OPT Strategic Sourcing Manager Jobs
Strategic Sourcing Manager roles are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with supply chain, operations, or business degrees. Most positions qualify as STEM OPT-eligible when tied to procurement analytics or systems. Your 12-month OPT window, extendable to 36 months with STEM designation, gives employers a meaningful runway to evaluate you.
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Get Access To All JobsStrategic Sourcing Specialist
Salina, KS
Great Plains Manufacturing is seeking a dynamic Strategic Sourcing Specialist to join our Purchasing team.
This is an on-site position that works Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. from our Corporate Offices in Salina, KS. Occasional out-of-state overnight travel may be required.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead sourcing projects and participate in cross-functional teams to support projects for product development and project management.
- Collaborate with other internal teams to align strategies, drive project implementation, and support successful supply chain performance.
- Understand cost drivers and develop cost models based on material content, order quantities, tooling, and other factors affecting total cost of ownership. Evaluate specific projects and rate overall supply base using Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) approach.
- Monitor and track commodity costs and other factors that affect pricing to ensure that related cost changes, especially cost reductions, are identified.
- Maintain existing commodity strategies to lead supplier selection and negotiate supplier pricing.
- Utilize supplier scorecards to assess performance of suppliers - conduct business reviews with suppliers to review scorecards, explore opportunities for improvements, develop future business layouts, and drive the implementation of actions identified.
- Monitor, audit, and report performance of suppliers to ensure that supplier performance issues are quickly addressed. Evaluate and manage supply chain risks.
- Work with critical suppliers to ensure they have and/or develop a business continuity strategy to prevent supply interruptions.
- Assist in the development and implementation of procurement plans, policies and procedures.
- Travel to meet with vendors and suppliers on a quarterly basis, or as needed.
- Other duties may be assigned that require other qualifications, physical demands, and/or work environments.
Preferred Skills and Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Engineering or similar.
- 3+ years’ experience in commodity management and/or project management with an emphasis in supply chain management and purchasing.
- Experience in procurement within the construction or Ag industry helpful but not required.
- Strong negotiation skills with a collaborative approach.
- Available for occasional overnight travel (less than 10%).
- Exceptional interpersonal and collaborative problem-solving skills across functional groups.
- Professional certification, such as APICS, or working toward obtaining professional certification is desired.
Great Plains Manufacturing, headquartered in Salina, KS, is a proud subsidiary of Kubota with more than 50 years as a Kansas leader in the design, engineering and manufacturing of agricultural implements, including seeding, tillage, and landscaping equipment. Our new Construction Equipment Division adds Kubota-branded skid steers, compact track loaders, and CE attachments, supported by Kubota Construction R&D Engineering in Salina. Operating in eight Kansas communities with multiple divisions, including Great Plains Ag; Land Pride; Great Plains International; and the Construction Equipment Division, we employ over 2,000 people and are committed to innovation and professional growth. If you are self-motivated, goal-oriented, and collaborative, explore our open opportunities at www.WorkForGPM.com.
Strategic Sourcing Specialist
Salina, KS
Great Plains Manufacturing is seeking a dynamic Strategic Sourcing Specialist to join our Purchasing team.
This is an on-site position that works Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. from our Corporate Offices in Salina, KS. Occasional out-of-state overnight travel may be required.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead sourcing projects and participate in cross-functional teams to support projects for product development and project management.
- Collaborate with other internal teams to align strategies, drive project implementation, and support successful supply chain performance.
- Understand cost drivers and develop cost models based on material content, order quantities, tooling, and other factors affecting total cost of ownership. Evaluate specific projects and rate overall supply base using Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) approach.
- Monitor and track commodity costs and other factors that affect pricing to ensure that related cost changes, especially cost reductions, are identified.
- Maintain existing commodity strategies to lead supplier selection and negotiate supplier pricing.
- Utilize supplier scorecards to assess performance of suppliers - conduct business reviews with suppliers to review scorecards, explore opportunities for improvements, develop future business layouts, and drive the implementation of actions identified.
- Monitor, audit, and report performance of suppliers to ensure that supplier performance issues are quickly addressed. Evaluate and manage supply chain risks.
- Work with critical suppliers to ensure they have and/or develop a business continuity strategy to prevent supply interruptions.
- Assist in the development and implementation of procurement plans, policies and procedures.
- Travel to meet with vendors and suppliers on a quarterly basis, or as needed.
- Other duties may be assigned that require other qualifications, physical demands, and/or work environments.
Preferred Skills and Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Engineering or similar.
