OPT Electrical Engineering Jobs
Electrical engineering is one of the most consistently in-demand STEM disciplines for OPT students, with semiconductor companies, defense-adjacent firms, consumer electronics manufacturers, and utilities all actively hiring new graduates. The 24-month STEM OPT extension applies to electrical engineering degrees across every specialization, and employers in this field have well-established processes for supporting international talent through to H-1B visa sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Georgia-Pacific's Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant in Fordyce, AR is seeking a motivated individual to join our team as an Electrical and Instrumentation Technician. This position creates value by performing preventative and corrective maintenance that leads to increased uptime and reliability and contributes to the site's ability to meet production and quality goals.
Employees in this role will work a 12-Hour rotating shift, rotating Days (6:00am-6:00pm) and Nights (6:00pm-6:00am). This includes, but is not limited to overtime, holidays, and weekends scheduled as needed.
OUR TEAM
Our Georgia Pacific facility in Fordyce, AR manufactures Oriented Strand Board (OSB), compressed strands of wood chips that are bound together by adhesives which prevent moisture intrusion. This type of OSB is used for floor, wall, and roof sheathing in residential and light commercial construction applications.
We offer our employees the following:
- In addition to base pay, operators may be eligible for variable pay, provided as a monetary bonus, based on performance metrics and production targets.
- As part of Koch Industries, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, 401k with company match, and much more.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Share knowledge with other technicians for maintaining and troubleshooting PLCs, instrumentation, and controls
- Troubleshoot and install equipment at the component level, ensuring it is done in compliance with state, company plant codes, policies, and procedures
- Work on motors, pneumatic components, conveyor systems, and production machines
- Participate in project planning support and new equipment installation
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Two (2) year technical degree/certificate or a minimum of three (3) years of industrial experience in the electrical and/or instrumentation field
- Experience installing, troubleshooting, repairing, and calibrating electrical components
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience working with variable frequency drives and servo drives
- Experience working with pneumatic and hydraulic systems
- Experience with systems integration, including PLCs such as RSLogix and RSLinx, HMI, DCS, networking, communication, and power distribution
- Experience reading technical drawings, electrical & pneumatic schematics
- Experience working with the National Electric Code and compliance to the code
- Experience troubleshooting issues with bearings, chains, sprockets, gearboxes, and conveyors
- Experience working with and troubleshooting electrical systems that use 24v, 120v, 480v, 4160v, 13.8kv, single and 3-phase power
At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.
HIRING PHILOSOPHY
All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.
WHO WE ARE
At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.
OUR BENEFITS
Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave, and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.
Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, all offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify.
INTRODUCTION
Georgia-Pacific's Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant in Fordyce, AR is seeking a motivated individual to join our team as an Electrical and Instrumentation Technician. This position creates value by performing preventative and corrective maintenance that leads to increased uptime and reliability and contributes to the site's ability to meet production and quality goals.
Employees in this role will work a 12-Hour rotating shift, rotating Days (6:00am-6:00pm) and Nights (6:00pm-6:00am). This includes, but is not limited to overtime, holidays, and weekends scheduled as needed.
OUR TEAM
Our Georgia Pacific facility in Fordyce, AR manufactures Oriented Strand Board (OSB), compressed strands of wood chips that are bound together by adhesives which prevent moisture intrusion. This type of OSB is used for floor, wall, and roof sheathing in residential and light commercial construction applications.
We offer our employees the following:
- In addition to base pay, operators may be eligible for variable pay, provided as a monetary bonus, based on performance metrics and production targets.
- As part of Koch Industries, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, 401k with company match, and much more.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Share knowledge with other technicians for maintaining and troubleshooting PLCs, instrumentation, and controls
- Troubleshoot and install equipment at the component level, ensuring it is done in compliance with state, company plant codes, policies, and procedures
- Work on motors, pneumatic components, conveyor systems, and production machines
- Participate in project planning support and new equipment installation
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Two (2) year technical degree/certificate or a minimum of three (3) years of industrial experience in the electrical and/or instrumentation field
- Experience installing, troubleshooting, repairing, and calibrating electrical components
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience working with variable frequency drives and servo drives
- Experience working with pneumatic and hydraulic systems
- Experience with systems integration, including PLCs such as RSLogix and RSLinx, HMI, DCS, networking, communication, and power distribution
- Experience reading technical drawings, electrical & pneumatic schematics
- Experience working with the National Electric Code and compliance to the code
- Experience troubleshooting issues with bearings, chains, sprockets, gearboxes, and conveyors
- Experience working with and troubleshooting electrical systems that use 24v, 120v, 480v, 4160v, 13.8kv, single and 3-phase power
At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.
