OPT General Manager Jobs
General Manager jobs on OPT require employers willing to sponsor H-1B visa or provide cap-exempt work authorization, since GM roles typically fall under specialty occupation criteria through business administration degrees. Your 12-month OPT window, or 24-month STEM extension if eligible, shapes which employers and industries to prioritize.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Sodexo is seeking a General Manager 4 Food - Schools to lead our K-12 schools account, located in Bartlesville, OK. This position requires someone who has strong financial acumen, the ability to communicate effectively, and be able to respond to the needs of district administration, staff, employees as well as parents, students and community.
If you’re energized by leading teams, elevating dining experiences, and making a daily impact, this role offers the opportunity to do all three. As the GM, you’ll do more than oversee operations—you’ll shape the student experience by driving innovation, strengthening service excellence, and empowering a team that takes pride in delivering exceptional results. This is an exciting role for someone who thrives on building strong client relationships, inspiring teams, and leading a program toward growth, consistency, and long-term success.
At Sodexo, we deliver food, nutrition, environmental and facilities management solutions to partnered K-12 schools. Joining us at one of our school sites means fostering healthy learning environments and positively influencing the students’ well-being and performance.
Incentives: RELOCATION ASSISTANCE & BONUS ELIGIBLE POSITION
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
What You'll Do:
- Have oversight of day-to-day operations
- Create a positive working environment
- Have a strong financial acumen and achieve company and client financial targets and goals
- Have experience managing multiple locations
- Integrate fully within our client’s organization becoming a trusted adviser and member of the account's leadership team
- Develop and execute a strategy to accelerate business growth
- Create an exceptional student experience through marketing, menu design, and food quality
- Lead and motivate the management team, inspiring strategic direction
- Ensure the fulfillment of all contract commitments
- Sustain client satisfaction and retention
- Maintain strong employee relations
WHAT WE OFFER
Compensation is fair and equitable, partially determined by a candidate's education level or years of relevant experience. Salary offers are based on a candidate's specific criteria, like experience, skills, education, and training. Sodexo offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include:
- Medical, Dental, Vision Care and Wellness Programs
- 401(k) Plan with Matching Contributions
- Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
- Career Growth Opportunities and Tuition Reimbursement
More extensive information is provided to new employees upon hire.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What You Bring:
- Have a work history demonstrating strong employee engagement leadership skills, as well as previous supervisory experience and the ability to work collaboratively
- Has experience working within K-12 services and National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
- Can manage multiple priorities, demonstrate professional communication skills, and a passion for a high level of customer service
- Prioritize tasks and exhibit flexibility to take on additional responsibilities
- A valid driver's license is required
WHO WE ARE
At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone and build a better life for all. We believe in improving the quality of life for those we serve and contributing to the economic, social, and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Sodexo partners with clients to provide a truly memorable experience for both customers and employees alike. We do this by providing food service, catering, facilities management, and other integrated solutions worldwide.
Our company values you for you; you will be treated fairly and with respect, and you can be yourself. You will have your ideas count and your opinions heard because we can be a stronger team when you’re happy at work. This is why we embrace diversity and inclusion as core values, fostering an environment where all employees are valued and respected. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to individuals regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, military status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you need assistance with the application process, please complete this form.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum Education Requirement – Associate’s degree, with academic major in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, business, or a related field
- Minimum Management Experience - 3 years
- Minimum Functional Experience - 4 years of relevant school nutrition programs experience
INTRODUCTION
Sodexo is seeking a General Manager 4 Food - Schools to lead our K-12 schools account, located in Bartlesville, OK. This position requires someone who has strong financial acumen, the ability to communicate effectively, and be able to respond to the needs of district administration, staff, employees as well as parents, students and community.
If you’re energized by leading teams, elevating dining experiences, and making a daily impact, this role offers the opportunity to do all three. As the GM, you’ll do more than oversee operations—you’ll shape the student experience by driving innovation, strengthening service excellence, and empowering a team that takes pride in delivering exceptional results. This is an exciting role for someone who thrives on building strong client relationships, inspiring teams, and leading a program toward growth, consistency, and long-term success.
At Sodexo, we deliver food, nutrition, environmental and facilities management solutions to partnered K-12 schools. Joining us at one of our school sites means fostering healthy learning environments and positively influencing the students’ well-being and performance.
