R&D Software Engineer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
R&D Software Engineer roles sit squarely within H-1B visa specialty occupation territory, and many employers also qualify as cap-exempt institutions, skipping the annual lottery entirely. Sponsors file a Labor Condition Application before you start, certifying your wage meets prevailing levels for your location and role.
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Who We Are
Established in 1914, NOCO designs and creates premium automotive and consumer electronic products. Through these world-class offerings, NOCO has effectively set the new standard in design, performance, and safety of its products in the consumer, commercial, and industrial markets.
What You Will Be Doing with Us
You will apply senior software engineering expertise as part of the NOCO R&D group in Peoria, Arizona, providing software development and verification support for NOCO’s market-leading AC- and battery-powered consumer electronics such as vehicle jump starters (boosts), smart chargers, smart lithium batteries, air pumps, and other products. In this role you will:
- Architect and design code for ARM microcontroller-based NOCO products
- Design and implement control algorithms for electronic charging systems
- Support existing products, primarily vehicle boosts, with ongoing software feature enhancements
- Troubleshoot and determine root cause and resolution of production software issues
- Devise best-practice software coding & verification methodology, including use of AI LLM workflows and agents, and work with test engineers to implement automated testing
- Devise algorithms to maximize performance on both virtual and real hardware
- Work with prototype hardware and identify ways to leverage and enhance new hardware capabilities
- Work closely with hardware and test engineers, applying hands-on knowledge of electrical hardware design and lab test equipment to inform software design
- Code software for user interfaces such as LEDs and small format displays, as well as serial communications buses such as SPI, I2C, CAN Bus, and others
- Code software for fast charging/discharging of lithium batteries using industry standard interfaces such as USB-A, USB-C, and others. Knowledge of lithium battery charging methodology and battery management system (BMS) operation is required.
What You Will Need
- 10+ years of relevant hands-on embedded software development and a Bachelor of Science degree (or higher) in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or similar fields
- Must be a self-directed problem solver who can work in both individual and team settings to achieve robust software solutions for complex design challenges
- Must be able to organize and prioritize tasks across multiple projects to meet product timelines in the fast-paced consumer electronics market
- Experience developing both super-loop and RTOS threaded software architectures for real-time embedded software applications
- Good working knowledge of electronic hardware and system design to be able to write software meeting hardware functional requirements
- Ability to design and tune/verify PID control systems for general control applications, as well as for specific motor control schemes such as PMSM control, FOC, and BLDC trapezoidal control
- Familiarity with BSP/FSP/other peripheral code configuration & auto-generation tools, plus the ability to go beyond provided drivers to directly program features like ADC windowing and DMA, event controllers, timer usage, and experience with low power design
- Hands-on experience with electrical hardware design and interfacing with lab test equipment such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, electronic loads (e-loads), digital test equipment, etc.
- Working knowledge of methods for charging/discharging lithium batteries using industry standard interfaces such as USB-A, USB-C, and others, including BMS control, cell balancing techniques, charging profiles, etc.
- Familiarity with serial communications interfaces and protocols such as I2C/SMBus, SPI, & CAN Bus
- Proven ability to determine root-cause of software performance issues
- Proficient in C/C++, with an understanding of best-practice software development, source management, and verification methodologies targeting real-time systems
- Ability to work well in a cooperative and positive team environment, including mentoring junior developers
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and coordination skills as well as a talent and desire for mentoring junior engineers
What We Would Also Like
- Familiarity with real-time OS, ARM microcontrollers, Eclipse-based IDEs
- Knowledge in use and application of AI models, agents, and workflows for coding embedded and application software and automating processes
- Some knowledge of scripting methodology/languages such as Python or shell scripting
- Ability to learn new technologies and product areas quickly
- Experience using Windows-based and/or Linux-based code development environments
Employment Type & Location
This is a full-time, exempt position based on-site at NOCO’s Peoria, Arizona facility. Relocation assistance may be available for the right candidate.
