IT Operations Specialist Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
IT Operations Specialist roles are among the more accessible H-1B visa targets in tech, employers regularly sponsor because qualified candidates are scarce. Most positions require a bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field to satisfy specialty occupation requirements. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Get Access To All JobsAt Exacta Systems, we’re not just shaping the future of gaming—we’re redefining it. As a leader in historical horse racing (HHR) technology, we create cutting-edge gaming solutions that power thrilling player experiences nationwide. Now part of the Churchill Downs family, we’re backed by a storied legacy of excellence in racing and gaming. This new chapter brings exciting opportunities for growth, stability, innovation, and impact. If you're looking for a career where technology meets tradition and where your ideas drive the future, let’s explore the possibilities together!
JOB SUMMARY
The Manager, IT Architecture & Operations is a hands-on technical leader with a dual mandate spanning enterprise architecture and IT service operations. The role leads architecture and engineering design for Exacta's platforms and infrastructure while supporting incident management, monitoring, and service delivery for internal and customer-facing systems as business needs require. The incumbent is expected to provide credible technical leadership in design review, major-incident response, and customer escalation while developing toward broader IT leadership responsibility.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Enterprise & Solution Architecture
- Maintain Exacta's enterprise architecture strategy and standards across internal systems, customer-facing platforms, and integrations.
- Lead architecture and design for Exacta Connect and NXT, including integrations with game manufacturers, casino management, and player tracking systems.
- Maintain architecture patterns and reference designs for on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
- Prepare build/buy/partner recommendations aligned with product roadmaps and Churchill Downs standards.
Customer-Facing Technology & Operator Support
- Serve as a technical escalation point for complex customer system, network, and infrastructure issues.
- Partner with Sales, Product, Development, and Operations on deployments and operator-site expansions.
- Lead technical onboarding of new venues, including infrastructure, connectivity, and compliance readiness.
- Work with operators to improve system performance, uptime, and reporting.
Cloud, Infrastructure & Reliability
- Execute cloud/hybrid infrastructure roadmaps and recommend improvements using operational data.
- Deliver reliability, scalability, backup, and disaster recovery plans, including testing and documentation.
- Establish infrastructure standards for deployments, networking, hosting, and remote monitoring.
- Manage infrastructure spend and cost optimization.
- Oversee configuration, patching, security hardening, access controls, and infrastructure lifecycle maintenance.
Security & Regulatory Compliance
- Ensure systems meet applicable gaming regulatory requirements and security-by-design principles.
- Partner with Legal, Compliance, and Churchill Downs security teams on audit readiness, data integrity, and responsible gaming safeguards.
- Support regulatory audits, security assessments, and incident reviews and drive follow-up actions to closure.
Service Operations & Incident Management
- Monitor, triage, and resolve infrastructure/network alerts and ensure timely critical-incident response.
- Perform root-cause analysis on recurring incidents and implement corrective actions.
- Lead major-incident response as needed, coordinating Engineering, Field Operations, vendors, and customer communications.
- Manage monitoring dashboards, alerts, and thresholds; analyze availability and performance trends.
- Provide incident summaries, service-level reporting, and technical updates to leadership and stakeholders.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Development
- Flex between architecture and service operations based on business needs.
- Partner across Product, Engineering, Field Operations, and Operations to align technical decisions with business outcomes.
- Maintain runbooks, network diagrams, configurations, and architecture documentation as reliable sources of truth.
- Manage vendor and third-party service relationships for infrastructure delivery and issue resolution.
- Own at least one enterprise-level initiative annually, including budget input, executive reporting, and cross-functional coordination.
- Deputize for IT leadership within defined architecture and service-operations escalation authority.
- Coach and develop technical team members while modeling accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Strong architecture and engineering judgment with the ability to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions.
- Working knowledge of ITIL-aligned incident, problem, and change management practices.
- Hands-on experience with ITSM and monitoring platforms such as Freshdesk and LogicMonitor or comparable tools.
- Strong vendor management, cost optimization, documentation, and project leadership capabilities.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation of technical recommendations to executive and non-technical audiences.
- Ability to lead calmly and decisively during major incidents and shifting priorities.
- Availability to participate in an on-call rotation and lead major-incident response outside normal business hours.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 8+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, systems, or solution architecture, including 3+ years leading engineers, architects, or IT support/service teams.
- Demonstrated ownership of architecture for distributed platforms spanning on-premises, cloud, and hybrid deployments.
- Hands-on depth in AWS or Azure, networking, identity management, monitoring/observability, systems administration, and backup/disaster recovery.
- Experience integrating third-party systems and vendors; gaming-industry exposure strongly preferred.
- Experience in regulated environments and audit processes preferred.
- Demonstrated experience leading customer-impacting incidents through root-cause analysis and closure.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS
This position requires participation in an on-call rotation, availability to support major incidents outside standard business hours, and occasional travel to operator and venue sites as business needs require.
