Lead Software Architect Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Lead Software Architect roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations, making them strong candidates for employer visa sponsorship. Large tech employers, financial institutions, and enterprise software firms regularly file LCAs for this title. No lottery exemption exists, but the role's seniority and scarcity improve your position through the annual H-1B selection process.
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Get Access To All JobsJob ID: 2022825
Career Area: Software Electric & Electronics
Position Type: Salaried
Location: Headquarters & Technology Center – Auburn Hills 48326, US
Date Posted: November 5, 2026
Brand: FCA Group
The Full Stack Software Architect – EE Platform is responsible for defining, governing, and evolving the software architecture for Stellantis next-generation Electrical & Electronic (EE) platforms and Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) programs, including platforms such as STLA Brain.
This role provides technical leadership across the complete software stack, from embedded platform services and operating systems through middleware, communication frameworks, application interfaces, and vehicle-level software integration. The architect works closely with System, EE, Hardware, Controls, Safety, Cybersecurity, and Software teams to ensure scalable, high-performance, and cost-effective platform solutions.
Key Responsibilities:
- Define and maintain the end-to-end software architecture for EE platforms.
- Drive architectural decisions across embedded software, middleware, platform services, and application integration.
- Establish architectural standards, design patterns, and best practices.
- Lead architecture reviews and technical governance activities.
- Performance & Resource Management: Lead CPU, memory, storage, networking, and real-time performance optimization. Ensure efficient use of EE platform resources and infrastructure.
- Vehicle Networking & Communications: Provide expertise on CAN, Lin, Automotive Ethernet (SOME/IP), SPI, Shared Memory, …
Technical Leadership:
- Provide guidance and mentoring to software, systems, and controls architects.
- Lead cross-functional technical workshops and design reviews.
- Assess technical trade-offs involving performance, safety, cybersecurity, maintainability, and Total Cost of Product (TCP).
- Support supplier and partner architecture evaluations.
EOE/Disability/Veteran
At Stellantis, we assess candidates based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We welcome applications from all people without regard to sex, age, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any characteristic protected by law. We believe that diverse teams reflect our identity as a global company, enabling us to better address the evolving needs of our customers and care for our future.
Our benefits reflects the STELLANTIS commitment to helping you reach your personal and professional goals. In addition to an environment that promotes career development, we offer benefits for a healthy lifestyle and a rewarding future, designed to take care of you and your family, in various stages of life.
As a global company, our employee packages will vary by country, customary norms and the legal entity into which you are hired.
We care about your privacy. For more information on how your personal data is processed, please read the specific Privacy Statement provided by the respective entities whose job offer you have selected.
Job ID: 2022825
Career Area: Software Electric & Electronics
Position Type: Salaried
Location: Headquarters & Technology Center – Auburn Hills 48326, US
Date Posted: November 5, 2026
Brand: FCA Group
The Full Stack Software Architect – EE Platform is responsible for defining, governing, and evolving the software architecture for Stellantis next-generation Electrical & Electronic (EE) platforms and Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) programs, including platforms such as STLA Brain.
This role provides technical leadership across the complete software stack, from embedded platform services and operating systems through middleware, communication frameworks, application interfaces, and vehicle-level software integration. The architect works closely with System, EE, Hardware, Controls, Safety, Cybersecurity, and Software teams to ensure scalable, high-performance, and cost-effective platform solutions.
Key Responsibilities:
- Define and maintain the end-to-end software architecture for EE platforms.
- Drive architectural decisions across embedded software, middleware, platform services, and application integration.
- Establish architectural standards, design patterns, and best practices.
- Lead architecture reviews and technical governance activities.
- Performance & Resource Management: Lead CPU, memory, storage, networking, and real-time performance optimization. Ensure efficient use of EE platform resources and infrastructure.
- Vehicle Networking & Communications: Provide expertise on CAN, Lin, Automotive Ethernet (SOME/IP), SPI, Shared Memory, …
Technical Leadership:
- Provide guidance and mentoring to software, systems, and controls architects.
- Lead cross-functional technical workshops and design reviews.
- Assess technical trade-offs involving performance, safety, cybersecurity, maintainability, and Total Cost of Product (TCP).
- Support supplier and partner architecture evaluations.
