OPT Project Engineer Jobs
Project Engineer jobs are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with degrees in civil, mechanical, electrical, or industrial engineering. Most roles qualify as STEM OPT extensions, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization. Employers in construction, manufacturing, and infrastructure regularly sponsor international engineers for H-1B visas.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Perdue Foods has a goal of becoming the most trusted name in premium proteins by creating products for consumers and for retail and foodservice customers around the globe while changing the way animals are raised for food. It is part of Perdue Farms, a fourth-generation, family-owned food and agricultural business deeply rooted in tradition yet with a forward-thinking mindset. We believe that success starts with our people, and our culture is built on a foundation of teamwork, integrity, and respect, where every voice matters and everyone is encouraged to contribute to our shared goals. We are dedicated to creating a supportive, inclusive environment where associates feel valued and inspired to make an impact, both within the company and in the communities we serve. From promoting growth and development to prioritizing work-life balance, we’re committed to helping our team members thrive. That's Perdue.
SUMMARY
Drive operational excellence and capital project success across foods operations as a Project Engineer. In this role, you lead capital planning and execution for harvest plants, ensuring projects support safety, compliance, quality, and profitable growth. You partner closely with operations, engineering, and cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time, within budget, and aligned to business objectives. Leveraging strong technical expertise and project management skills, you build plans, manage risks, and coordinate resources to keep projects on track. This role is ideal for a collaborative, hands-on engineer who thrives in dynamic environments and is passionate about delivering impactful, high-quality results.
This position is located onsite at our facility in Washington, IN.
PRINCIPAL ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and lead technical strategies and tactics focused on safety, compliance, quality, environmental performance, profitable growth, and cost.
- Partner collaboratively with operations and engineering leadership to execute capital projects aligned with company values and project deliverables.
- Manage capital projects, including facility infrastructure, equipment, production systems, technical maintenance support, environmental initiatives, and energy utilization.
- Conduct project meetings with cross-functional teams to ensure scope and business objectives are delivered on time and within budget.
- Utilize engineering work processes to support successful project execution.
- Build project timelines, clearly define objectives, and identify risks.
- Develop 5-year capital plans and forecast spending for assigned areas.
- Train project managers and team members on project management methodologies and best practices.
- Serve as a technical resource for project teams.
- Escalate issues to leadership to maintain project timelines and performance.
- Report key project management metrics.
- Build and maintain accurate floor plans and equipment layouts.
- Ensure infrastructure meets or exceeds operational needs, including safety, code compliance, and mechanical, electrical, boiler, and HVAC systems.
- Collaborate with safety, quality, operations, maintenance, and environmental teams to support project success.
MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, agricultural, civil, structural engineering, or a related discipline.
- 3-5 years of related work experience.
- Ability to travel 10% of the time to remote facilities and project sites.
- Demonstrate proficiency with Microsoft Office and AutoCAD.
PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Experience in construction, grain material handling, milling equipment, project management, and equipment layout.
- Demonstrate experience in problem solving, negotiating, managing resources, and establishing and meeting schedules.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
- Work is performed on project and plant sites, including active production environments.
- Perform floor-level activities such as troubleshooting and redesign of existing systems.
- Move equipment and access files, supplies, and tools as needed.
- Work in environments including offices, construction sites, harvest plants, live receiving, and wastewater facilities.
- Exposure to wet and moist floors, including metal and plastic grating surfaces.
- Exposure to temperatures ranging from 28°F to 100°F and high humidity levels.
- Exposure to noise levels ranging from 50 dB to 110 dB.
- Exposure to chemicals used in processing and wastewater facilities.
- Wear required personal protective and safety equipment.
- Work at heights and around operating equipment.
- Follow Lockout/Tagout procedures.
Perdue Farms Inc. is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
INTRODUCTION
Perdue Foods has a goal of becoming the most trusted name in premium proteins by creating products for consumers and for retail and foodservice customers around the globe while changing the way animals are raised for food. It is part of Perdue Farms, a fourth-generation, family-owned food and agricultural business deeply rooted in tradition yet with a forward-thinking mindset. We believe that success starts with our people, and our culture is built on a foundation of teamwork, integrity, and respect, where every voice matters and everyone is encouraged to contribute to our shared goals. We are dedicated to creating a supportive, inclusive environment where associates feel valued and inspired to make an impact, both within the company and in the communities we serve. From promoting growth and development to prioritizing work-life balance, we’re committed to helping our team members thrive. That's Perdue.
SUMMARY
Drive operational excellence and capital project success across foods operations as a Project Engineer. In this role, you lead capital planning and execution for harvest plants, ensuring projects support safety, compliance, quality, and profitable growth. You partner closely with operations, engineering, and cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time, within budget, and aligned to business objectives. Leveraging strong technical expertise and project management skills, you build plans, manage risks, and coordinate resources to keep projects on track. This role is ideal for a collaborative, hands-on engineer who thrives in dynamic environments and is passionate about delivering impactful, high-quality results.
This position is located onsite at our facility in Washington, IN.
PRINCIPAL ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and lead technical strategies and tactics focused on safety, compliance, quality, environmental performance, profitable growth, and cost.
