Head Of Design Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Head of Design roles in the U.S. qualify for H-1B and O-1A visa sponsorship, with design leadership consistently recognized as a specialty occupation. Employers filing LCAs for these positions are common in tech, media, and consumer products. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Get Access To All JobsAbout Etched
Etched is building the world’s first AI inference system purpose-built for transformers - delivering over 10x higher performance and dramatically lower cost and latency than a B200. With Etched ASICs, you can build products that would be impossible with GPUs, like real-time video generation models and extremely deep & parallel chain-of-thought reasoning agents. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.
Job Summary
We are hiring a Head of Design Verification – Interface IP to own and scale verification for all major interface IP subsystems across Etched silicon. This is a hands-on technical leadership role: you will manage a small team while personally owning DV strategy, execution, and tape-out sign-off for critical subsystems including CPU subsystems, HBM memory controllers, PCIe, Ethernet, and system peripherals. You will lead Interface IP DV from architecture definition through tape-out, working closely with RTL designers, IP vendors, SoC and performance DV, software, and architecture teams. You will set standards, define best practices, and ensure verification quality scales with increasingly ambitious chips.
Key Responsibilities
- Own end-to-end DV strategy and sign-off for Interface IP across Etched SoCs
- Act as the technical authority on correctness, protocol compliance, performance, and robustness
- Lead DV for CPU subsystems (boot, interrupts, coherency, system control)
- Lead DV for high-speed interfaces, including throughput and latency verification
- Architect and evolve SystemVerilog/UVM verification environments
- Drive vendor IP integration, configuration reviews, and verification gap closure
- Partner closely with architecture, RTL, SoC DV, and software teams
- Hire, mentor, and lead a small, high-impact Interface IP DV team
- Advise the strategy and execution of emulation testing for pre-silicon validation
You may be a good fit if you have
- 10+ years of design verification experience with ownership of complex IP or SoC subsystems
- Deep hands-on expertise in SystemVerilog and UVM
- Strong understanding of SoC mCPU design and high-speed interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, AXI/AMBA)
- Tape-out experience with final DV sign-off responsibility
- Systems-level DV mindset
- Comfortable being hands-on in a fast-moving startup environment
Strong Candidates May Also Have Experience With
- Experience leading DV teams at Apple, NVIDIA, Broadcom, AMD, or similar
- Vendor IP evaluation and integration experience
- Exposure to formal verification, emulation, or silicon bring-up
- Power-aware or low-power interface verification
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage + $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
- Housing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the office
- Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
- Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
- Daily lunch + dinner in our office
How We’re Different
Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We think most of the progress in the AI field has come from using more FLOPs to train and run models, and the best way to get more FLOPs is to build model-specific hardware. Larger and larger training runs encourage companies to consolidate around fewer model architectures, which creates a market for single-model ASICs. We are a fully in-person team in San Jose (Santana Row), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both as needed.
Compensation Range: $200K - $300K
About Etched
Etched is building the world’s first AI inference system purpose-built for transformers - delivering over 10x higher performance and dramatically lower cost and latency than a B200. With Etched ASICs, you can build products that would be impossible with GPUs, like real-time video generation models and extremely deep & parallel chain-of-thought reasoning agents. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.
Job Summary
We are hiring a Head of Design Verification – Interface IP to own and scale verification for all major interface IP subsystems across Etched silicon. This is a hands-on technical leadership role: you will manage a small team while personally owning DV strategy, execution, and tape-out sign-off for critical subsystems including CPU subsystems, HBM memory controllers, PCIe, Ethernet, and system peripherals. You will lead Interface IP DV from architecture definition through tape-out, working closely with RTL designers, IP vendors, SoC and performance DV, software, and architecture teams. You will set standards, define best practices, and ensure verification quality scales with increasingly ambitious chips.