Incentives: RELOCATION ASSISTANCE & BONUS ELIGIBLE POSITION
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
What You'll Do:
- Have oversight of day-to-day operations
- Create a positive working environment
- Have a strong financial acumen and achieve company and client financial targets and goals
- Have experience managing multiple locations
- Integrate fully within our client’s organization becoming a trusted adviser and member of the account's leadership team
- Develop and execute a strategy to accelerate business growth
- Create an exceptional student experience through marketing, menu design, and food quality
- Lead and motivate the management team, inspiring strategic direction
- Ensure the fulfillment of all contract commitments
- Sustain client satisfaction and retention
- Maintain strong employee relations
WHAT WE OFFER
Compensation is fair and equitable, partially determined by a candidate's education level or years of relevant experience. Salary offers are based on a candidate's specific criteria, like experience, skills, education, and training. Sodexo offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include:
- Medical, Dental, Vision Care and Wellness Programs
- 401(k) Plan with Matching Contributions
- Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
- Career Growth Opportunities and Tuition Reimbursement
More extensive information is provided to new employees upon hire.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What You Bring:
- Have a work history demonstrating strong employee engagement leadership skills, as well as previous supervisory experience and the ability to work collaboratively
- Has experience working within K-12 services and National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
- Can manage multiple priorities, demonstrate professional communication skills, and a passion for a high level of customer service
- Prioritize tasks and exhibit flexibility to take on additional responsibilities
- A valid driver's license is required
WHO WE ARE
At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone and build a better life for all. We believe in improving the quality of life for those we serve and contributing to the economic, social, and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Sodexo partners with clients to provide a truly memorable experience for both customers and employees alike. We do this by providing food service, catering, facilities management, and other integrated solutions worldwide.
Our company values you for you; you will be treated fairly and with respect, and you can be yourself. You will have your ideas count and your opinions heard because we can be a stronger team when you’re happy at work. This is why we embrace diversity and inclusion as core values, fostering an environment where all employees are valued and respected. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to individuals regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, military status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you need assistance with the application process, please complete this form.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum Education Requirement – Associate’s degree, with academic major in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, business, or a related field
- Minimum Management Experience - 3 years
- Minimum Functional Experience - 4 years of relevant school nutrition programs experience
See all 995+ OPT General Manager Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a General Manager
Target mid-size companies over startups
Mid-size companies with established HR departments are more likely to have H-1B visa sponsorship infrastructure in place. Early-stage startups often lack the legal resources to sponsor international employees, making your OPT transition harder.
Lead with your specialty occupation case
General Manager roles require a specific business or management degree to qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes. Frame your MBA or business degree prominently so hiring managers understand your visa pathway is straightforward.
Prioritize STEM-adjacent GM roles if eligible
If your degree qualifies for STEM OPT extension, target GM roles in technology, engineering, or operations divisions. These extend your authorized work period to three years total, giving employers a longer sponsorship runway.
Quantify operational impact in your application
Employers sponsoring OPT students want certainty you'll justify the cost. Lead with measurable outcomes like revenue growth, team size managed, or cost reductions to demonstrate the business case for investing in your work authorization.
Apply well before your OPT end date
H-1B cap-subject petitions must be filed by April 1 for October 1 start dates. If your OPT expires before October, you need an employer who can bridge the gap or file for cap-exempt status through qualifying institutions.
Focus on industries with high sponsorship rates
Healthcare systems, hotel chains, and large retail corporations routinely sponsor General Managers because these roles are operationally critical. These industries have established legal teams familiar with international employee sponsorship processes.
General Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do General Manager jobs qualify as specialty occupations for H-1B sponsorship?
General Manager roles can qualify as specialty occupations, but it depends on how the position is defined. USCIS requires the role to normally require at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field like business administration, operations management, or a related discipline. Vague job descriptions that accept any degree field are harder to support. Employers need to document that a specific degree is an industry standard for the position.
Can I work as a General Manager on OPT before finding an H-1B sponsor?
Yes. OPT authorizes full-time employment in your field of study for 12 months after graduation, or up to 36 months with a STEM extension. You can start working as a General Manager immediately after your OPT is approved, provided the role is directly related to your degree. Browse General Manager roles open to OPT candidates on Migrate Mate to find employers already comfortable with international hires.
What degree fields support an OPT General Manager role?
Business administration, management, operations management, hospitality management, and finance degrees most commonly support General Manager positions under OPT and specialty occupation requirements. If your degree is in a field like engineering or computer science, you'd need to demonstrate a clear connection between your coursework and the GM role's responsibilities, which can be harder to establish in traditional industries.
How does the STEM OPT extension affect my timeline as an F-1 student in a GM role?
If your degree qualifies as STEM, your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify to support a 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to 36 months of total work authorization. This significantly increases your value to employers because they have three full H-1B lottery cycles to sponsor you instead of one. Operations, technology, and supply chain GM roles at qualifying companies are your best fit.
Is General Manager experience from outside the U.S. relevant when applying for these roles on OPT?
International management experience is relevant and can strengthen your application, but it does not substitute for the degree requirement under OPT rules. Your authorized employment must relate to your U.S. degree field, not just your prior job title. That said, documented experience managing teams, budgets, or operations abroad demonstrates readiness for senior roles and can accelerate sponsorship conversations with employers.