Systems Development Engineer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Systems Development Engineers build and optimize large-scale infrastructure at tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Most positions qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship as specialty occupations requiring computer science or engineering degrees. The role's technical depth and clear degree requirements make visa approval highly likely. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Job Type: Officer of Administration
Bargaining Unit:
Regular/Temporary: Regular
End Date if Temporary:
Hours Per Week: 35
Standard Work Schedule:
Building:
Salary Range: $105,000 - $120,000
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
Position Overview
Reporting to the Senior Director of Systems Development, the Senior Analyst, Systems Development is a key member of the Human Resources Information Services (HRIS) team. This position serves as a technical and functional resource for the University’s enterprise Human Capital Management (HCM) system, preferably PeopleSoft.
The incumbent possesses in-depth knowledge of core HCM functionality, including Human Resources, Payroll, Commitment Accounting, Manager Self Service, and Employee Self Service. The Senior Analyst combines strong analytical and technical skills with functional expertise to support business operations, system enhancements, reporting, testing, and implementation activities.
This role requires experience throughout the software development lifecycle, including gathering business requirements, developing functional specifications, creating and executing test plans, conducting regression and user acceptance testing, and supporting system upgrades, updates, customizations, integrations, and new module implementations.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary liaison between Human Resources, university-wide system users, and Information Technology to facilitate system enhancements, programming changes, and implementation of business requirements.
- Analyze business needs and recommend system solutions that improve efficiency, functionality, and user experience.
- Collaborate with HR and IT stakeholders to gather requirements and develop detailed functional specifications for enhancements, projects, and service requests.
- Participate in system upgrades, patches, module implementations, integrations, and other HRIS-related projects.
- Develop, execute, and document functional, technical, interface, regression, and user acceptance test plans to validate system functionality.
- Utilize SQL, Query Manager, and other reporting tools to extract, analyze, validate, and report HR data in support of operational and strategic decision-making.
- Identify, research, and resolve system issues and data discrepancies to ensure the accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality of HR data.
- Support system configuration, process improvements, and ongoing maintenance of HR applications.
- Provide guidance to Training and Communications teams in the development of user documentation, training materials, and presentations.
- Deliver end-user training and system demonstrations through virtual or in-person sessions.
- Maintain current knowledge of HRIS technologies, system functionality, and industry best practices.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; a degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred.
- Minimum of five (5) years of experience supporting enterprise Human Capital Management (HCM) systems and Human Resources business processes.
- Minimum of five (5) years of experience supporting PeopleSoft, Workday, Oracle HCM or a comparable enterprise Human Capital Management (HCM) system.
- Demonstrated experience supporting enterprise HR systems through analysis, testing, implementation, and ongoing system maintenance.
- Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Subject matter expertise in core HCM functionality, including system navigation, data maintenance, troubleshooting, and user support.
- Functional expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Payroll
- Workforce Administration
- Manager Self Service
- Employee Self Service
- Experience with HR data reporting, analytics, and data warehousing solutions.
- Working knowledge of PeopleSoft development and administrative tools, including:
- Query Manager
- SQL Developer
- Application Designer
- Application Engine
- Component Interface
- Process Scheduler
- Application Workflow Engine
- Experience with software development lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies, change management, and system testing best practices.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, including pivot tables, logical and statistical formulas, lookups, conditional formatting, and data analysis tools.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts into business-friendly language.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Systems Development Engineer
Target infrastructure-heavy companies
Focus on cloud providers, streaming services, and e-commerce giants. Companies like AWS, Netflix, and Uber heavily sponsor Systems Development Engineers because reliable infrastructure is business-critical.
Emphasize systems architecture experience
Highlight experience with distributed systems, cloud platforms, and automation tools. Employers need to justify why the role requires specialized knowledge beyond general software development.
Computer Science or Engineering degree required
This role typically requires a bachelor's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field. Electrical Engineering can work if you have relevant coursework or experience.
Showcase automation and DevOps skills
Experience with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, and monitoring systems strengthens your specialty occupation case. These skills directly relate to systems reliability and scalability.
Consider both SDE and SysDE roles
Some companies use "Software Development Engineer" for similar infrastructure roles. Expand your search to include both titles, especially at Amazon where distinctions vary by team.
Highlight on-call and reliability experience
Production support experience demonstrates the specialized knowledge needed for systems roles. Mention incident response, troubleshooting complex outages, and maintaining service level agreements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Systems Development Engineer roles qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes, Systems Development Engineer positions typically qualify as specialty occupations under H-1B visa requirements. The role requires specialized knowledge in distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and automation that directly relates to computer science or engineering education. Companies regularly sponsor these positions.
What degree do I need for Systems Development Engineer H-1B approval?
A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or closely related field is typically required. Electrical Engineering can work with relevant coursework or experience in software systems. The degree must relate to the specialized technical requirements of systems infrastructure work.
How to find Systems Development Engineer jobs with visa sponsorship?
Use Migrate Mate to find Systems Development Engineer positions with visa sponsorship. Focus on tech companies, cloud providers, and software firms that commonly sponsor H-1B and O-1 visas for technical roles. Filter searches by companies known for hiring international talent in systems architecture, infrastructure development, and platform engineering. These employers typically have established visa sponsorship programs for specialized engineering positions.
How do I prove specialty occupation for a Systems Development Engineer role?
Focus on the technical complexity of distributed systems, automation, and infrastructure reliability requirements. Document experience with cloud platforms, DevOps tools, and production systems. The role's requirement for specialized engineering knowledge beyond general programming helps establish specialty occupation status.
Are Systems Development Engineer roles available on other work visas?
Yes, these roles can qualify for L-1B transfers if you have specialized company knowledge, O-1 visas for exceptional technical ability in systems architecture, or E-3 visas for Australians. TN visa qualification depends on specific job duties and whether they align with Computer Systems Analyst classification.
What's the difference between SDE and Systems Development Engineer for visa purposes?
Both typically qualify for the same visa categories, but Systems Development Engineer roles often have stronger specialty occupation cases due to infrastructure focus. The specialized knowledge in distributed systems, reliability engineering, and production operations can make H-1B approval more straightforward than general software development positions.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Systems Development 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.