Automation Specialist Jobs for OPT Students
Automation Specialist roles are strong OPT candidates because employers in manufacturing, software, and logistics routinely sponsor H-1B visas for this work. Your 12-month OPT window, or 24-month STEM extension if your degree qualifies, gives you real runway to prove your value and secure long-term sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsAt arrivia, we specialize in making brands better through the unparalleled power of travel. We are a global company on a mission to help people travel better and experience more. We are united by our core values: Stay Curious, Keep it Real, Own it, and Win Together.
We are seeking a critical technical partner to join our team as a Marketing Automation Specialist. This role is designed for a curious, driven, and detail-oriented professional eager to maximize the power of a premier platform like Marketo and scale our marketing efforts worldwide.
This is a hands-on role focused on enterprise-level operations. Your technical expertise, growth mindset, and love for data will directly translate into millions of exceptional travel experiences for our members.
What You'll Be Doing
Reporting to the SVP of Marketing Operations, you will build, maintain, and optimize our Marketo ecosystem by diving into enterprise operations:
- Marketo Architect: Assist with building, testing, deploying, and optimizing sophisticated program logic, nurturing flows, and smart lists within our Marketo system.
- System Integrator: Help set up Marketo to support new brands and partners, ensuring smooth integration and operation following best practices.
- The Go-Between (IT Liaison): Serve as a key liaison between Marketing and IT, specifically assisting with the setup of crucial email security settings.
- Data Detective: Dive into Marketo and other tools to pull campaign insights, ensuring data accuracy for precise targeting and segmentation. You will use tools like Excel (including Pivot Tables) to unlock key learnings.
- Email Expert: Assist with improving our email templates using your HTML/CSS skills for responsive design, troubleshooting functionality issues, and applying arrivia’s proven email marketing methodology.
- Technical Problem Solver: Help the team resolve technical issues assigned via our ticketing system.
What You'll Bring to the Journey
We're looking for someone who is eager to learn, takes initiative, and communicates proactively.
- 2+ Years of Hands-On Marketing Automation Experience: 2+ years with Marketo is highly preferred. Significant experience (2-3 years) with other enterprise platforms (Hubspot, Eloqua, etc.) coupled with a strong desire to master Marketo will be considered.
- Automation Builder: Proven experience building and setting up complex, multi-step automation programs.
- Code Comfort: Solid HTML/CSS skills for responsive email design and troubleshooting.
- Growth Mindset: A strong desire to expand technical skills into areas like APIs, Webhooks, and advanced Marketo functionality ("Stay Curious").
- Communication Pro: Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills ("Keep it Real").
- Organized and Driven: Highly organized, detail-oriented, and self-motivated—you thrive on managing multiple moving parts ("Own it").
- Education: Bachelor’s degree or 4+ years of relevant professional experience.
Bonus Skills That Will Make You Shine
- Marketo Certification (MCA or MCE)
- Experience with JavaScript and/or Apache Velocity scripting
- Understanding of query parameters in URLs and across websites
- Experience presenting technical concepts to non-technical audiences
At arrivia, we specialize in making brands better through the unparalleled power of travel. We are a global company on a mission to help people travel better and experience more. We are united by our core values: Stay Curious, Keep it Real, Own it, and Win Together.
We are seeking a critical technical partner to join our team as a Marketing Automation Specialist. This role is designed for a curious, driven, and detail-oriented professional eager to maximize the power of a premier platform like Marketo and scale our marketing efforts worldwide.
This is a hands-on role focused on enterprise-level operations. Your technical expertise, growth mindset, and love for data will directly translate into millions of exceptional travel experiences for our members.
What You'll Be Doing
Reporting to the SVP of Marketing Operations, you will build, maintain, and optimize our Marketo ecosystem by diving into enterprise operations:
- Marketo Architect: Assist with building, testing, deploying, and optimizing sophisticated program logic, nurturing flows, and smart lists within our Marketo system.
- System Integrator: Help set up Marketo to support new brands and partners, ensuring smooth integration and operation following best practices.
- The Go-Between (IT Liaison): Serve as a key liaison between Marketing and IT, specifically assisting with the setup of crucial email security settings.
- Data Detective: Dive into Marketo and other tools to pull campaign insights, ensuring data accuracy for precise targeting and segmentation. You will use tools like Excel (including Pivot Tables) to unlock key learnings.
