Senior Designer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Senior Designer roles attract H-1B visa and O-1A sponsorship from employers in tech, media, and consumer brands. Most positions require a bachelor's degree in design or a related field. Competition is real, but design-forward companies sponsor regularly. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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We are seeking a Senior Designer to join our Civil and Structural Engineering team in Sacramento, CA. The Senior Designer will be responsible for the design, production, and coordination of construction plans and drawings in support of bridge engineering projects.
- Typical duties may involve, depending on service, conceptual and final design of bridges.
- Researches, recommends and presents alternate design approaches based upon client request, governmental code requirements and other needs.
- Performs and supervises designs utilizing CAD.
- Coordinates, monitors and oversees design completion, permit applications, material quantities and cost estimates performed by junior designers and technicians.
- Assists junior professionals in making design decisions.
- May write specifications, feasibility studies, plans and preliminary reports.
- Organizes or directs field visits to collect data or resolve design conflicts.
- May train less experienced junior professionals, designers and CAD technicians as required.
- Performs such other duties as the Supervisor may from time to time deem necessary.
About you
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture or equivalent technical discipline plus ten years' experience, including at least seven as a Designer
- Required experience with steel Bridge projects.
- Required experience with Bentley OpenBridge.
- Proficiency in CAD, preferably within Bentley/MicroStation environments.
- Strong technical writing and communication skills.
Rewards & benefits
At AtkinsRéalis, our values—Safety, Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation, and Excellence—are more than just words. They are the foundation of who we are and how we work. These principles shape our culture, guide our decisions, and inspire us to create an environment where every team member feels empowered to grow, succeed, and make a meaningful impact.
Depending on your employment status, AtkinsRéalis benefits may include medical, dental, vision, company-paid life and short- and long-term disability benefits, employer-matched 401(k) with 100% vesting, employee stock purchase plan, Paid Time Off, leaves of absences options, flexible work options, recognition and employee satisfaction programs, employee assistance program, and voluntary benefits.
About AtkinsRéalis
We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.
Additional information
Expected compensation range is between $115k-$175k annually depending on skills, experience, and geographical location.
Are you ready to expand your career with us? Apply today and help us shape something extraordinary.
AtkinsRéalis is an equal opportunity, Drug-Free employer EOE/Veteran/Disability
Upon acceptance of an offer, all candidates must go through a drug screen test and background check. AtkinsRéalis is a federal contractor which mandates a satisfactory background screening report and drug test. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for Employment in accordance with the following laws if applicable, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the California Fair Chance Act. This position is not available for individuals living or working in New York City. AtkinsRéalis believes that conviction records may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship to the following job duties: accessing company property, information, assets, and products; accessing confidential information and partnering and regularly working with or supervising other AtkinsRéalis employees and interacting with AtkinsRéalis clients including government property or ports.
AtkinsRéalis cares about your privacy and is committed to protecting your privacy. Please consult our Privacy Notice on our Careers site to know more about how we collect, use and transfer your Personal Data. By submitting your personal information to AtkinsRéalis, you confirm that you have read and accept our Privacy Notice.
Note to staffing and direct hire agencies:
In the event a recruiter or agency who is not on our preferred supplier list submits a resume/candidate to anyone in the company, AtkinsRéalis family of companies, we explicitly reserve the right to recruit and hire the candidate(s) at our discretion and without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency.
Overview
We are seeking a Senior Designer to join our Civil and Structural Engineering team in Sacramento, CA. The Senior Designer will be responsible for the design, production, and coordination of construction plans and drawings in support of bridge engineering projects.
- Typical duties may involve, depending on service, conceptual and final design of bridges.
- Researches, recommends and presents alternate design approaches based upon client request, governmental code requirements and other needs.
- Performs and supervises designs utilizing CAD.
- Coordinates, monitors and oversees design completion, permit applications, material quantities and cost estimates performed by junior designers and technicians.
- Assists junior professionals in making design decisions.
- May write specifications, feasibility studies, plans and preliminary reports.
- Organizes or directs field visits to collect data or resolve design conflicts.
- May train less experienced junior professionals, designers and CAD technicians as required.
- Performs such other duties as the Supervisor may from time to time deem necessary.
About you
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture or equivalent technical discipline plus ten years' experience, including at least seven as a Designer
- Required experience with steel Bridge projects.
- Required experience with Bentley OpenBridge.
- Proficiency in CAD, preferably within Bentley/MicroStation environments.
- Strong technical writing and communication skills.
Rewards & benefits
At AtkinsRéalis, our values—Safety, Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation, and Excellence—are more than just words. They are the foundation of who we are and how we work. These principles shape our culture, guide our decisions, and inspire us to create an environment where every team member feels empowered to grow, succeed, and make a meaningful impact.
