OPT Precision Machinist Jobs
Precision Machinist jobs on OPT are available across manufacturing, aerospace, and defense sectors. Most roles fall under STEM OPT extension eligibility through CIP codes in manufacturing engineering technology, making your 36-month extension a realistic path. Employers typically require hands-on CNC experience and relevant technical credentials.
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Precision Micro-Drilling - Process Engineer Responsibilities
- Develop, optimize, and validate precision micro-drilling and micro-hole formation processes for metal, metalized substrates, PCB/substrate materials, packaging structures, and semiconductor-related components.
- Support laser drilling, micro-CNC drilling, micro-machining, EDM, fast-hole EDM, mechanical drilling, controlled-depth drilling, via formation, and related advanced hole-making processes as applicable to assigned projects.
- Develop process windows for small-hole formation, including parameters related to hole diameter, depth, taper, aspect ratio, wall quality, burr control, recast control, heat-affected zone, debris removal, cleanliness, registration, repeatability, and downstream compatibility.
- Select and evaluate tooling, electrodes, nozzles, optics, drills, fixtures, assist gases, consumables, workholding, material handling methods, and inspection methods needed for precision micro-drilling processes.
- Design or support fixtures, holders, alignment aids, coupons, test structures, and shop aids needed to produce repeatable micro-hole features and protect delicate materials during processing.
- Develop and execute structured experiments, DOE activities, feasibility trials, parameter studies, process capability studies, and prototype builds.
- Analyze process results using inspection, metrology, microscopy, electrical testing, dimensional measurement, cross-section review, or other characterization methods.
- Collaborate with engineering, PCB/substrate manufacturing, mOSAT, cleanroom, R&D, quality, procurement, vendors, and customer-facing teams to support process development, build readiness, and customer deliverables.
- Review customer specifications, drawings, design files, hole requirements, tolerance requirements, material requirements, inspection criteria, and deliverable expectations to support accurate execution.
- Support customer product deliverables by completing assigned technical outputs, process trials, prototype work, inspection records, test results, documentation packages, build records, and project milestones in accordance with agreed timelines, customer specifications, quality expectations, technical requirements, and internal review standards.
- Create, maintain, and update process documentation, including equipment recipes, setup sheets, travelers, SOPs, inspection criteria, test coupons, parameter logs, process notes, data summaries, and engineering reports.
- Support equipment selection, vendor engagement, installation, commissioning, acceptance testing, calibration readiness, preventive maintenance planning, and equipment improvement activities.
- Troubleshoot process issues related to hole quality, dimensional variation, registration error, tool wear, electrode wear, thermal damage, burrs, residue, incomplete drilling, delamination, plating compatibility, debris, yield loss, or equipment instability.
- Lead or support root cause analysis and corrective action for nonconforming features, failed builds, process drift, equipment issues, material issues, or customer-impacting quality concerns.
- Support design for manufacturability by reviewing hole patterns, material stacks, tolerances, spacing, feature density, alignment requirements, plating requirements, and inspection feasibility.
- Work with quality and engineering teams to define acceptance criteria, inspection plans, process controls, sampling methods, and documentation standards for precision micro-drilling work.
- Support process scale-up from R&D trials to repeatable prototype manufacturing or low-volume production workflows.
- Communicate technical risks, schedule impacts, equipment constraints, material concerns, inspection gaps, or customer-impacting issues in a timely manner.
- Maintain safe laboratory, cleanroom, equipment, and advanced manufacturing practices, including documentation, PPE, ESD controls, chemical handling, laser safety, machine safety, and customer confidentiality requirements.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Semiconductor Engineering, Microelectronics Engineering, Applied Physics, or a directly related technical engineering or physical science discipline.
- 3+ years of hands-on experience in precision machining, micro-machining, laser processing, EDM, micro-drilling, semiconductor packaging, PCB/substrate manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, process development, or related technical engineering work.
