Lead Project Engineer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Lead Project Engineer roles attract strong H-1B visa sponsorship from engineering, construction, and energy firms because the position qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring a directly related bachelor's degree. Many employers also support EB-2 or EB-3 green card filings once you've established a track record on-site.
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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.
Position Brand Description:
The Global Facilities Delivery (GFD) Organization, part of Corporate Engineering and Continuous Improvement, delivers new and renovated capital assets around the world. Our mission is accomplished through a highly leveraged organization of design, construction and qualification contractors. Many of the assets delivered focus on medical innovation and delivering innovative solutions to patients. Some of the assets delivered will support an expansion in supply of existing medicines or making the supply chain more robust. The Design Lead (DL) will serve in the following capacity:
Responsibilities:
- Be responsible for the overall design delivery for capital project(s).
- Coordinate all design for the Project Manager during all design phases of the project and be responsible in delivering the conceptual design review and basic design review.
- Direct the development of the design requirements.
- Assist in development and maintenance of the design schedule to meet the project needs.
- Participate in the selection of the A/E firms.
- Coordinate with A/E firms to develop earned value progress systems to measure progress by discipline (monitor work versus invoice amounts).
- Expedite design decisions and coordinate information flow between the design team and system owners.
- Be responsible for ensuring the design meets approved intent through interactions between the design firm, design specialists, engineering tech center disciplines, and end user/customer.
- Be responsible for design activities and governance, resolving design-related problems.
- Examine areas of inefficiency and develop strategies for improvement to direct the design team to meet or improve on the design hours plan.
- Review and approve along with the respective Project Manager the key design project personnel (both internal and external resources).
- Work with Engineering Tech Center resources and other key project team technical/constructability resources to address and resolve design issues.
- Ensure replication is achieved during design when applicable.
- Support the Project Manager for value engineering exercises efforts to maximize project opportunities.
- Review design-related invoices prior to approval and participate in KPI reviews/assessments.
- Participate in the selection of the verification professional services.
- Take an active role/be responsible in mentoring and developing others, sometimes external to the organization.
Basic Requirements:
- BS in Engineering (Chemical or Mechanical preferred)
- Minimum of 12 years of manufacturing and/or engineering experience supporting pharmaceutical or API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) networks
Additional Preferences:
- Pharmaceutical process or project engineer experience
- Strong project management skills
- Ability to effectively facilitate conflict to resolution
- Ability to influence all levels of the project and site personnel
- Understanding of the capital project delivery process, A/E design activities, and the understanding of the available Lilly technical resources (user reps, Engineering Tech Center resources, and design specialists)
- Demonstrated values that are consistent with the Lilly values
- Able to frame complex decisions/analyses, facilitate to a decision, and implement according to the plan
- Ability to create creditability and influence to align decision agreements between site(s), corporate engineering, A/E firm decision-makers, and stakeholders who have differing opinions
- Experience facilitating issue resolution, anticipating scope changes, and implementing projects safely with quality, speed and value
- Willingness to relocate and/or travel to locations outside of home state/country and have the demonstrated ability to work from long distances with little supervision
- Comfortable maintaining an in-office presence 3-4 days per week
Additional Information:
- Travel can be both domestic and international, on average about 25%, depending on the phase of the project
- The potential of co-location at the A/E firm or the job site for periods of time could occur based on project needs
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
$130,500 - $211,200
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 Visa Sponsorship as a Lead Project Engineer
Document your engineering licensure equivalency early
If you hold a foreign PE or chartered engineer credential, get a formal equivalency evaluation before applying. USCIS scrutinizes specialty occupation evidence for Lead Project Engineers, and a recognized credential evaluation strengthens your I-129 petition significantly.
Target capital-project-heavy industries first
Energy, infrastructure, semiconductor fabrication, and large-scale construction firms file the most LCAs for Lead Project Engineer roles. These sectors run multi-year capital programs that justify long-term H-1B sponsorship rather than one-off project hires.
Verify prevailing wage tier before accepting an offer
Lead Project Engineer titles often fall at wage Level III or IV under DOL's classification. Use the OFLC Wage Search to confirm the posted salary clears the prevailing wage threshold for your metro area before you sign anything.
Find sponsors using verified LCA filing history on Migrate Mate
Search Migrate Mate to identify employers with verified LCA filing history for engineering roles in your target city. This narrows your list to companies that have already navigated the sponsorship process for similar positions.
Align your resume scope to O*NET task language
USCIS officers reference O*NET when evaluating specialty occupation claims. Reframe your resume bullets around project lifecycle ownership, cross-discipline coordination, and budget authority, which map directly to the O*NET Lead Project Engineer task profile.
Push for PERM initiation during offer negotiation
If the role is permanent, ask the employer to start the PERM labor certification process within your first year. PERM timelines at DOL can exceed a year, so starting early protects your green card priority date and keeps your options open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Lead Project Engineer role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, in most cases. USCIS requires the position to normally demand a bachelor's degree or higher in a directly related field such as civil, mechanical, electrical, or industrial engineering. Lead Project Engineer roles that oversee complex, multi-discipline technical programs almost always meet this standard. If the job description allows any bachelor's degree without field specificity, the employer may need to provide additional evidence to satisfy USCIS.
Which visa types are realistic for a Lead Project Engineer seeking U.S. sponsorship?
H-1B is the most common path for employer-sponsored Lead Project Engineers. TN visa is available to Canadian and Mexican nationals if the role fits a qualifying USMCA engineering category. For applicants with a master's degree or significant published research, EB-2 green card sponsorship is worth discussing with the employer early. EB-3 skilled worker is also viable for roles requiring at least two years of relevant engineering experience.
How do I find employers who actively sponsor Lead Project Engineers?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified sponsorship history for engineering roles, searchable by city and discipline. This saves you from applying to companies that have never navigated visa sponsorship for technical positions, which is a common time sink for engineering candidates.
Will a three-year engineering degree outside the U.S. satisfy USCIS specialty occupation requirements?
It can, but you'll need a credential evaluation from a USCIS-recognized evaluation service confirming the degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's in engineering. Three-year degrees from Australia, the U.K., and India are frequently accepted with proper documentation. The evaluation must address field equivalency, not just level, so choose an evaluator experienced with technical degrees.
Can a Lead Project Engineer on H-1B change employers mid-project?
Yes. Because Lead Project Engineers are typically in H-1B status, portability applies once the new employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf. You can start work with the new employer as soon as the petition is filed, without waiting for USCIS approval. The new employer must file a fresh LCA at the prevailing wage for your new work location before submitting the I-129.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Lead Project Engineer 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.