HIRING PHILOSOPHY
All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.
WHO WE ARE
At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.
OUR BENEFITS
Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave, and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.
Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, all offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify.
See all 1,162+ OPT Electrical Engineering Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsElectrical Engineering OPT Job Search Tips
Electrical engineering is one of the most consistently sponsored STEM fields
Semiconductor companies, aerospace firms, defense contractors, and utilities all sponsor electrical engineers for H-1B visas at high rates. Starting your OPT job search with employers who have a history of filings in your field puts you in the strongest position for long-term status.
Your EE degree qualifies you for STEM OPT extension
Electrical engineering is a STEM-classified degree, which means you’re eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension at an E-Verify employer. That gives you up to three years of work authorization and multiple H-1B lottery opportunities.
Security clearance requirements may apply to some roles, so check early
Defense and government-adjacent electrical engineering roles sometimes require security clearances. Non-citizens are generally not eligible for most clearance levels, so checking clearance requirements before applying saves time and keeps your search focused.
Target semiconductor and chip design companies for strong OPT demand
Companies working in semiconductor design, VLSI, embedded systems, and power electronics hire electrical engineers regularly and are familiar with international talent pipelines. Many are large enough to have established H-1B sponsorship programs.
Confirm your specific role aligns with your EE degree
OPT requires that employment be directly related to your major. Electrical engineering is a broad field, and roles in power systems, signal processing, embedded hardware, and RF engineering all qualify. If a role drifts into general project management or sales, check with your DSO first.
Use engineering career fairs to connect directly with sponsoring employers
Many electrical engineering employers recruit specifically at university career fairs, including for OPT students. These events are one of the most direct paths to employers who are already comfortable with the international hiring process.
Electrical Engineering OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Which electrical engineering specializations are most in demand for OPT students?
Chip design and semiconductor engineering, embedded systems, RF and signal processing, power systems, and hardware verification are the specializations with the highest hiring volumes for new OPT graduates. Semiconductor companies in particular recruit heavily from U.S. university programs and are experienced with OPT hiring and STEM OPT compliance. Consumer electronics, automotive electronics, and telecommunications are also consistent hiring sectors.
Do defense companies hire electrical engineering OPT students?
Some roles at defense contractors are open to visa holders, but many positions require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency due to security clearance and ITAR requirements. Job postings from defense companies clearly specify when citizenship is required, so reading those requirements before applying saves time. Commercial aerospace and electronics firms without classified work have a much broader pool of OPT-eligible roles.
What should I expect from the hiring process at semiconductor companies as an OPT student?
Semiconductor companies typically have rigorous technical interview processes focused on circuit design fundamentals, digital logic, and programming in HDLs like Verilog or VHDL depending on the role. These companies are highly experienced with OPT hiring from top engineering programs and have dedicated campus recruiting relationships. Preparing your technical fundamentals thoroughly and highlighting any relevant lab, internship, or research experience is the most important preparation step.
Is a master's degree in electrical engineering better than a bachelor's for OPT jobs?
A master's degree can open senior-level roles that are not accessible at the bachelor's level, and some companies specifically recruit for master's-level engineering positions. For standard OPT job hunting, the degree level matters less than the relevance of your coursework and practical experience. Both bachelor's and master's EE graduates qualify for the STEM OPT extension and are competitive for OPT roles.
How do I position myself for H-1B sponsorship starting in an EE OPT role?
Working in a role with clearly technical duties that directly apply your degree, demonstrating performance over your OPT period, and having an early conversation with your employer about their H-1B sponsorship program are the three most important steps. Semiconductor and hardware companies typically file significant H-1B volumes and have the infrastructure to support sponsorship. Documenting your contributions clearly during OPT builds the evidence base for a strong sponsorship case.