OPT Production Engineer Jobs
Production Engineer jobs are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with degrees in industrial, mechanical, or manufacturing engineering. Most roles qualify as STEM OPT, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization. Employers in automotive, semiconductor, and consumer goods manufacturing actively hire and sponsor international engineers at this level.
Find OPT Production Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 687+ Production Engineer jobs
See all 687+ Production Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Production Engineer roles.
Get Access To All JobsDescription
Principle Responsibilities:
- Adhere to and monitor team members during production activities to ensure adherence to safety, Animal Welfare and Bio-Security procedures
- Motivate team members to increase production and maintain high production standards
- Serve as liaison between team members and management
- Evaluate and implement continuous improvement of swine production process
- Ability to perform necropsy and collection of tissue sample including PUC sampling
- Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury
- Treat minor injuries and ailments
- Communicate with appropriate management and/or veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries
- Stock supplies of feed and medicines
- Ability to understand and implement advanced sow/gilt care and handling (feeding/watering/moving/ventilation)
- Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary
- Understanding and ability to conduct advanced breeding functions (artificial insemination, heat check, day-one pig care)
- Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics
- Record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets
- Brand, tattoo, or tag animals for animal identification
- Place vaccines in drinking water, inject vaccines, or dust air with vaccine powder to protect animals from diseases
- Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition
- Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals' health and safety
- Maintain logs of semen specimens used and animals bred
- Inject prepared animal semen into female animals for breeding purposes, by inserting nozzle of syringe into vagina and depressing syringe plunger
- Prepare containers of semen for freezing and storage or shipment, placing them in dry ice or liquid nitrogen
- Package and label semen to be used for artificial insemination, recording information such as the date, source, quality, and concentration
- Experience with or ability to learn farm technology (hand held devices/wand sows and other equipment, as necessary)
- Attend safety meetings
- Cleaning and disinfection of facilities, including removal of mortality and waste
- Check feed system and fill lines
- Production/facility housekeeping duties
- Any other tasks assigned by Assistant or Manager
Required Qualifications:
- 4-year college degree in related field or equivalent experience in similar production environment
- Strong communication and listening skills
- Experience with or ability to learn farm technology (computers, hand held devices/wand sows and other equipment, as necessary)
- Demonstrated ability to solve problems and make decisions independently
- Ability to effectively lead a team
- Be a team oriented, self-motivated, and positive individual with strong work ethic
- Ability to efficiently multi-task in a fast-paced environment
- Familiarity with Bio-Security and swine production
- Ability to work weekend, as scheduled
- Ability to continually bend, push, grasp, and pull up to 60 lbs
- Continual walking and/or standing, up to 95% of the day
- Reliable method of transportation required
- Ability to work early 1st shift hours or late 2nd shift hours
- Resume required
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bilingual English and Spanish
Travel: Occasional travel required
PAY RATE: 21.10
EOE, Including disability/Vets
Description
Principle Responsibilities:
- Adhere to and monitor team members during production activities to ensure adherence to safety, Animal Welfare and Bio-Security procedures
- Motivate team members to increase production and maintain high production standards
- Serve as liaison between team members and management
- Evaluate and implement continuous improvement of swine production process
- Ability to perform necropsy and collection of tissue sample including PUC sampling
- Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury
- Treat minor injuries and ailments
- Communicate with appropriate management and/or veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries
- Stock supplies of feed and medicines
- Ability to understand and implement advanced sow/gilt care and handling (feeding/watering/moving/ventilation)
- Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary
- Understanding and ability to conduct advanced breeding functions (artificial insemination, heat check, day-one pig care)
- Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics
- Record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets
- Brand, tattoo, or tag animals for animal identification
- Place vaccines in drinking water, inject vaccines, or dust air with vaccine powder to protect animals from diseases
- Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition
- Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals' health and safety
- Maintain logs of semen specimens used and animals bred
- Inject prepared animal semen into female animals for breeding purposes, by inserting nozzle of syringe into vagina and depressing syringe plunger
- Prepare containers of semen for freezing and storage or shipment, placing them in dry ice or liquid nitrogen
- Package and label semen to be used for artificial insemination, recording information such as the date, source, quality, and concentration
- Experience with or ability to learn farm technology (hand held devices/wand sows and other equipment, as necessary)
- Attend safety meetings
- Cleaning and disinfection of facilities, including removal of mortality and waste
- Check feed system and fill lines
- Production/facility housekeeping duties
- Any other tasks assigned by Assistant or Manager
Required Qualifications:
- 4-year college degree in related field or equivalent experience in similar production environment
- Strong communication and listening skills
- Experience with or ability to learn farm technology (computers, hand held devices/wand sows and other equipment, as necessary)
- Demonstrated ability to solve problems and make decisions independently
- Ability to effectively lead a team
- Be a team oriented, self-motivated, and positive individual with strong work ethic
- Ability to efficiently multi-task in a fast-paced environment
- Familiarity with Bio-Security and swine production
- Ability to work weekend, as scheduled
- Ability to continually bend, push, grasp, and pull up to 60 lbs
- Continual walking and/or standing, up to 95% of the day
- Reliable method of transportation required
- Ability to work early 1st shift hours or late 2nd shift hours
- Resume required
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bilingual English and Spanish
Travel: Occasional travel required
PAY RATE: 21.10
EOE, Including disability/Vets
See all 687+ OPT Production Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Production Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Production Engineer
Target STEM-designated employers early
Production Engineer roles almost always fall under STEM OPT extensions, but confirm your degree and job duties align with the STEM designation. Start your employer search at least three months before your initial OPT expires to avoid authorization gaps.