EOE/Disability/Veteran
At Stellantis, we assess candidates based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We welcome applications from all people without regard to sex, age, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any characteristic protected by law. We believe that diverse teams reflect our identity as a global company, enabling us to better address the evolving needs of our customers and care for our future.
Our benefits reflects the STELLANTIS commitment to helping you reach your personal and professional goals. In addition to an environment that promotes career development, we offer benefits for a healthy lifestyle and a rewarding future, designed to take care of you and your family, in various stages of life.
As a global company, our employee packages will vary by country, customary norms and the legal entity into which you are hired.
We care about your privacy. For more information on how your personal data is processed, please read the specific Privacy Statement provided by the respective entities whose job offer you have selected.
See all 52+ Lead Software Architect Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Lead Software Architect roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Lead Software Architect Jobs
Align your credentials to specialty occupation standards
USCIS requires a direct relationship between your degree field and the architect role. A computer science or software engineering degree maps cleanly, but an unrelated bachelor's weakens your petition. Document any graduate coursework or certifications that reinforce the technical alignment.
Target employers with active LCA filing histories
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with verified LCA filing history for Lead Software Architect roles, so you're applying to companies that have already navigated the sponsorship process for this title rather than asking an employer to start from scratch.
Distinguish principal architect titles in PERM applications
If your offer leads toward a green card, the PERM labor certification job description must reflect genuine lead or principal duties, not a generic senior developer role. Vague descriptions trigger DOL audit requests that add months to your timeline.
Verify prevailing wage tier before accepting an offer
The LCA locks your employer into a prevailing wage at Level III or IV for architect titles in most metro markets. Cross-check the OFLC Wage Search for your work location and job zone before the offer stage so there are no surprises at filing.
Front-load technical documentation for RFE prevention
Lead architect petitions draw USCIS scrutiny when duties overlap with general developer work. Ask your employer to include system design artifacts, architecture decision records, and org-chart positioning showing your technical authority before the initial I-129 submission.
Negotiate sponsorship scope into your offer letter
Confirm whether the employer covers H-1B filing fees, premium processing, and future green card sponsorship in writing before you sign. Architect-level hiring often gives you enough leverage to negotiate these terms, but only if you raise them at the offer stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Lead Software Architect role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. Lead Software Architect is consistently treated as a specialty occupation under H-1B rules because the role requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field. USCIS will scrutinize whether your actual duties, not just your title, involve the theoretical and practical application of highly specialized knowledge. Having a job description that details system-level design responsibilities, not just coding tasks, strengthens the petition significantly.
Which visa types are realistic for Lead Software Architect candidates?
The H-1B is the primary path for most candidates and covers the specialty occupation requirement comfortably. If you're an Australian citizen, the E-3 visa offers the same specialty occupation framework with no lottery. Canadian and Mexican nationals can use the TN visa under the USMCA, which lists computer systems analyst as a qualifying category, though USCIS adjudicators sometimes scrutinize whether architect duties fit that designation precisely. F-1 OPT and STEM OPT are available as bridge authorization while pursuing H-1B sponsorship.
How do I find employers actively sponsoring Lead Software Architect roles?
Migrate Mate shows employers with verified sponsorship history for this title, letting you target companies already familiar with the LCA and I-129 filing process. This matters for architect roles specifically because employers new to sponsorship often underestimate the prevailing wage requirements at the senior level, which can stall or collapse offers late in the process.
Does a three-year bachelor's degree satisfy H-1B specialty occupation requirements for this role?
USCIS evaluates foreign three-year degrees on a case-by-case basis. A three-year degree from an Australian, Indian, or UK institution can qualify if a credential evaluation agency determines it's equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. For Lead Software Architect petitions, pairing the credential evaluation with evidence of specialized graduate-level work, relevant professional certifications, or progressive architectural experience strengthens the equivalency argument considerably.
What makes Lead Software Architect PERM labor certifications more complex than standard developer roles?
DOL requires the PERM job description to reflect duties that genuinely cannot be performed by a qualified U.S. worker with standard credentials. Architect roles are more defensible when the description specifies proprietary system constraints, cross-functional technical leadership, or domain-specific expertise rather than broad software development skills. Overly generic descriptions invite audits, and DOL audit responses can add six months or more to your green card timeline.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Lead Software Architect 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.