Program Lead Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Program Lead roles sit at the intersection of strategic oversight and cross-functional execution, making them strong fits for H-1B visa specialty occupation sponsorship. Employers in tech, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors actively file LCAs for these positions. Your degree field and management scope both factor into eligibility.
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Get Access To All JobsLocation: Southlake, TX ; Chicago, IL
Requisition ID 2026-129889
Category Legal & Compliance
Position type Regular
Pay range USD $120,000.00 - $165,000.00 / Year
Application deadline 2026-11-13
Your opportunity
At Schwab, you’re empowered to make an impact on your career. Here, innovative thought meets creative problem solving, helping us “challenge the status quo” and transform the finance industry together. We believe in the importance of in-office collaboration and fully intend for the selected candidate for this role to work on site in one of the specified locations. Join a highly visible Compliance team that helps protect client trust and the integrity of Schwab’s broker-dealer business. As the Senior Manager, Compliance – Broker-Dealer Program Lead, you will help shape and strengthen the compliance program for Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co), with a particular focus on FINRA Rules 3120 and 3130.
This is an opportunity to lead work that matters across the firm. You will bring together regulatory insight, strategic thinking, and strong partnerships to support key broker-dealer obligations, enhance the program’s supporting infrastructure, and provide senior and executive leaders with clear perspectives on compliance risk. Your work will help Schwab anticipate evolving expectations, strengthen controls, and make informed decisions while continuing to serve clients with integrity.
In this role, you will:
- Lead critical deliverables associated with Schwab’s broker-dealer compliance program and applicable regulatory obligations.
- Develop meaningful reporting and presentations for senior and executive leadership.
- Guide the governance of designated supervisory principal information and related program requirements.
- Strengthen the processes, tools, controls, and infrastructure that support the program.
- Create training and communication strategies that help Compliance colleagues understand and fulfill program responsibilities.
- Identify opportunities to modernize the program, improve effectiveness, and respond to changing business and regulatory needs.
- Evaluate internal and external control inputs to help ensure compliance risks are appropriately identified and addressed.
- Build strong partnerships across Schwab Compliance, Corporate Risk Management, Internal Audit, and first-line business teams.
You will gain broad exposure to Schwab’s business and risk functions while collaborating with colleagues across multiple lines of defense. For a compliance professional who enjoys solving complex problems, influencing at senior levels, and turning regulatory expectations into sustainable business practices, this role offers a meaningful opportunity to grow and make an enterprise-wide impact.
What you have
Required Qualifications:
- 7 or more years of financial services industry experience, including at least five years in a Compliance or Risk role.
- Working knowledge of broker-dealer regulatory standards.
- Experience leading projects or cross-functional initiatives with defined deliverables, stakeholders, and accountability.
- Experience managing multiple concurrent initiatives and deadlines.
- Experience creating written communications, reports, or presentations for business or leadership audiences.
- Experience working with cross-functional partners to implement process, control, or organizational change.
- Experience evaluating compliance or risk issues and providing an independent risk management perspective.
Preferred Qualifications:
- FINRA Series 7 license.
- FINRA Series 24 license.
- Knowledge of FINRA Rules 3120 and 3130.
- Experience supporting a broker-dealer compliance program.
- Experience preparing compliance or risk reporting for senior or executive leadership.
- Experience developing compliance training or communication strategies.
- Experience partnering with Corporate Risk Management, Internal Audit, or first-line business teams.
- Experience improving compliance processes, controls, tools, or supporting infrastructure.
What’s in it for you
At Schwab, you’re empowered to shape your future. We champion your growth through meaningful work, continuous learning, and a culture of trust and collaboration—so you can build the skills to make a lasting impact. Our Hybrid Work and Flexibility approach balances our ongoing commitment to workplace flexibility, serving our clients, and our strong belief in the value of being together in person on a regular basis.