- Partner collaboratively with operations and engineering leadership to execute capital projects aligned with company values and project deliverables.
- Manage capital projects, including facility infrastructure, equipment, production systems, technical maintenance support, environmental initiatives, and energy utilization.
- Conduct project meetings with cross-functional teams to ensure scope and business objectives are delivered on time and within budget.
- Utilize engineering work processes to support successful project execution.
- Build project timelines, clearly define objectives, and identify risks.
- Develop 5-year capital plans and forecast spending for assigned areas.
- Train project managers and team members on project management methodologies and best practices.
- Serve as a technical resource for project teams.
- Escalate issues to leadership to maintain project timelines and performance.
- Report key project management metrics.
- Build and maintain accurate floor plans and equipment layouts.
- Ensure infrastructure meets or exceeds operational needs, including safety, code compliance, and mechanical, electrical, boiler, and HVAC systems.
- Collaborate with safety, quality, operations, maintenance, and environmental teams to support project success.
MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, agricultural, civil, structural engineering, or a related discipline.
- 3-5 years of related work experience.
- Ability to travel 10% of the time to remote facilities and project sites.
- Demonstrate proficiency with Microsoft Office and AutoCAD.
PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Experience in construction, grain material handling, milling equipment, project management, and equipment layout.
- Demonstrate experience in problem solving, negotiating, managing resources, and establishing and meeting schedules.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
- Work is performed on project and plant sites, including active production environments.
- Perform floor-level activities such as troubleshooting and redesign of existing systems.
- Move equipment and access files, supplies, and tools as needed.
- Work in environments including offices, construction sites, harvest plants, live receiving, and wastewater facilities.
- Exposure to wet and moist floors, including metal and plastic grating surfaces.
- Exposure to temperatures ranging from 28°F to 100°F and high humidity levels.
- Exposure to noise levels ranging from 50 dB to 110 dB.
- Exposure to chemicals used in processing and wastewater facilities.
- Wear required personal protective and safety equipment.
- Work at heights and around operating equipment.
- Follow Lockout/Tagout procedures.
Perdue Farms Inc. is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
See all 1,309+ OPT Project Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Project Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Project Engineer
Target engineering firms with active H-1B histories
Large construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing companies file H-1B petitions regularly for engineers. Focusing your search on firms with established sponsorship pipelines significantly improves your odds of converting OPT to long-term work authorization.
Confirm your degree qualifies for STEM OPT extension
Project Engineer roles typically fall under STEM-designated CIP codes in civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering. Verify your specific program is on the STEM OPT list before accepting an offer, since your extension eligibility depends on it.
Apply early relative to your OPT end date
Many engineering firms have hiring cycles tied to project pipelines. Starting your search at least four to six months before your OPT expires gives employers time to initiate H-1B sponsorship without feeling rushed by your timeline.
Frame your EIT or PE progress clearly on your resume
Engineer-in-Training certification or progress toward a Professional Engineer license signals long-term commitment to U.S. employers. Mentioning it directly addresses a common hesitation around sponsoring early-career engineers on OPT.
Prepare a concise explanation of your OPT timeline
Hiring managers in engineering often have limited immigration knowledge. A clear, one-paragraph summary of your current status, STEM extension eligibility, and H-1B timeline helps move conversations forward without making sponsorship feel complicated or uncertain.
Prioritize roles tied to long-term projects
Multi-year infrastructure, construction, or manufacturing projects give employers a strong business reason to sponsor you. Roles on projects with defined timelines beyond 18 months make the cost of H-1B sponsorship easier for hiring managers to justify internally.
Project Engineer OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Project Engineer jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Most Project Engineer roles qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension if your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as civil, mechanical, electrical, or industrial engineering. The extension requires your employer to enroll in E-Verify and submit a formal training plan with your DSO. Confirm your specific CIP code is on the official STEM OPT list before relying on extension eligibility.
How do I find Project Engineer employers willing to sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate filters Project Engineer jobs by OPT and visa sponsorship eligibility, so you can focus on employers who are already open to international candidates. Large engineering, construction, and infrastructure firms tend to have the most established sponsorship processes, but mid-size firms with active federal or state contracts also sponsor engineers regularly.
Can I start a Project Engineer job while my OPT application is still pending?
No. You must have your EAD card in hand before starting work. USCIS recommends filing your OPT application 90 days before your program end date, and processing takes up to 90 days. Coordinate your offer acceptance and start date carefully to avoid a gap between your I-20 program end date and EAD receipt.
What happens to my OPT status if a Project Engineer contract ends early?
F-1 OPT students are allowed an unemployment period of up to 90 cumulative days on standard OPT, reduced to 60 days during the STEM extension. If a contract ends unexpectedly, you need to find new qualifying employment within that window or your OPT status falls out of compliance. Report any employment changes to your DSO promptly.
Is a Project Engineer role considered qualifying employment for OPT purposes?
Yes, as long as the work is directly related to your degree field. A civil engineering graduate working on construction project management clearly qualifies. A mechanical engineering graduate in a manufacturing coordination role also qualifies. The key is that your job duties must connect to your major field of study, which most Project Engineer roles do by definition.