OPT Marine Electrician Jobs
Marine Electrician jobs on OPT involve installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting electrical systems on ships, submarines, and offshore platforms. Most roles qualify as STEM OPT extensions under electrical engineering classifications, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization. Shipyards and defense contractors are your most active hiring sectors.
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Get Access To All JobsIf you like variety and challenge and take satisfaction from knowing your work supports marine sustainability, consider joining the Michels Construction, Inc., Marine Operations team. Marine Operations provides services to include mechanical and hydraulic dredging, certified commercial diving, lock and dam repair, inspection, and debris removal, just to name a few. The end product might not be visible, but it will be essential. Our work improves lives. Find out how a career at Michels Construction, Inc. can change yours.
As a Project Manager, Marine Construction, your key responsibilities will be to manage a phase of a large complex project or manage multiple medium sized marine construction projects that are approximately greater than $1M and are up to $50M. It is also your responsibility to plan, direct and coordinate activities of designated projects to ensure that goals or objectives of the project are accomplished within prescribed time frame and funding parameters.
Why Michels Construction, Inc.?
- We support dynamic and growing industries
- We are family owned and operated
- We invest an average of $5,000 per employee on training each year
- We reward hard work and dedication with limitless opportunities
- We are a part of the Michels family of companies – one of North America's largest, most diversified energy and infrastructure contractors
- We offer a comprehensive benefits program, including Health, Dental, Life, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account, Short Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance, 401(k) plan, Legal Plan, and Identity Theft and Monitoring Plan. Depending on your positions and location you may participate in a different benefit plan.
Why you?
- You want to win.
- You thrive in fast-paced environments
- You relish new challenges and evolving technology
- You want your work to be meaningful
- You enjoy collaborating and communicating with your teammates
- You like to know your efforts are noticed and appreciated
- You are flexible and optimistic
What it takes:
- Bachelor's degree and 3+ years of related experience or equivalent combination of both
- Project Management experience in Marine Construction or Heavy Civil is desired
- Ability to be on the water performing work in varying conditions
- Position requires extensive travel throughout the United States (50% or more)
- Experience with B2W, Microsoft Project, and AutoCad a plus but not required
AA/EOE/M/W/Vet/Disability
If you like variety and challenge and take satisfaction from knowing your work supports marine sustainability, consider joining the Michels Construction, Inc., Marine Operations team. Marine Operations provides services to include mechanical and hydraulic dredging, certified commercial diving, lock and dam repair, inspection, and debris removal, just to name a few. The end product might not be visible, but it will be essential. Our work improves lives. Find out how a career at Michels Construction, Inc. can change yours.
As a Project Manager, Marine Construction, your key responsibilities will be to manage a phase of a large complex project or manage multiple medium sized marine construction projects that are approximately greater than $1M and are up to $50M. It is also your responsibility to plan, direct and coordinate activities of designated projects to ensure that goals or objectives of the project are accomplished within prescribed time frame and funding parameters.
Why Michels Construction, Inc.?
- We support dynamic and growing industries
- We are family owned and operated
- We invest an average of $5,000 per employee on training each year
- We reward hard work and dedication with limitless opportunities
- We are a part of the Michels family of companies – one of North America's largest, most diversified energy and infrastructure contractors
- We offer a comprehensive benefits program, including Health, Dental, Life, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account, Short Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance, 401(k) plan, Legal Plan, and Identity Theft and Monitoring Plan. Depending on your positions and location you may participate in a different benefit plan.
Why you?
- You want to win.
- You thrive in fast-paced environments
- You relish new challenges and evolving technology
- You want your work to be meaningful
- You enjoy collaborating and communicating with your teammates
- You like to know your efforts are noticed and appreciated
- You are flexible and optimistic
What it takes:
- Bachelor's degree and 3+ years of related experience or equivalent combination of both
- Project Management experience in Marine Construction or Heavy Civil is desired
- Ability to be on the water performing work in varying conditions
- Position requires extensive travel throughout the United States (50% or more)
- Experience with B2W, Microsoft Project, and AutoCad a plus but not required
AA/EOE/M/W/Vet/Disability
See all OPT Marine Electrician Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Marine Electrician Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Marine Electrician
Confirm your degree qualifies for STEM OPT
Marine Electrician roles typically fall under electrical or marine engineering SOC codes. Verify your degree program appears on the STEM OPT designated degree list before applying, since your 36-month extension eligibility depends entirely on that classification matching your employer's job.
Target defense and government shipyard contractors
Companies like Huntington Ingalls and BAE Systems hire marine electricians regularly and have established OPT hiring pipelines. Large defense contractors are more familiar with work authorization requirements than smaller marine service shops, making the sponsorship conversation considerably more straightforward from the start.
Get your TWIC card before you apply
A Transportation Worker Identification Credential is mandatory for unescorted access to secure port facilities. Applying early signals professional readiness to employers and removes a common onboarding bottleneck. Processing takes four to six weeks, so start your application before you begin interviewing for shipyard positions.
Frame your OPT timeline around project cycles
Shipyard projects run on multi-year contracts. When discussing your OPT status, connect your 36-month STEM window to the project duration your employer is hiring for. This reframes your authorization as an asset aligned with their work schedule rather than an administrative inconvenience worth avoiding.
Highlight relevant certifications prominently
OSHA 10 or 30, NFPA 70E electrical safety, and any marine classification society training significantly strengthen your application. Hiring managers in shipyards use certifications as a first filter. List them at the top of your resume, not buried in a separate section, to clear that screen immediately.
Apply to commercial shipyards alongside naval contractors
Cruise lines, ferry operators, and offshore energy companies also hire marine electricians and are often more flexible on visa status than defense contractors requiring security clearances. Spreading applications across both sectors improves your chances and gives you leverage when negotiating your start date and onboarding timeline.
Marine Electrician OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Marine Electrician jobs qualify for the 36-month STEM OPT extension?
Most do, but it depends on your degree field. Marine Electrician roles are commonly classified under SOC code 49-2096 (Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers) or adjacent electrical engineering codes. If your degree is in electrical engineering, marine engineering, or a related STEM field on the designated degree list, you'll likely qualify for the full 36-month extension. Confirm with your DSO before accepting an offer.
Can I work on U.S. naval or military vessels as an OPT student?
Roles on active U.S. naval vessels typically require U.S. citizenship due to security clearance requirements. However, OPT students can work for private defense contractors at shipyards on naval construction and repair projects without a clearance, provided the specific role doesn't require classified access. Commercial shipyards and offshore platforms generally have no citizenship restrictions for marine electricians on OPT.
What happens to my OPT status if my shipyard contract ends before my authorization expires?
You have a 60-day unemployment grace period after your employment ends, during which you can search for a new position. On STEM OPT, you're also allowed up to 150 days of unemployment total across your entire extension period. Use that window actively. Migrate Mate lists Marine Electrician roles specifically open to OPT candidates, which can shorten your search significantly.
Do Marine Electrician employers need to file any immigration paperwork to hire me on OPT?
For standard OPT, the employer doesn't file anything with USCIS. Your EAD card covers your work authorization. For the STEM OPT extension, your employer must enroll in E-Verify and sign a formal training plan (Form I-983) with your school. Most large shipyards already use E-Verify, so this is rarely an obstacle at established contractors.
Where can I find Marine Electrician jobs that are open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for F-1 OPT candidates, so you're not wasting time applying to roles where work authorization will disqualify you. Marine Electrician openings on Migrate Mate include shipyard positions, offshore platform roles, and commercial vessel contractors across major port cities including Seattle, Norfolk, Houston, and San Diego.