- 3+ years’ experience in commodity management and/or project management with an emphasis in supply chain management and purchasing.
- Experience in procurement within the construction or Ag industry helpful but not required.
- Strong negotiation skills with a collaborative approach.
- Available for occasional overnight travel (less than 10%).
- Exceptional interpersonal and collaborative problem-solving skills across functional groups.
- Professional certification, such as APICS, or working toward obtaining professional certification is desired.
Great Plains Manufacturing, headquartered in Salina, KS, is a proud subsidiary of Kubota with more than 50 years as a Kansas leader in the design, engineering and manufacturing of agricultural implements, including seeding, tillage, and landscaping equipment. Our new Construction Equipment Division adds Kubota-branded skid steers, compact track loaders, and CE attachments, supported by Kubota Construction R&D Engineering in Salina. Operating in eight Kansas communities with multiple divisions, including Great Plains Ag; Land Pride; Great Plains International; and the Construction Equipment Division, we employ over 2,000 people and are committed to innovation and professional growth. If you are self-motivated, goal-oriented, and collaborative, explore our open opportunities at www.WorkForGPM.com.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Strategic Sourcing Manager
Lead with your procurement impact, not your visa status
Quantify your sourcing experience upfront: cost savings achieved, vendor contracts negotiated, or supplier bases managed. Hiring managers in procurement care about measurable results. Strong numbers make your OPT status secondary to the value you bring.
Target companies with active supply chain operations
Manufacturers, retailers, and tech hardware companies run large sourcing functions and hire regularly. These employers are accustomed to international talent and more likely to have HR teams familiar with OPT work authorization and STEM extension eligibility.
Clarify your STEM OPT eligibility early in conversations
If your degree is in supply chain management, industrial engineering, or business analytics, you likely qualify for the 24-month STEM extension. Framing this as 36 months of total authorization reduces perceived risk for employers evaluating sponsorship timelines.
Emphasize cross-functional experience in your application materials
Strategic sourcing sits at the intersection of finance, operations, and vendor management. Highlight any experience coordinating across departments or leading supplier negotiations. This breadth signals readiness for a senior-adjacent role, which tends to justify OPT sponsorship investment.
Prepare to address continuity questions directly
Employers will ask what happens when your OPT expires. Have a clear, honest answer: explain STEM extension eligibility, H-1B visa timing, and your intent to pursue long-term status. Candidates who can walk through this confidently reduce employer uncertainty significantly.
Use Migrate Mate to filter for OPT-friendly sourcing roles
Browse Strategic Sourcing Manager listings on Migrate Mate to find employers already sponsoring OPT students. Filtering by sponsorship history saves time and focuses your applications on companies where authorization is an understood part of the hiring process.
Strategic Sourcing Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as Strategic Sourcing Managers?
Yes. Strategic Sourcing Manager is a professional role that falls within the scope of standard F-1 OPT authorization. If your degree is in supply chain, business, or a related field, the role aligns with your area of study. For STEM-designated degrees such as industrial engineering or operations research, you may also qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to 36 months of total work authorization.
Does a Strategic Sourcing Manager role qualify for STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not the job title. STEM OPT eligibility is tied to your field of study. Degrees in supply chain management, industrial engineering, management information systems, or business analytics typically qualify. The role itself involves data-driven decision-making and systems work, which can support the case that your employment is directly related to a STEM degree. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before applying.
Which industries hire Strategic Sourcing Managers and are open to OPT students?
Manufacturing, consumer goods, technology, healthcare, and defense are the heaviest employers of strategic sourcing talent. Companies like Amazon, Cisco, Johnson and Johnson, and Honeywell run large procurement functions and have established processes for hiring international candidates on OPT. Firms with global supply chains are generally more familiar with work authorization requirements and more willing to support OPT students through to H-1B sponsorship.
How should I explain my OPT timeline to a hiring manager in a sourcing role?
Be direct and specific. Tell them your OPT authorization period, whether you qualify for the STEM extension, and when H-1B eligibility would apply. For Strategic Sourcing roles, employers think in multi-year contract and relationship timelines, so framing your authorization in those terms helps. A candidate who can say they have up to 36 months of work authorization before H-1B lottery eligibility is a much clearer proposition than one who is vague about their status.
Where can I find Strategic Sourcing Manager jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate lists Strategic Sourcing Manager roles from employers who have sponsored OPT and visa candidates. Searching there lets you focus on companies that have already demonstrated willingness to work with international candidates, rather than applying broadly and discovering late in the process that a company won't support your authorization.