Geneticist Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Geneticist roles at U.S. research institutions, biotech firms, and clinical labs regularly sponsor H-1B visas because the specialty occupation requirement is straightforward to meet with a genetics degree. Most positions qualify for cap-exempt filing through university-affiliated employers. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.
Function: Immunology Informatics / Human Genetics
Level: R5-R6
Location: Indy or Boston
About the Role
The Immunology Informatics team integrates human genetics into drug discovery and development across the autoimmune disease spectrum (rheumatology, gastroenterology, and dermatology). We are seeking a statistical or population geneticist to strengthen our target identification and validation efforts by applying rigorous quantitative genetics methods — including Mendelian randomization, GWAS interpretation, fine mapping co-localization, and multi-omic integration — to identify, prioritize and de-risk therapeutic targets across the immunology pipeline.
This role sits at the interface of human genetics, translational biology, and drug development strategy, working closely with target discovery, translational medicine, statistical, and bioinformatics colleagues, as well as external partners.
Target Evaluation & Genetic Evidence Assessment:
- Lead systematic genetic evidence reviews for existing and emerging immunology drug targets, synthesizing GWAS, exome/whole-genome sequencing, and rare-variant data to assess causal support and directionality (loss-of-function vs. gain-of-function phenotype concordance with therapeutic hypothesis).
- Build and maintain target evaluation frameworks that score genetic evidence quality, effect direction, and development-stage relevance across a target portfolio.
- Interrogate and interpret summary and individual levels data from public and licensed genetic resources (e.g., Open Targets, GWAS Catalog, UK Biobank, AllofUs, FinnGen) to support go/no-go and prioritization decisions for drug targets.
- Propose novel drug targets with strong human causal evidence for autoimmune diseases.
- Make decision enabling judgements on drug target quality strong scientific rationale.
Population Genetics, Mendelian Randomization, Causal Inference:
- Design, execute, and critically evaluate evidence from large population-scale datasets using Mendelian Randomization and other methods to test causal relationships between genetic variants, biomarkers/proteins and immune-mediated disease outcomes.
- Assess genetic instrument validity for Mendelian Randomization, pleiotropy, and sensitivity of MR findings (e.g., MR-Egger, weighted median, colocalization) and communicate limitations clearly to immunologists.
- Collaborate with external genetics partners and academic collaborators on specific genetics programs.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication:
- Translate complex genetic and statistical findings into clear, decision-relevant summaries for target discovery teams, translational scientists, and portfolio governance.
- Contribute genetics-informed input to target nomination packages, competitive intelligence, and program strategy documents.
- Represent statistical genetics perspective in cross-functional target review forums.
Required Qualifications
- Ph.D. in statistical genetics, population genetics, genetic epidemiology, biostatistics, computational biology, or a related quantitative field (or M.D, M.S. with equivalent industry experience).
- Demonstrated experience working on large-scale population datasets, Mendelian randomization (MR) methodology and causal inference from human genetic datasets.
- Strong proficiency in R, ideally within a tidyverse-based workflow; comfort with reproducible, version-controlled analysis (Git); basic knowledge of PLINK or other tools to manipulate large genotype datasets.
Preferred Qualifications
- Practical experience interrogating large-scale genetics/genomics databases (e.g. UK Biobank, AllofUS, Open Targets,) and their APIs.
- Demonstrated proficiency using fine-mapping, and colocalization approaches for GWAS summary statistics to refine association signals and identify causal genetic variants.
- Ability to critically evaluate statistical/analytical pipelines for genetic analysis and communicate methodological trade-offs to interdisciplinary teams.
- Experience in immunology/immune-mediated population genetics.
- Experience integrating multi-omics with genetics data, including pQTL or eqTL analysis.
- Familiarity with drug target identification/validation criteria and workflows in a pharmaceutical or biotech R&D setting.
- Experience collaborating with external genetics/data partners or academic consortia.
What Success Looks Like in This Role
- Providing a defensible, well-documented genetic evidence assessment that underpins target prioritization decisions across the immunology portfolio.
- Proposing novel targets within the immunology space.
- Ensuring that MR and other causal-inference methods are sound, appropriately caveated, and actionable for non-specialist stakeholders.
- Establishing strong working relationships with target discovery, translational medicine, and external genetics collaborators.
Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.
Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.
Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).
Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is
$153,000 - $246,400
Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities). Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Geneticist Jobs
Verify your SOC code before applying
Geneticist roles map to SOC 19-1029 in the DOL classification system. Confirm the employer's LCA uses the correct code, since miscoded applications can trigger prevailing wage disputes and delay your H-1B filing.
Target cap-exempt employers strategically
Universities, nonprofit research institutes, and government labs can file your H-1B any time of year, bypassing the annual lottery entirely. Many genetics positions at academic medical centers qualify, so prioritize these over commercial biotech if lottery timing is a constraint.
Document your degree equivalency early
If your genetics degree is from outside the U.S., get a credential evaluation from a NACES-approved evaluator before job searching. Employers filing your LCA need to confirm the degree meets specialty occupation standards, and delays here stall the whole process.
Use OFLC Wage Search to benchmark your offer
Look up the prevailing wage for your specific work location and SOC code before accepting an offer. Your employer's LCA must certify wages at or above the DOL prevailing wage level, and underpaid offers can fail certification or expose the employer to back-pay liability.
File your H-1B petition through Migrate Mate
Once you have a signed offer, Migrate Mate handles the LCA filing with DOL and the I-129 petition with USCIS, flagging any specialty occupation documentation gaps specific to genetics roles before submission.
Prepare a specialty occupation support letter
USCIS scrutinizes genetics roles where job duties overlap with general biology positions. Ask your employer to draft a detailed support letter linking your specific duties, like variant interpretation or CRISPR protocol design, directly to your degree field to preempt a Request for Evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Geneticist role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes. USCIS treats geneticist positions as specialty occupations because the role normally requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in genetics, molecular biology, or a closely related field. The stronger your job description ties specific duties, such as genomic sequencing analysis or genetic counseling protocol development, to that degree requirement, the cleaner the specialty occupation determination will be.
Can a Geneticist avoid the H-1B lottery?
If your employer is a university, university-affiliated research center, or qualifying nonprofit research organization, yes. These entities are cap-exempt, meaning USCIS accepts petitions year-round with no lottery involvement. Many genetics roles in academic medicine and government-funded labs fall into this category, making them especially attractive for candidates who can't afford to wait on lottery selection.
What degree does an employer need to sponsor a Geneticist?
Most H-1B sponsoring employers require a master's or doctorate in genetics, genomics, molecular biology, or biochemistry for research-track positions. Clinical genetics roles tied to diagnostic labs sometimes accept a bachelor's degree plus relevant certifications, but the LCA must demonstrate the minimum degree requirement is genuinely tied to the role's duties, not just listed as preferred.
How long does H-1B sponsorship take for a Geneticist role?
Standard processing runs several months from LCA certification through USCIS adjudication. Premium processing, available for an additional USCIS fee, reduces the USCIS decision window to 15 business days and is common in genetics hiring where start dates are tied to grant cycles or lab opening schedules. Cap-exempt employers can file any time, removing the April 1 registration dependency.
Where can I find Geneticist jobs with visa sponsorship?
Migrate Mate lists geneticist roles where employers have active H-1B filing history, so you can filter specifically for positions at cap-exempt research institutions or biotech firms with documented sponsorship records. Searching by sponsorship history rather than employer self-reporting gives you a more reliable signal about which employers will actually move forward with your petition.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Geneticist 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.