Founding AI Engineer / Head of AI
Be the first dedicated AI hire at a venture-backed company: pick the stack, ship the first model-powered product, and build the team behind it.
Code WORKWITHUS unlocks the O1DMatch Starter plan at no cost. The eligibility check is an AI review of your background, not a legal opinion.
| Field | AI Research |
|---|---|
| Usual visa path | O-1A (extraordinary ability) |
| Who hires this profile | Seed to Series C startups, AI-first product companies |
| Market pay (data, not an offer) | USD 300k–350k base plus bonus and equity (example from a real posting) |
| Work type | Full-time roles, contracts and short gigs with U.S. companies |
| How to get matched | Free eligibility check, then a profile with code WORKWITHUS |
About the role
This profile is written for people already doing this work at a high level. U.S. employers that hire it include seed to Series C startups, AI-first product companies. The sections below cover the work, what those employers screen for, and how a career like this maps to the O-1.
What you would do
- Own the AI roadmap and the first production LLM or ML features
- Choose build-vs-buy for models, retrieval, evaluation and infrastructure
- Hire and lead the first AI engineers
- Explain trade-offs to founders, investors and customers
What U.S. employers look for
- A track record of shipping ML or LLM systems that real users touch
- Seniority signals: staff, principal or lead title, or a prior founding role
- Ability to work without a platform team behind you
- Public work (open source, talks, papers) is a plus
How this career maps to the O-1
An O-1 is judged against your field. People in this role usually build their case from evidence like this:
Pay
USD 300k–350k base plus bonus and equity (example from a real posting). Source: playbook v2, converted posting, Mar–Jul 2026. This is market data to help you benchmark, not an offer from O1DMatch or any employer.
Visa path
O-1A. Startups cannot wait for the H-1B lottery; an agent-based O-1A also lets you advise or work with more than one company.
Fit this profile? Here is how to get matched
- Run the free eligibility checkA short AI review of your background against the eight O-1 criteria. Most of what you enter carries into your profile.
- Create your profile with code WORKWITHUSTell us your field and the work you do today; every O-1 case is judged against your field.
- Upload your evidenceAward letters, press about you, contracts, pay records, judging invitations. Each file is sorted under the criterion it supports, and your criteria map shows what you already meet and what is one document away.
- Meet U.S. companiesEmployers on the platform post full-time roles and short gigs. Gigs you confirm with verified companies count toward the U.S. itinerary your petition needs.
- Get to an attorney-ready caseIf you have no U.S. employer to file for you, the platform shows agents that can petition. When your score reaches 75 with the key pieces in place, we connect you with an immigration attorney.
Code WORKWITHUS unlocks the O1DMatch Starter plan at no cost. The eligibility check is an AI review of your background, not a legal opinion.
Listings in this role family
Each listing is modeled on a real U.S. posting; the employer is not named. Apply through O1DMatch to be matched with employers hiring for this kind of role.
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How the agent-based O-1 works, from law firms
You do not need a single employer to file for you. A U.S. agent can petition for work with several employers. These explainers come from law firms, including ours, and from the regulation itself:
Read our plain-language guide →
Common questions
Is this a job opening?
No. This is a role profile: a description of a kind of role U.S. employers hire international talent for. It is not a vacancy at a specific company. If you fit it, O1DMatch helps you build the O-1 case and meet U.S. companies that post real roles and gigs on the platform.
Do I need one employer to file my petition?
Not necessarily. An O-1 must be filed by someone in the U.S., but that can be a U.S. agent filing for work with several employers. If you have no employer who can file, the platform shows agents that can petition on your behalf.
What does code WORKWITHUS give me?
It unlocks the O1DMatch Starter plan at no cost: your full eligibility breakdown and recommendations, your evidence map, and access to apply to roles and gigs from U.S. companies on the platform.
Does a high score mean my visa will be approved?
No. The score shows how your evidence lines up against the criteria. USCIS decides every case, and an attorney reviews yours before anything is filed. No outcome is promised.