We offer a competitive benefits package that takes care of the whole you – both today and in the future:
- 401(k) with company match and Employee stock purchase plan
- Paid time for vacation, volunteering, and 28-day sabbatical after every 5 years of service for eligible positions
- Paid parental leave and family building benefits
- Tuition reimbursement
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
Eligible Schwabbies receive
- Medical, dental and vision benefits
- 401(k) and employee stock purchase plans
- Tuition reimbursement to keep developing your career
- Paid parental leave and adoption/family building benefits
- Sabbatical leave available after five years of employment
Location: Southlake, TX ; Chicago, IL
Requisition ID 2026-129889
Category Legal & Compliance
Position type Regular
Pay range USD $120,000.00 - $165,000.00 / Year
Application deadline 2026-11-13
Your opportunity
At Schwab, you’re empowered to make an impact on your career. Here, innovative thought meets creative problem solving, helping us “challenge the status quo” and transform the finance industry together. We believe in the importance of in-office collaboration and fully intend for the selected candidate for this role to work on site in one of the specified locations. Join a highly visible Compliance team that helps protect client trust and the integrity of Schwab’s broker-dealer business. As the Senior Manager, Compliance – Broker-Dealer Program Lead, you will help shape and strengthen the compliance program for Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co), with a particular focus on FINRA Rules 3120 and 3130.
This is an opportunity to lead work that matters across the firm. You will bring together regulatory insight, strategic thinking, and strong partnerships to support key broker-dealer obligations, enhance the program’s supporting infrastructure, and provide senior and executive leaders with clear perspectives on compliance risk. Your work will help Schwab anticipate evolving expectations, strengthen controls, and make informed decisions while continuing to serve clients with integrity.
In this role, you will:
- Lead critical deliverables associated with Schwab’s broker-dealer compliance program and applicable regulatory obligations.
- Develop meaningful reporting and presentations for senior and executive leadership.
- Guide the governance of designated supervisory principal information and related program requirements.
- Strengthen the processes, tools, controls, and infrastructure that support the program.
- Create training and communication strategies that help Compliance colleagues understand and fulfill program responsibilities.
- Identify opportunities to modernize the program, improve effectiveness, and respond to changing business and regulatory needs.
- Evaluate internal and external control inputs to help ensure compliance risks are appropriately identified and addressed.
- Build strong partnerships across Schwab Compliance, Corporate Risk Management, Internal Audit, and first-line business teams.
You will gain broad exposure to Schwab’s business and risk functions while collaborating with colleagues across multiple lines of defense. For a compliance professional who enjoys solving complex problems, influencing at senior levels, and turning regulatory expectations into sustainable business practices, this role offers a meaningful opportunity to grow and make an enterprise-wide impact.
What you have
Required Qualifications:
- 7 or more years of financial services industry experience, including at least five years in a Compliance or Risk role.
- Working knowledge of broker-dealer regulatory standards.
- Experience leading projects or cross-functional initiatives with defined deliverables, stakeholders, and accountability.
- Experience managing multiple concurrent initiatives and deadlines.
- Experience creating written communications, reports, or presentations for business or leadership audiences.
- Experience working with cross-functional partners to implement process, control, or organizational change.
- Experience evaluating compliance or risk issues and providing an independent risk management perspective.
Preferred Qualifications:
- FINRA Series 7 license.
- FINRA Series 24 license.
- Knowledge of FINRA Rules 3120 and 3130.
- Experience supporting a broker-dealer compliance program.
- Experience preparing compliance or risk reporting for senior or executive leadership.
- Experience developing compliance training or communication strategies.
- Experience partnering with Corporate Risk Management, Internal Audit, or first-line business teams.
- Experience improving compliance processes, controls, tools, or supporting infrastructure.
What’s in it for you
At Schwab, you’re empowered to shape your future. We champion your growth through meaningful work, continuous learning, and a culture of trust and collaboration—so you can build the skills to make a lasting impact. Our Hybrid Work and Flexibility approach balances our ongoing commitment to workplace flexibility, serving our clients, and our strong belief in the value of being together in person on a regular basis.
