Jobs / United States / Ideo Lp
Senior Software Design Lead
Ideo Lp · 🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 7 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 1 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Ideo Lp paid sponsored hires in similar roles2 certified filings for “Comm Design - Graphic Design Director” (Graphic Designers) in CA: $104k–$154k, median $129k. Most were filed at wage level II (50%) — 2 lottery entries, ≈31% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
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Sponsor Radar — Ideo Lp
The US Department of Labor certified 7 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 1 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Ideo Lp →
About the role
Senior Software Design Lead, IDEO San Francisco In a nutshell: IDEO San Francisco is in search of a Senior Software Design Lead who will architect the human and technical systems behind the digital products and AI experiences we design, build prototypes that behave like real production software, and be the technical voice client CTOs trust. You'll pick up design at IDEO along the way. Why is this role important for IDEO’s work? Software design makes the biggest impact by turning a product vision into something a client can actually build, and by testing ideas in working code rather than static screens. Their skillset is critical to our business because the work has evolved from designing interfaces to designing systems: how people, software, and AI agents behave together. We count on them to understand data models, APIs and agentic infrastructure from first principles, and speak credibly on technical choices with executives and engineering leaders. Once here you will: • Work with product designers, product strategists and design researchers on 8–12+ week digital product engagements that may span from product vision and strategy to full end-to-end build. You will play a key role in turning human insights into technical architecture: data, APIs, integrations and the agentic layer. • Build early prototypes with real data, real models and real integrations, so we learn quickly and lower the risk of big bets. • Advise client executives and engineering teams on tech stack choices, build-vs-buy, evaluating APIs and LLMs, and feasibility. • Design how agents and systems behave on a human's behalf, including guardrails, failure states and how the system stays legible to both people and machines. • Raise the craft bar inside IDEO. Create reusable starter kits and toolkits so teams stop building from scratch, and coach designers who prototype in code. • Help shape proposals and scope technical work in business development. What does IDEO offer you? IDEO is a place where you can solve diverse, complex challenges for our clients and their organizations, alongside thoughtful, intelligent individuals who lead with curiosity, empathy, and humility. We intentionally craft moments that allow our community to pause, create, and connect. We encourage our community to bring their whole selves to work, respect the need for work-life balance, and allow for autonomy in the design process and your career. As a Software Designer in San Francisco, we provide the opportunity for you to: • Learn design from a leading design and innovation firm . IDEO's founders designed Apple's first mouse and the first laptop. Since then, we've kept people at the center of design through every wave of technological change. You'd learn to do field research with real people, synthesize insights and tell compelling stories, and work alongside some of the best designers in the world. • Work across many problem spaces . In one year you might redesign a retail or finance app, prototype new ideas in media and entertainment, and take on systemic challenges in health and education. Working across clients and industries stretches your thinking. A good solution isn't only technically sound: it has to fit real people, real businesses and the constraints they work within. • Be in the room for the "why" before the "how." You'd shape the question from day one instead of receiving a spec after decisions have been made. And you’d help build this practice at IDEO to shape how next generation digital products are designed and built in the era of AI. Some previous projects to check out: Straight Arrow News : a redesigned news app and website with features like See All Sides, Sources and Media Landscape views. App page views grew 1,170% and active users 700%. This role would d