Emphasize process improvement experience
Employers sponsoring OPT workers want proven ROI. Quantify your Lean, Six Sigma, or kaizen contributions in your resume. Specific metrics like cycle time reduction or defect rate improvement make your application stand out against candidates without work authorization complexity.
Focus on manufacturing-heavy industries
Automotive, semiconductor, aerospace, and medical device companies hire Production Engineers in volume and have established immigration infrastructure. These employers are far more likely to have HR teams experienced with OPT paperwork and eventual H-1B visa sponsorship pathways.
Clarify your authorization timeline upfront
Be direct with recruiters about your OPT end date and STEM extension eligibility. Production Engineer hiring cycles can run 8 to 12 weeks. Starting the conversation early prevents surprises and signals professionalism to employers unfamiliar with F-1 work authorization rules.
Align your job duties to your degree field
STEM OPT approval requires your job to be directly related to your major. If your degree is in industrial engineering, ensure your offer letter reflects production systems, process optimization, or manufacturing operations, not general operations management, which may not qualify.
Build your DSO relationship before you need it
Your Designated School Official must authorize your OPT and any STEM extension. Introduce yourself before deadlines arrive, keep them updated on job offers, and give them at least 90 days to process your STEM extension I-983 training plan with your employer.
Production Engineer OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Production Engineer jobs qualify for STEM OPT extension?
Most Production Engineer roles qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension if your degree is in engineering, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, or a related STEM field. The job duties must be directly tied to your major. Your employer also needs to be enrolled in E-Verify, which most mid-size and large manufacturers already are. Confirm the connection between your degree and the specific role before filing.
How long does OPT authorization last for Production Engineer positions?
Initial OPT gives you 12 months of work authorization after graduation. If your degree qualifies as STEM and your Production Engineer role is directly related to it, you can apply for a 24-month STEM extension, giving you up to 36 months total. You must apply for the extension before your initial OPT expires, and your employer must sign a formal training plan on Form I-983.
What types of companies hire Production Engineers on OPT?
Automotive manufacturers, semiconductor fabs, aerospace suppliers, consumer electronics companies, and medical device firms are among the most active hirers of Production Engineers on OPT. These industries operate at scale and tend to have HR teams experienced with international hiring. You can browse OPT-friendly Production Engineer openings on Migrate Mate, which filters for employers open to sponsoring F-1 students.
Can I work as a Production Engineer at a startup on OPT?
Yes, but there are practical risks. Startups must be enrolled in E-Verify for you to qualify for the STEM OPT extension, and many early-stage companies are not. Startups also have less capacity to manage I-983 training plan requirements or support future H-1B sponsorship. If you join a startup, verify E-Verify enrollment before accepting and discuss the H-1B pathway directly with the founding team.
What is the I-983 training plan and why does it matter for Production Engineers?
The I-983 is a formal document your employer and DSO must complete to approve your STEM OPT extension. It outlines your learning objectives, how your Production Engineer duties relate to your degree, and how your employer will supervise and evaluate you. USCIS can audit these plans, so vague or generic descriptions of your role create risk. Your employer's HR or legal team should treat it as a compliance document, not a formality.