The following physical and mental demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, sometimes for prolonged periods while working at a desk, on the phone, and/or on the computer; type on a computer keyboard; use hands to finger, handle or feel; talk or hear; reach with hands or arms; walk or stand; and perform some repetitive motion activities.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, color differentiation, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
- This position requires the ability to work effectively as part of a team; and concentrate on a variety of details when faced with interruptions and changing work priorities.
- The mental demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions, as described above, including but not limited to: demonstrated ability to anticipate and solve practical problems or resolve issues; reason, calculate figures and amounts; collect, interpret, and/or analyze complex data and information, and draw valid conclusions; interpret procedures and policies; and meet schedules in a dynamic and sometimes demanding work environment.
- The noise level in this work environment is usually moderate. The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job in a typical office environment.
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.
At Exacta Systems, we’re not just shaping the future of gaming—we’re redefining it. As a leader in historical horse racing (HHR) technology, we create cutting-edge gaming solutions that power thrilling player experiences nationwide. Now part of the Churchill Downs family, we’re backed by a storied legacy of excellence in racing and gaming. This new chapter brings exciting opportunities for growth, stability, innovation, and impact. If you're looking for a career where technology meets tradition and where your ideas drive the future, let’s explore the possibilities together!
JOB SUMMARY
The Manager, IT Architecture & Operations is a hands-on technical leader with a dual mandate spanning enterprise architecture and IT service operations. The role leads architecture and engineering design for Exacta's platforms and infrastructure while supporting incident management, monitoring, and service delivery for internal and customer-facing systems as business needs require. The incumbent is expected to provide credible technical leadership in design review, major-incident response, and customer escalation while developing toward broader IT leadership responsibility.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Enterprise & Solution Architecture
- Maintain Exacta's enterprise architecture strategy and standards across internal systems, customer-facing platforms, and integrations.
- Lead architecture and design for Exacta Connect and NXT, including integrations with game manufacturers, casino management, and player tracking systems.
- Maintain architecture patterns and reference designs for on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
- Prepare build/buy/partner recommendations aligned with product roadmaps and Churchill Downs standards.
Customer-Facing Technology & Operator Support
- Serve as a technical escalation point for complex customer system, network, and infrastructure issues.
- Partner with Sales, Product, Development, and Operations on deployments and operator-site expansions.
- Lead technical onboarding of new venues, including infrastructure, connectivity, and compliance readiness.
- Work with operators to improve system performance, uptime, and reporting.
Cloud, Infrastructure & Reliability
- Execute cloud/hybrid infrastructure roadmaps and recommend improvements using operational data.
- Deliver reliability, scalability, backup, and disaster recovery plans, including testing and documentation.
- Establish infrastructure standards for deployments, networking, hosting, and remote monitoring.
- Manage infrastructure spend and cost optimization.
- Oversee configuration, patching, security hardening, access controls, and infrastructure lifecycle maintenance.
Security & Regulatory Compliance
- Ensure systems meet applicable gaming regulatory requirements and security-by-design principles.
- Partner with Legal, Compliance, and Churchill Downs security teams on audit readiness, data integrity, and responsible gaming safeguards.
- Support regulatory audits, security assessments, and incident reviews and drive follow-up actions to closure.
Service Operations & Incident Management
- Monitor, triage, and resolve infrastructure/network alerts and ensure timely critical-incident response.
- Perform root-cause analysis on recurring incidents and implement corrective actions.
- Lead major-incident response as needed, coordinating Engineering, Field Operations, vendors, and customer communications.
- Manage monitoring dashboards, alerts, and thresholds; analyze availability and performance trends.
- Provide incident summaries, service-level reporting, and technical updates to leadership and stakeholders.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Development
- Flex between architecture and service operations based on business needs.
- Partner across Product, Engineering, Field Operations, and Operations to align technical decisions with business outcomes.
- Maintain runbooks, network diagrams, configurations, and architecture documentation as reliable sources of truth.
- Manage vendor and third-party service relationships for infrastructure delivery and issue resolution.
- Own at least one enterprise-level initiative annually, including budget input, executive reporting, and cross-functional coordination.
- Deputize for IT leadership within defined architecture and service-operations escalation authority.
- Coach and develop technical team members while modeling accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Strong architecture and engineering judgment with the ability to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions.
- Working knowledge of ITIL-aligned incident, problem, and change management practices.
- Hands-on experience with ITSM and monitoring platforms such as Freshdesk and LogicMonitor or comparable tools.
- Strong vendor management, cost optimization, documentation, and project leadership capabilities.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation of technical recommendations to executive and non-technical audiences.
- Ability to lead calmly and decisively during major incidents and shifting priorities.
- Availability to participate in an on-call rotation and lead major-incident response outside normal business hours.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 8+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, systems, or solution architecture, including 3+ years leading engineers, architects, or IT support/service teams.
