I'm in the exact same boat as you - a Canadian hoping to move to the States for work in the coming months. I've found a potential employer, and we've done a little research into the matter. What we've discovered is that the US-based employer needs to apply for an I-129, which I then take to a US Consulate and trade in for a 12-month temporary work visa.
We've found this resource very useful: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f...
Good luck! I'm hoping we both end up making it to SFO