OPT Production Engineering Manager Jobs
Production Engineering Manager jobs are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with engineering degrees, since most roles require direct technical expertise in manufacturing, process optimization, or systems reliability. STEM OPT extension eligibility gives qualified candidates up to three years of work authorization, making long-term employer investment realistic.
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INTRODUCTION
This role is at Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, supporting Spirit’s Commercial Business Units (“Spirit Commercial”). Spirit Commercial designs and builds commercial aerostructures, including for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, one of Boeing’s three business units and the premier manufacturer of commercial jetliners for decades. Spirit Commercial’s core products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components, with a focus on innovative composite and aluminum manufacturing solutions.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to directly lead the Industrial Engineering team for the Fabrication Business Unit in the Boeing Wichita Commercial Airplanes Factory. It is important for this leader to partner with Operations and lead Functional Excellence, while also partnering with their IE Sr. Manager counterparts to ensure standardization and consistency across the site. This position will report to the Fabrication Production and Industrial Engineering Senior Leader. The focus for our teams is to focus on Safety, Quality & Delivery while increasing stability and partnering across functions to achieve our goals.
This role will have direct responsibility over Production Control, Capacity Planning, MRP Management, Demand Management, and Decision Support for Wichita Commercial Fabrication. Lean/Continuous Improvement will also be a Soft-Line report for this leader. There are currently two First Level Managers that will be direct reports for this position, with 40-50 direct employees on the team.
Responsibilities
Position Responsibilities:
- Manages employees and first-level managers applying industrial engineering techniques and concepts to optimize production system design and operational efficiency.
- Develops and executes integrated departmental plans, policies and procedures and provides input on departmental business and technical strategies, goals, objectives.
- Acquires resources for department activities, provides technical management of suppliers and leads process improvements.
- Develops and maintains relationships and partnerships with customers, stakeholders, peers, partners and direct reports.
- Provides oversight and approval of technical approaches, products and processes.
- Manages, develops and motivates employees and first-level managers.
- Will help develop, lead, and implement activities around standardizing production execution, WIP reduction, throughput improvement, and recovery planning.
- Team is responsible for long-range asset planning, headcount planning, short- and medium-range resource planning, and emergent support as needed.
- Team is considered subject matter experts for Fabrication Operations Metrics, helping provide insight into performance, target opportunities for improvement, and drive on-time delivery of quality product, safely.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
Basic Qualifications (Required Skills/Experience):
- Bachelor’s degree or higher
- 3+ years of experience in a management position with direct reports
- 3+ years of experience leading and implementing projects in a production facing role
- Experience in Production Support Role; such as Industrial or Manufacturing Engineering, NC Programming, or equivalent area
- Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong presentation skills
- Strong emotional intelligence skills and professional presence to be able to work with company executives and customers
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Preferred Qualifications (Desired Skills/Experience):
- 5+ years of experience in a management position with direct reports
- 5+ years of experience leading and implementing projects in a production facing role
- Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, other technical degree, or equivalent technical experience
- Experience in product flow optimization, WIP management, and throughput management
- Experience with TOC, Systems Thinking, and Lean concepts
- Experience and understanding of MRP management and signaling (SAP)
- Experience with building organizational talent pipeline in engineering
- Experience in dynamic environments with customer and/or regulatory interactions
Drug Free Workplace:
We are a Drug Free Workplace where post offer applicants and employees are subject to testing for marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, PCP, and alcohol when criteria is met as outlined in our policies.
Pay & Benefits:
We strive to deliver a Total Rewards package that will attract, engage and retain the top talent. Elements of the Total Rewards package include competitive base pay and variable compensation opportunities.
We also provide eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance programs, and a number of programs that provide for both paid and unpaid time away from work.
The specific programs and options available to any given employee may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.
Pay is based upon candidate experience and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.
Summary Pay Range: $120,800 - $185,200
Kansas Tax Credit: Join Spirit AeroSystems’ Kansas team and you may be eligible for a $5,000 state of Kansas Aviation tax credit for up to five years. Click here for more information on the tax credit.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Production Engineering Manager
Target manufacturing-heavy industries
Semiconductor, automotive, and industrial equipment companies hire Production Engineering Managers at scale and have established visa sponsorship pipelines. These employers are accustomed to OPT timelines and H-1B visa transitions, making them more receptive than smaller manufacturers.
Confirm your STEM OPT eligibility early
Production Engineering Manager roles typically fall under CIP codes in mechanical, industrial, or electrical engineering. Confirming your degree's STEM designation with your DSO before applying lets you negotiate timelines honestly and avoid surprises mid-hiring process.
Lead with technical depth, not management titles
Hiring managers want proof you can own production systems, not just supervise. Quantify process improvements, yield gains, or downtime reductions you've driven. Concrete engineering outcomes outperform vague leadership claims when competing against candidates with longer U.S. work histories.
Raise OPT after the technical interview
Wait until after the technical and panel interviews before discussing work authorization. Once you've demonstrated genuine engineering capability, sponsorship becomes a logistical question rather than a disqualifying factor. Early disclosure invites rejection before you've proven value.
Prioritize companies with existing H-1B sponsorship history
Employers who have sponsored H-1B petitions before understand the process and have immigration counsel in place. This significantly reduces the risk that they'll decline sponsorship simply due to unfamiliarity with the requirements or timeline involved.
Use OPT's flexibility to bridge into the role
If you're applying from a senior individual contributor role, OPT gives you time to take on team leadership without requiring immediate sponsorship commitment. Frame your transition proactively in interviews to show you've planned the path from engineer to manager deliberately.
Production Engineering Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as Production Engineering Managers?
Yes, provided your undergraduate or graduate degree is in an engineering or closely related STEM field. Production Engineering Manager roles require technical qualifications that align directly with engineering CIP codes, which means most candidates are eligible for both standard 12-month OPT and the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to three years of work authorization total.
Does a Production Engineering Manager role qualify for STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not the job title. If your degree falls under a STEM-designated CIP code, such as mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, or manufacturing engineering, and the job duties directly apply that training, you qualify for the STEM OPT extension. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before relying on the extension in any employment timeline discussions.
How do I find Production Engineering Manager jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT and visa-sponsored job searches, so you can browse Production Engineering Manager openings filtered by sponsorship willingness. Companies in semiconductor manufacturing, automotive, and industrial automation are the most consistent sponsors for this role and are well represented among employers who actively recruit OPT candidates.
Will employers sponsor H-1B after hiring me on OPT for this role?
Many mid-to-large manufacturers do, especially if you've demonstrated measurable impact on production outcomes during your OPT period. The STEM OPT extension gives employers up to three years to assess fit before committing to H-1B sponsorship, which reduces their perceived risk considerably. Companies with prior H-1B sponsorship history are the safest targets since they already have the infrastructure and legal counsel in place.
What engineering background do I need to qualify for a Production Engineering Manager role on OPT?
Most employers require a bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical, industrial, manufacturing, or electrical engineering. The role is a specialty occupation under H-1B standards, meaning a specific degree is required, not just any bachelor's. Candidates who also have direct experience with production systems, process improvement methodologies like Lean or Six Sigma, and team supervision tend to be most competitive for roles at this level.