We offer a competitive benefits package that takes care of the whole you – both today and in the future:
- 401(k) with company match and Employee stock purchase plan
- Paid time for vacation, volunteering, and 28-day sabbatical after every 5 years of service for eligible positions
- Paid parental leave and family building benefits
- Tuition reimbursement
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
Eligible Schwabbies receive
- Medical, dental and vision benefits
- 401(k) and employee stock purchase plans
- Tuition reimbursement to keep developing your career
- Paid parental leave and adoption/family building benefits
- Sabbatical leave available after five years of employment
See all 9,420+ Program Lead Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Program Lead roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Program Lead Jobs
Frame your scope in specialty occupation terms
Program Lead duties vary widely, so document how your role requires a specific bachelor's degree field, not just general management skills. USCIS scrutinizes broad job titles, so your offer letter and resume should tie responsibilities directly to your degree discipline.
Search LCA filings by program management titles
Use Migrate Mate to find employers who've filed verified LCAs for Program Lead and related titles. Targeting companies with active filing history cuts your search time and signals which organizations already understand the sponsorship process for this role type.
Check prevailing wage tiers before accepting an offer
Run the OFLC Wage Search for your target metro area and experience level before negotiations. Program Lead roles often fall across multiple wage levels depending on supervision scope, and accepting a Level 1 wage when your duties qualify as Level 3 can complicate your LCA certification.
Distinguish program management from general management on your resume
Employers filing H-1B petitions for Program Leads need to defend the specialty occupation claim. Highlight deliverables tied to a technical or specialized domain, budget authority for defined programs, and cross-functional coordination within a structured methodology like Agile or PMP-aligned frameworks.
Clarify PERM timing if a green card path matters to you
Some employers bundle H-1B sponsorship with a PERM labor certification commitment; others don't. Ask during offer negotiations whether the company has filed PERM for Program Lead roles before, since the recruitment and audit process for managerial positions draws additional DOL scrutiny.
Use O*NET to anchor your specialty occupation argument
O*NET lists the knowledge domains and education requirements associated with program and project management occupations. Referencing these in your petition documentation helps establish that the role routinely requires a degree in a specific field, not just any bachelor's degree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Program Lead role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
It can, but it's not automatic. USCIS requires that the position normally requires a bachelor's degree in a specific field, not just any degree. Program Leads whose work is tied to a technical discipline, like software, public health, or engineering, have a stronger specialty occupation argument than those in generalist coordination roles. The job description needs to reflect that specificity clearly.
Which visa types are realistic for a Program Lead seeking U.S. sponsorship?
H-1B is the primary path for most Program Leads, covering specialty occupation roles across sectors. Australian nationals can explore the E-3 visa, which has no lottery and an annual cap that has never been exhausted. Canadian and Mexican nationals may qualify under TN visa if the role maps to an eligible USMCA profession. Longer-term, EB-2 or EB-3 green card sponsorship is an option for employers willing to run PERM labor certification.
What degree background do employers typically expect for a sponsored Program Lead?
Most H-1B petitions for Program Lead roles cite degrees in business administration, public administration, computer science, public health, or engineering, depending on the program's focus area. A general liberal arts degree is harder to defend without supplementing it with relevant work experience or a PMP credential. The degree-to-role connection has to be explicit in the petition documentation submitted to USCIS.
How do I find employers actively sponsoring Program Lead roles?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified sponsorship history for program management and related titles, searchable by location and role type. Focusing on organizations that have already filed for similar positions saves time and increases your odds of a straightforward process.
Can a nonprofit or government contractor sponsor a Program Lead on an H-1B?
Yes. Nonprofits affiliated with universities and government research organizations are cap-exempt for H-1B, meaning they can file at any time and bypass the annual lottery. Government contractors operating in the private sector are cap-subject but frequently sponsor Program Leads, particularly in defense, healthcare IT, and infrastructure. Ask prospective employers directly whether they've filed H-1B petitions for this title before.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Program Lead 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.