Key Responsibilities
- Own end-to-end DV strategy and sign-off for Interface IP across Etched SoCs
- Act as the technical authority on correctness, protocol compliance, performance, and robustness
- Lead DV for CPU subsystems (boot, interrupts, coherency, system control)
- Lead DV for high-speed interfaces, including throughput and latency verification
- Architect and evolve SystemVerilog/UVM verification environments
- Drive vendor IP integration, configuration reviews, and verification gap closure
- Partner closely with architecture, RTL, SoC DV, and software teams
- Hire, mentor, and lead a small, high-impact Interface IP DV team
- Advise the strategy and execution of emulation testing for pre-silicon validation
You may be a good fit if you have
- 10+ years of design verification experience with ownership of complex IP or SoC subsystems
- Deep hands-on expertise in SystemVerilog and UVM
- Strong understanding of SoC mCPU design and high-speed interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, AXI/AMBA)
- Tape-out experience with final DV sign-off responsibility
- Systems-level DV mindset
- Comfortable being hands-on in a fast-moving startup environment
Strong Candidates May Also Have Experience With
- Experience leading DV teams at Apple, NVIDIA, Broadcom, AMD, or similar
- Vendor IP evaluation and integration experience
- Exposure to formal verification, emulation, or silicon bring-up
- Power-aware or low-power interface verification
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage + $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
- Housing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the office
- Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
- Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
- Daily lunch + dinner in our office
How We’re Different
Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We think most of the progress in the AI field has come from using more FLOPs to train and run models, and the best way to get more FLOPs is to build model-specific hardware. Larger and larger training runs encourage companies to consolidate around fewer model architectures, which creates a market for single-model ASICs. We are a fully in-person team in San Jose (Santana Row), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both as needed.
Compensation Range: $200K - $300K
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Head Of Design
Frame your portfolio as business evidence
Consular officers and USCIS adjudicators assess specialty occupation claims through documentation. A portfolio that ties design decisions to measurable business outcomes strengthens your petition beyond a standard creative reel.
Target employers with active LCA histories
Companies that have previously filed Labor Condition Applications for design leadership roles are far more likely to sponsor again. Their legal and HR infrastructure is already built for it, which speeds up the process.
Clarify your degree field early in applications
H-1B eligibility requires a bachelor's degree in a field directly related to the role. Graphic design, interaction design, industrial design, and human-computer interaction all qualify. A general arts degree may require supporting documentation.
Understand the O-1A as a parallel path
Design leaders with industry awards, published work, high compensation history, or judging credits may qualify for O-1A status, which has no lottery and no annual cap, making it a strong alternative to H-1B.
Negotiate sponsorship before accepting an offer
Sponsorship conversations are easier before you sign. Once an offer is extended, most employers are motivated to close. Raising visa support during negotiation, not after, avoids ambiguity about who covers legal and filing costs.
Document leadership scope, not just creative output
USCIS specialty occupation determinations favor roles requiring theoretical and practical application of specialized knowledge. Emphasizing team leadership, design systems ownership, and cross-functional accountability strengthens the case over portfolio work alone.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does a Head of Design role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, in most cases. USCIS evaluates specialty occupation status based on whether the role normally requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field. Head of Design positions at technology companies, agencies, and consumer brands consistently meet this standard, particularly when the role involves design systems, research methodology, or product strategy rather than purely executional work.
What degree do I need to qualify for H-1B sponsorship as a Head of Design?
A bachelor's degree in graphic design, interaction design, industrial design, human-computer interaction, or a closely related field is the standard requirement. Some employers also accept degrees in architecture or fine arts with substantial design specialization. If your degree is in an unrelated field, three years of directly relevant work experience can substitute for each missing year of formal education under USCIS equivalency rules.
How likely are Head of Design H-1B petitions to be approved?
Approval rates for design leadership roles are generally strong when the petition is well-documented. The main risk is an RFE questioning whether the role meets specialty occupation criteria, which is more common when job descriptions include generalist language. Petitions that clearly tie the role to a specific design discipline and articulate why a degree in that field is required tend to avoid additional scrutiny.
Can I find Head of Design jobs that offer visa sponsorship on Migrate Mate?
Yes. Migrate Mate is built specifically for international candidates and filters for employers open to visa sponsorship. Browsing Head of Design listings there surfaces companies with active sponsorship programs, so you're not spending time applying to roles where immigration support isn't on the table.
Can a Head of Design role qualify for an O-1A visa instead of H-1B?
It can, and for senior design leaders it's often worth evaluating seriously. The O-1A requires demonstrating extraordinary ability through criteria like major awards, high compensation relative to peers, judging the work of others, or critical roles at distinguished organizations. Design directors with industry recognition, published thought leadership, or conference speaking history frequently meet multiple criteria without needing the H-1B lottery.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Head Of Design 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.
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