Depending on your employment status, AtkinsRéalis benefits may include medical, dental, vision, company-paid life and short- and long-term disability benefits, employer-matched 401(k) with 100% vesting, employee stock purchase plan, Paid Time Off, leaves of absences options, flexible work options, recognition and employee satisfaction programs, employee assistance program, and voluntary benefits.
About AtkinsRéalis
We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.
Additional information
Expected compensation range is between $115k-$175k annually depending on skills, experience, and geographical location.
Are you ready to expand your career with us? Apply today and help us shape something extraordinary.
AtkinsRéalis is an equal opportunity, Drug-Free employer EOE/Veteran/Disability
Upon acceptance of an offer, all candidates must go through a drug screen test and background check. AtkinsRéalis is a federal contractor which mandates a satisfactory background screening report and drug test. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for Employment in accordance with the following laws if applicable, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the California Fair Chance Act. This position is not available for individuals living or working in New York City. AtkinsRéalis believes that conviction records may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship to the following job duties: accessing company property, information, assets, and products; accessing confidential information and partnering and regularly working with or supervising other AtkinsRéalis employees and interacting with AtkinsRéalis clients including government property or ports.
AtkinsRéalis cares about your privacy and is committed to protecting your privacy. Please consult our Privacy Notice on our Careers site to know more about how we collect, use and transfer your Personal Data. By submitting your personal information to AtkinsRéalis, you confirm that you have read and accept our Privacy Notice.
Note to staffing and direct hire agencies:
In the event a recruiter or agency who is not on our preferred supplier list submits a resume/candidate to anyone in the company, AtkinsRéalis family of companies, we explicitly reserve the right to recruit and hire the candidate(s) at our discretion and without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency.
See all 3,664+ Senior Designer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Senior Designer roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Senior Designer
Lead with a portfolio, not just a resume
Visa sponsorship decisions for Senior Designer roles hinge on demonstrated work. Employers need to justify the specialty occupation classification, and a strong portfolio showing measurable impact makes that case far more convincingly than a resume alone.
Target employers with a design-led culture
Companies where design sits at the product core, not as a support function, are more likely to sponsor. They understand the value of specialized talent and have established HR and legal processes for navigating H-1B or O-1A petitions for designers.
Understand the specialty occupation argument
H-1B approval for design roles requires proving the position demands a specific bachelor's degree. Roles blending UX, research, and systems design are stronger candidates than generalist creative roles where no single degree field is clearly required.
Consider the O-1A if your work has earned recognition
If you've won design awards, been featured in industry publications, or led work with measurable business impact, the O-1A visa is worth exploring. It has no lottery and can be a faster path for Senior Designers with a strong track record.
Engage legal counsel early in the process
Sponsorship for creative roles faces more USCIS scrutiny than engineering positions. Having an immigration attorney involved before the offer stage helps employers frame the petition correctly and reduces the risk of a Request for Evidence.
Filter for visa-friendly employers from the start
Not every design team has experience with sponsorship. Browse Migrate Mate to find Senior Designer roles at employers who have an established track record of sponsoring work visas, saving time and avoiding offers that fall through at the legal stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Senior Designer role qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes, but it requires careful framing. The employer must demonstrate that the position is a specialty occupation requiring a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field, such as graphic design, interaction design, or visual communication. Generalist roles where any degree suffices are harder to approve. Roles with a clear UX, product design, or design systems focus tend to hold up better under USCIS scrutiny.
Does my design degree need to be in a specific field to qualify?
The degree needs to relate directly to the job duties. A bachelor's in graphic design, industrial design, human-computer interaction, or a closely related field supports the specialty occupation argument. A general arts degree with no design coursework is harder to use. If your degree field is adjacent, a strong body of coursework and professional experience in design can help bridge the gap, though approval is less certain.
How does the H-1B lottery affect my chances as a Senior Designer?
The H-1B lottery applies to most Senior Designer roles the same way it applies to any cap-subject petition. With a selection rate around 25% in recent years, a single lottery cycle is far from guaranteed. Australians can sidestep the lottery entirely with the E-3 visa. Designers with demonstrated recognition in their field may also qualify for the O-1A, which has no lottery and no annual cap.
Are Senior Designer roles commonly sponsored by U.S. employers?
Sponsorship is most common at tech companies, large consumer brands, and design-forward agencies where design is treated as a core function. Smaller studios and startups sponsor less frequently, either due to cost or unfamiliarity with the process. Browse Migrate Mate to find Senior Designer positions at employers who have an active track record of visa sponsorship, rather than filtering manually across general job boards.
Can I switch employers mid-visa as a sponsored Senior Designer?
Yes. On an H-1B, portability rules allow you to start working for a new employer as soon as the new petition is filed, without waiting for approval, provided your original petition was approved and you've maintained valid status. The new employer files a fresh H-1B transfer petition. Your role title, duties, and degree alignment will be reassessed, so the new position still needs to meet specialty occupation requirements.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Senior Designer 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.