic AI products and intelligent workflows by partnering closely with business teams to design and deploy practical, scalable solutions that address high value use cases. The ideal candidate will bring strong engineering leadership, solution orientation, and cross functional execution skills to guide the development of fit for purpose AI applications, oversee deployment into real world operating environments, and ensure solutions are reliable, maintainable, and aligned with enterprise standards. Working closely with product leaders, platform teams, data partners, business stakeholders, and transformation leaders, this role will help accelerate AI adoption, drive measurable business impact, and ensure solutions continuously evolve based on operational feedback and emerging needs.
MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Define and lead the engineering strategy, delivery model, and execution approach for forward deployed agentic AI solutions across business functions.
- Oversee the design, development, implementation, and ongoing support of AI solutions that transform business processes and products into agentic workflows.
- Partner directly with business stakeholders, product teams, and domain experts to identify requirements, shape technical solutions, and ensure adoption in operational environments.
- Lead engineering teams in building, deploying, and maintaining scalable, reliable, and user centered AI applications aligned with enterprise architecture and standards.
- Drive integration of AI solutions with existing systems, data sources, workflows, and operational processes to enable effective end to end execution.
- Establish engineering practices, support models, and feedback loops that promote quality, reliability, operational performance, and continuous improvement.
- Coordinate closely with platform, data, security, and infrastructure teams to ensure solutions leverage shared capabilities and comply with enterprise requirements.
- Communicate engineering priorities, solution progress, business impact, risks, and resource needs to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor degree required and advanced degree preferred, ideally in business, engineering, computer science, data science, or a related field.
- 15 plus years of progressive product management experience, including significant leadership over senior product leaders, with a strong track record of defining and scaling enterprise level product strategy and execution.
- Deep expertise in AI driven product management, including experience bringing innovative data, machine learning, and generative AI products from concept to commercialization in complex enterprise environments.
- Proven people leadership and organizational development capability, with experience leading directors and senior product teams, building high performing organizations, and establishing effective product operating models and governance.
- Strong cross functional and executive influence skills, with demonstrated success partnering across Engineering, Innovation, Commercial, Data Science, and business leadership to align strategy, prioritize investments, and drive outcomes.
The salary for this position is expected to range between $225,400.00 and $418,600.00 annual per year. The final salary offered is determined based on factors like, but not limited to, relevant skills and experience, and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change the published salary range based on company and market factors. Your compensation will include a performance-based cash incentive and, depending on the level of the role, eligibility to be considered for annual equity awards. US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits. In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves.
WHY NOVARTIS: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together?
BENEFITS AND REWARDS: Learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally.
EEO STATEMENT:
The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.
ACCESSIBILITY & REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call +1(877)395-2339 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.
LOCATION
Location: USA
JOB TYPE
Job Type: Full time
EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Employment Type: Regular
SHIFT WORK
Shift Work: No
See all 352+ Forward Deployed Engineering Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Forward Deployed Engineering roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Forward Deployed Engineering Jobs
Confirm the specialty occupation classification upfront
Forward Deployed Engineer roles must qualify as specialty occupations for H-1B sponsorship. Ask recruiters whether the position requires a specific technical degree, not just any bachelor's, before investing time in the interview process.
Target companies with established visa programs
Larger enterprise software companies and defense contractors are far more likely to have in-house immigration counsel and a repeatable H-1B process. Startups may be willing but lack the infrastructure, which slows sponsorship significantly.
Prepare to demonstrate both technical and client-facing credentials
USCIS scrutinizes hybrid roles more closely. Build a portfolio that clearly shows engineering output, not just project management or consulting work, to strengthen your specialty occupation case during the petition review.
Time your job search around the H-1B cap registration window
Cap-subject H-1B registrations open in March for an October 1 start date. Securing an offer by February gives your employer time to prepare and register before the window closes, avoiding a full year's delay.
Explore cap-exempt employers in defense and government contracting
Forward Deployed Engineers at companies primarily contracting with federal agencies may qualify for cap-exempt H-1B petitions, allowing year-round filing without lottery risk. Ask recruiters explicitly about the employer's cap-exempt status.
Australian citizens should specifically pursue the E-3 visa
The E-3 visa has no lottery, no annual cap pressure, and processes in weeks rather than months. Forward Deployed Engineering easily meets the specialty occupation standard, making E-3 one of the most efficient paths for Australian applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Forward Deployed Engineering qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, in most cases. USCIS evaluates whether the role normally requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific technical field. Forward Deployed Engineering roles at enterprise software companies typically require a degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related discipline, which satisfies the specialty occupation standard. Roles where any degree field is acceptable are harder to sponsor.
Which visa types do employers typically use to sponsor Forward Deployed Engineers?
H-1B visa is the most common path for cap-subject employers. Australian citizens can pursue the E-3 visa, which bypasses the lottery entirely. Candidates with an established internal transfer track may qualify for the L-1B if moving from an overseas office. O-1A is an option for engineers with demonstrated recognition, such as patents, published research, or significant industry awards. Browse current openings on Migrate Mate to see which employers are actively sponsoring.
Is a computer science degree required, or do other degrees qualify?
A computer science or software engineering degree is the clearest path to approval, but related fields like electrical engineering, mathematics, or information systems can qualify if the degree is directly applicable to the technical work. Some employers also accept three years of relevant work experience per year of missing education. USCIS focuses on whether the degree field logically connects to the specific role duties, not just the title.
Do Forward Deployed Engineering roles at defense contractors offer any H-1B advantages?
Yes. Companies that primarily perform work under federal grants or contracts with a government research or education mission may qualify as cap-exempt H-1B employers, allowing petitions to be filed year-round without lottery exposure. This is particularly common at defense contractors and federally funded research centers. Confirm the employer's cap-exempt status directly with their immigration team before assuming this benefit applies.
How does the hybrid consulting-and-engineering nature of this role affect sponsorship approval?
USCIS pays closer attention to roles that blend technical and client-facing responsibilities, particularly if the job description emphasizes communication or project management over engineering output. Employers and immigration attorneys typically address this by documenting that the core duties require theoretical and practical application of computer science knowledge. Strong degree alignment and detailed offer letters describing technical deliverables significantly reduce the risk of a Request for Evidence.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Forward Deployed Engineering jobs?
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.