- Experience developing, optimizing, validating, or troubleshooting manufacturing processes involving small features, tight tolerances, metal processing, advanced materials, substrates, packaging structures, or precision components.
- Experience applying engineering judgment to process development, parameter selection, tooling or consumable selection, fixture design, process validation, technical troubleshooting, or documentation.
- Experience using or supporting precision equipment such as CNC machines, micro-drilling systems, laser processing systems, EDM systems, metrology tools, microscopes, profilometers, CMMs, optical inspection systems, or related tools.
- Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings, design files, tolerance requirements, material specifications, process documentation, customer requirements, and inspection criteria.
- Experience collecting, analyzing, and documenting process data, inspection results, test results, deviations, defects, corrective actions, and technical findings.
- Strong technical writing skills, including the ability to prepare process notes, equipment recipes, setup sheets, SOPs, engineering reports, data summaries, and customer-facing technical documentation.
- Ability to support customer product deliverables with accuracy, schedule awareness, documentation discipline, technical judgment, specification alignment, and timely escalation of risks.
- Ability to work on-site in a hands-on engineering, advanced manufacturing, laboratory, cleanroom, prototype manufacturing, and advanced electronics environment.
- 2+ years hands-on experience with CAD (Solidworks preferred) and prototyping.
- 2+ years experience with micromolding, liquid injection molding, compression molding, and/or transfer molding, mold tool design, mold flow FEA. Experience with design for manufacture (DFM) for molding of polymers or elastomers. Experience with silicone and EMC.
- Basic understanding of dimensional tolerance, GD&T and tolerance stackup analysis. Ability to keep up in a fast-paced dynamic environment.
Desired Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Semiconductor Engineering, Microelectronics Engineering, Applied Physics, or a directly related technical engineering or physical science discipline.
- Experience with laser drilling, UV laser processing, ultrafast laser processing, fast-hole EDM, micro-EDM, controlled-depth drilling, microvia formation, precision CNC drilling, or high-aspect-ratio small-hole manufacturing.
- Experience forming holes in metals, metalized substrates, copper, nickel-based alloys, stainless steel, thin metal foils, ceramic-metal structures, advanced electronic materials, or semiconductor packaging substrates.
- Experience with PCB/substrate manufacturing, advanced packaging, mOSAT workflows, semiconductor process development, microelectronics assembly, high-density interconnect substrates, or wafer-level packaging.
- Experience with metrology and inspection methods such as optical microscopy, SEM, profilometry, CMM, laser scanning, cross-section analysis, X-ray inspection, dimensional measurement, or surface roughness evaluation.
- Experience with DOE, SPC, process capability studies, yield improvement, failure analysis, root cause analysis, corrective action, statistical data analysis, Python, MATLAB, JMP, Excel, or similar tools.
- Experience with CAM programming, G-code, CNC controllers, equipment recipes, machine vision, alignment systems, fixture design, or equipment automation.
- Experience working with equipment vendors for process development, installation, qualification, calibration, acceptance testing, troubleshooting, or preventive maintenance.
- Experience supporting commercial, aerospace, defense-adjacent, government, enterprise, sponsored research, or grant-funded R&D programs.
- Familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, ITAR, export-controlled work, laser safety, machine safety, ESD controls, cleanroom protocols, chemical safety, or controlled technical environments.