- Demonstrated ownership of architecture for distributed platforms spanning on-premises, cloud, and hybrid deployments.
- Hands-on depth in AWS or Azure, networking, identity management, monitoring/observability, systems administration, and backup/disaster recovery.
- Experience integrating third-party systems and vendors; gaming-industry exposure strongly preferred.
- Experience in regulated environments and audit processes preferred.
- Demonstrated experience leading customer-impacting incidents through root-cause analysis and closure.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS
This position requires participation in an on-call rotation, availability to support major incidents outside standard business hours, and occasional travel to operator and venue sites as business needs require.
The following physical and mental demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, sometimes for prolonged periods while working at a desk, on the phone, and/or on the computer; type on a computer keyboard; use hands to finger, handle or feel; talk or hear; reach with hands or arms; walk or stand; and perform some repetitive motion activities.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, color differentiation, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
- This position requires the ability to work effectively as part of a team; and concentrate on a variety of details when faced with interruptions and changing work priorities.
- The mental demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions, as described above, including but not limited to: demonstrated ability to anticipate and solve practical problems or resolve issues; reason, calculate figures and amounts; collect, interpret, and/or analyze complex data and information, and draw valid conclusions; interpret procedures and policies; and meet schedules in a dynamic and sometimes demanding work environment.
- The noise level in this work environment is usually moderate. The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job in a typical office environment.
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.
See all 2,840+ IT Operations Specialist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new IT Operations Specialist roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as an IT Operations Specialist
Frame your role around system architecture, not helpdesk
USCIS denies IT Operations petitions when the role looks like general support work. Emphasize infrastructure design, automation, and systems integration in your resume and job description to reinforce the specialty occupation classification.
Target mid-size and enterprise employers first
Companies with dedicated IT infrastructure teams sponsor far more consistently than startups. Larger organizations have established immigration counsel, predictable H-1B budgets, and HR processes that make initiating sponsorship conversations significantly less friction-heavy.
Get relevant certifications before applying
AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or ITIL certifications directly strengthen the specialty occupation argument for your petition. They signal technical depth beyond general support and give immigration attorneys stronger evidence when drafting the H-1B or E-3 visa cover letter.
Clarify your visa timeline with every offer
Some employers assume IT Operations roles don't require sponsorship. Address your visa status early in conversations, before final-round interviews, so there are no surprises when they discover they need to file an LCA and I-129.
Match your degree field to the job description
USCIS scrutinizes IT Operations petitions closely. If your degree is in a tangentially related field like business or electronics engineering, ensure the job description specifically references your discipline as a requirement, not a preference.
Use Migrate Mate to focus on verified sponsoring employers
Browsing general job boards wastes time on postings from companies that won't sponsor. Migrate Mate filters to employers with active sponsorship histories, so your applications go to organizations already equipped to handle visa filings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can IT Operations Specialist roles qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes, but the role must meet the specialty occupation standard, meaning a bachelor's degree in a specific technical field is normally required for the position. USCIS has historically scrutinized IT Operations petitions more than software engineering roles, so the job description needs to emphasize specialized technical responsibilities like cloud infrastructure management, network architecture, or systems automation rather than general support tasks.
What degree do I need for an employer to sponsor my IT Operations visa?
Most H-1B visa petitions for IT Operations Specialist roles require a bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, information technology, or a closely related engineering field. Degrees in general business or unrelated disciplines make the specialty occupation argument harder to sustain. If your degree field is adjacent, three years of specialized work experience can substitute for one year of formal education under USCIS equivalency rules.
How likely is an H-1B IT Operations petition to get approved?
Approval rates for IT Operations roles are lower than for software development or data science positions because USCIS frequently issues Requests for Evidence questioning whether the position genuinely requires a specialized degree. Petitions with detailed job descriptions tied to specific technical systems, documented degree requirements in the LCA, and strong support letters from immigration attorneys have meaningfully better outcomes. Premium processing is worth considering to get a faster decision.
Are there visa alternatives to the H-1B for IT Operations roles?
Australian citizens can use the E-3 visa, which has no lottery and far simpler sponsorship logistics for the employer. Canadian and Mexican nationals may qualify under the TN visa if the role aligns with a covered USMCA occupation. For applicants already in the U.S. on OPT or STEM OPT, those work authorization periods provide runway to secure an H-1B-sponsoring employer before status expires.
Where can I find IT Operations Specialist jobs that offer visa sponsorship?
Migrate Mate lists IT Operations Specialist roles specifically filtered for employers with verified sponsorship histories, so you're not wasting applications on companies that won't file. This matters more for IT Operations than most technical roles because employer willingness and legal readiness vary widely, many companies assume the role doesn't need sponsorship until they realize it does midway through hiring.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored IT Operations Specialist 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.