- Email Expert: Assist with improving our email templates using your HTML/CSS skills for responsive design, troubleshooting functionality issues, and applying arrivia’s proven email marketing methodology.
- Technical Problem Solver: Help the team resolve technical issues assigned via our ticketing system.
What You'll Bring to the Journey
We're looking for someone who is eager to learn, takes initiative, and communicates proactively.
- 2+ Years of Hands-On Marketing Automation Experience: 2+ years with Marketo is highly preferred. Significant experience (2-3 years) with other enterprise platforms (Hubspot, Eloqua, etc.) coupled with a strong desire to master Marketo will be considered.
- Automation Builder: Proven experience building and setting up complex, multi-step automation programs.
- Code Comfort: Solid HTML/CSS skills for responsive email design and troubleshooting.
- Growth Mindset: A strong desire to expand technical skills into areas like APIs, Webhooks, and advanced Marketo functionality ("Stay Curious").
- Communication Pro: Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills ("Keep it Real").
- Organized and Driven: Highly organized, detail-oriented, and self-motivated—you thrive on managing multiple moving parts ("Own it").
- Education: Bachelor’s degree or 4+ years of relevant professional experience.
Bonus Skills That Will Make You Shine
- Marketo Certification (MCA or MCE)
- Experience with JavaScript and/or Apache Velocity scripting
- Understanding of query parameters in URLs and across websites
- Experience presenting technical concepts to non-technical audiences
How to Get Visa Sponsorship as an Automation Specialist
Target STEM OPT-eligible degree fields
Automation Specialist roles typically require degrees in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, or systems engineering, all of which qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before applying.
Prioritize employers with H-1B filing history
Look for companies that have sponsored H-1B visas for automation or controls engineers before. Past sponsorship behavior is the strongest signal that a company understands the process and will do it again for the right candidate.
Highlight PLC and SCADA certifications
Employers treat certifications in Siemens, Allen-Bradley, or Ignition SCADA as hard qualifications, not nice-to-haves. Candidates with these credentials are harder to replace, which strengthens the business case for sponsoring your visa down the line.
Apply to mid-sized manufacturers and integrators
Large OEMs get flooded with applicants. Mid-sized manufacturers and systems integrators often have genuine automation talent gaps and are more willing to work through OPT paperwork for a qualified candidate with the right technical stack.
Address your OPT timeline early but confidently
Bring up your work authorization status before the offer stage, not after. Frame it as: you are authorized to work now, STEM extension gives you three years total, and H-1B sponsorship is a straightforward next step for employers familiar with the process.
Quantify your automation impact in your resume
Hiring managers in this field want specifics. Stating that you reduced cycle time by a measurable amount or automated a previously manual process signals engineering maturity and makes your application stand out from candidates with generic project descriptions.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Do Automation Specialist jobs typically qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, in most cases. Automation Specialist roles generally require degrees in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, or related STEM fields, all of which are eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Your DSO confirms eligibility based on your specific CIP code, so verify with them before banking on the extension during your job search.
How much of my OPT period will a typical Automation Specialist hiring process use up?
Most hiring processes for automation roles, including technical assessments and background checks, take four to eight weeks from first interview to offer. Factor in your OPT start date and any remaining time on your EAD when timing applications. Starting your search at least three months before your program end date gives you the most flexibility and avoids unnecessary urgency.
Where can I find Automation Specialist jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters for employers who are open to sponsoring international candidates. Browsing Automation Specialist listings on Migrate Mate surfaces roles where sponsorship is a real possibility, saving you from spending weeks applying to companies that will not move forward once your work authorization comes up in interviews.
Can I work as a contractor or on a 1099 basis while on OPT as an Automation Specialist?
No. OPT requires that your work be directly related to your degree and that you are employed, not self-employed or working as an independent contractor without a formal employer relationship. Contract roles through a staffing agency that classifies you as a W-2 employee are generally fine, but 1099 arrangements are not permitted under OPT regulations. Confirm any non-traditional arrangement with your DSO before accepting.
Is an Automation Specialist role likely to lead to H-1B sponsorship after OPT?
Automation and controls engineering roles consistently appear among H-1B approved specialty occupations because they require at minimum a bachelor's degree in a specific technical field. Employers in manufacturing, automotive, and industrial technology sectors file H-1B petitions for these roles regularly. The strongest indicator is whether a company has sponsored automation engineers before, which DOL public disclosure data can help you verify.
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