Required Skills and Knowledge
- Experience with CAD (Solidworks preferred) and prototyping
- Precision micro-drilling and micro-hole formation
- Laser drilling, EDM, CNC, or micro-machining process awareness
- Metal processing and advanced materials behavior
- Semiconductor packaging and PCB/substrate manufacturing awareness
- Process-window development and parameter optimization
- Tooling, electrodes, optics, nozzles, fixtures, workholding, and consumables
- Micron-scale inspection and metrology methods
- DOE, SPC, process capability, and yield improvement
- Root cause analysis and corrective action
- Technical documentation and engineering reporting
- Customer specification review and deliverable support
- Process travelers, SOPs, setup sheets, equipment recipes, and inspection criteria
- DFM review for hole patterns, tolerances, registration, spacing, and material stacks
- Equipment readiness, vendor coordination, and preventive maintenance awareness
- Cross-functional engineering collaboration
- Laboratory, cleanroom, ESD, laser safety, machine safety, and documentation discipline
- Schedule awareness, technical accuracy, and quality accountability
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Relocation assistance
Education:
- Master's (Required)
Experience:
- hand-on CAD, Solidworks, and prototyping: 2 years (Required)
- micromolding, injection, compression, transfer molding: 2 years (Required)
- mold tool design: 2 years (Required)
- mold flow FEA: 2 years (Required)
- liquid injection, compression, transfer molding: 2 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Precision Machinist
Confirm your STEM OPT eligibility early
Precision Machinist roles often qualify for the 36-month STEM OPT extension under manufacturing engineering technology CIP codes. Verify your degree classification with your DSO before applying so you can communicate your full work authorization timeline to employers confidently.
Highlight CNC programming and machine certifications
Employers hiring on OPT want to see measurable technical skills. List specific CNC platforms you operate, tolerances you routinely hold, and any NIMS or similar credentials. Certifications signal competency and reduce employer hesitation about sponsoring an international candidate.
Target manufacturers with H-1B sponsorship history
Not every manufacturer sponsors visas. Focus your search on companies with established international hiring records. Larger aerospace, automotive, and defense contractors typically have HR infrastructure in place to handle sponsorship, making your OPT-to-H-1B visa transition significantly smoother.
Address your OPT timeline proactively in interviews
Bring up your authorization window before employers ask. Explain that you have OPT now and are eligible for STEM extension, giving them years of runway before any H-1B decision is needed. Framing it as low-risk upfront removes a common objection.
Apply before your OPT approval arrives
You can job search and interview while your OPT application is pending with USCIS. Apply as soon as you have your EAD application receipt. Most machinist employers expect a standard hiring timeline and won't penalize you for a pending work authorization card.
Connect with union shops and apprenticeship-based manufacturers
Some unionized manufacturing facilities and apprenticeship programs actively recruit international talent with specialized precision skills. These environments often have experienced HR teams familiar with OPT and structured pathways that can evolve into longer-term visa sponsorship arrangements.
Precision Machinist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Precision Machinist on F-1 OPT?
Yes. Precision Machinist roles are authorized under OPT as long as the work is directly related to your field of study. Degrees in manufacturing technology, mechanical engineering technology, or industrial technology are common qualifying fields. You'll need your EAD card before your first day of work, and your role must connect to your degree program.
Do Precision Machinist jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Many do, but it depends on your specific degree's CIP code rather than the job title itself. Degrees in manufacturing engineering technology, mechanical engineering technology, and similar programs frequently qualify. Your DSO can confirm whether your degree CIP code is on the STEM Designated Degree Program list. If it is, you may be eligible for a 24-month extension beyond standard 12-month OPT.
How do I find Precision Machinist employers willing to hire OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters for employers with visa sponsorship experience. Searching there surfaces machinist roles at companies that have a track record of hiring international candidates, which saves time you'd otherwise spend vetting employers manually. Aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing companies tend to be the most sponsorship-friendly.
Will my OPT status make it harder to get hired as a Precision Machinist?
Some employers are unfamiliar with OPT and may hesitate initially, but the concern typically fades once you explain the timeline clearly. Standard OPT gives you 12 months of work authorization, and STEM extension can add another 24 months if you qualify. That window is often long enough to cover an employer's hiring horizon before a long-term visa decision is required.
Are there security clearance issues for Precision Machinists on OPT working in defense manufacturing?
Yes, this is a real constraint. Many defense and government-contracting roles require security clearances, which are generally not available to non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Some defense manufacturers do hire OPT students for non-classified production work, but roles touching classified programs or controlled materials will likely be inaccessible until you hold a green card or citizenship.