Benefits
In addition to compensation, NOCO offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) with company match, and paid time off.
Physical Requirements & Safety
This role involves regular on-site hands-on work with electromechanical and electrochemical systems and lab test equipment. Candidates must be able to work safely in a laboratory and light-manufacturing environment, follow all electrical-safety protocols, and occasionally lift and handle equipment and battery products weighing up to 30 pounds.
Equal Opportunity Employer
NOCO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a R&D Software Engineer
Map your degree to your research domain
R&D roles require a direct field match between your degree and the research area you'll work in. A computer science degree supports a machine learning research role; a general engineering degree may draw an RFE if the job description emphasizes specialized subfields like computer vision or cryptography.
Target cap-exempt employers first
Universities, affiliated research labs, and nonprofit research institutions can file H-1B petitions outside the annual lottery cap. R&D software roles at these organizations let you start work without waiting for an October 1 start date tied to lottery selection.
Verify your prevailing wage tier before negotiating
Use the OFLC Wage Search to find the Level I through Level IV wage for your specific research role and metro area. Your offer must meet the certified LCA wage, so knowing the floor before you negotiate prevents the employer from inadvertently filing a non-compliant application.
Align your resume to O*NET task language
USCIS adjudicators cross-reference your job duties against the O*NET occupation profile for software developers and research engineers. Use O*NET task descriptions in your resume and offer letter to reduce the chance of a specialty occupation RFE on your petition.
Search Migrate Mate for verified R&D sponsors
Many R&D teams don't post sponsorship-confirmed listings on general job boards. Migrate Mate shows employers with verified LCA filing history for software and research roles, so you spend your time on companies that have already committed to sponsoring this exact job type.
Confirm PERM labor certification timing for green card
If your R&D employer plans to sponsor you for an EB-2 or EB-3 green card, PERM labor certification must be filed separately from your H-1B and typically takes six to twelve months before an I-140 can follow. Start this conversation at the offer stage, not after you've been on payroll for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an R&D Software Engineer role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, in most cases. USCIS treats software research and development roles as specialty occupations because they normally require at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field. The key is that your degree must align directly with the research area your role covers. If the job description emphasizes a narrow subfield like robotics or computational biology, a general computer science degree may still qualify, but your employer's support letter should spell out the connection explicitly.
Can I avoid the H-1B lottery as an R&D Software Engineer?
You can if your employer qualifies as cap-exempt. Universities, nonprofit research organizations, and entities affiliated with institutions of higher education can file H-1B petitions outside the annual cap and lottery. Many R&D software roles exist at national labs, university-affiliated research centers, and federally funded research institutions, all of which bypass the lottery. If you're weighing industry versus academic research positions, cap-exemption status is a concrete factor worth confirming before you sign.
What visa options exist for R&D Software Engineers beyond H-1B?
Australian nationals can use the E-3 visa, which has a 10,500 annual cap that has never been exhausted, no lottery, and covers specialty occupation roles including software R&D. Chilean and Singaporean nationals have access to the H-1B1 visa, which also skips the lottery. TN visa status is available to Canadian and Mexican nationals in computer systems analyst roles, though the fit for pure research positions is narrower and depends on how the role is described. Each visa requires a qualifying specialty occupation degree match.
How do I find R&D Software Engineer jobs where employers are confirmed sponsors?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified LCA filing history for software and research roles, so you can browse positions where sponsorship is already established rather than asking cold. This matters for R&D roles specifically because many research teams hire through internal referrals or academic networks and don't always advertise that they sponsor visas.
Will publishing research papers or holding patents strengthen my H-1B petition for an R&D role?
They strengthen it indirectly by supporting the specialty occupation argument, but they're not a substitute for the degree requirement. Where publications and patents matter most is if you're pursuing an O-1A for extraordinary ability or positioning for an EB-1A or EB-2 National Interest Waiver green card down the line. For the initial H-1B, USCIS focuses primarily on whether your degree directly relates to the research duties in the job description.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored R&D Software 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.