OPT Strategy Manager Jobs
Strategy Manager roles sit at the intersection of business analysis and executive decision-making, making them a strong fit for OPT students with analytical backgrounds. Many employers in consulting, tech, and corporate strategy sponsor H-1B visas, giving you a realistic path from OPT to long-term work authorization in this field.
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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 Strategy Manager
Target companies with consulting arms or dedicated strategy functions
Large technology companies, management consulting firms, and Fortune 500 corporations maintain internal strategy teams and have established OPT and H-1B sponsorship infrastructure. Smaller companies often lack the HR capacity to navigate work authorization at all.
Lead with quantified impact, not just responsibilities
Strategy Manager roles are evaluated on outcomes. Hiring managers want to see revenue influenced, costs reduced, or initiatives launched. Frame every bullet on your resume around a measurable result, not a task you performed.
Make your OPT timeline visible early in conversations
Mention your authorization period during your first recruiter screen, not after receiving an offer. Employers who sponsor need time to plan H-1B filings. Surfacing this early filters out non-sponsoring employers before you invest weeks in their process.
Build a story connecting your degree to strategy work
USCIS requires your role to qualify as a specialty occupation. If your degree is in economics, finance, or engineering, prepare a clear narrative explaining how your academic training directly supports the analytical and decision-making demands of the role.
Prioritize employers with recent H-1B sponsorship history
Past H-1B filings are a strong proxy for OPT sponsorship willingness. Companies that have sponsored similar roles before have legal counsel in place and understand the process, which dramatically reduces the risk of an offer falling through.
Use STEM OPT extension eligibility as a negotiating point if applicable
If your degree is in a STEM field, you may qualify for a 24-month OPT extension, giving employers three full years before an H-1B becomes urgent. This meaningfully reduces their perceived risk and can make a borderline sponsoring employer commit.
Strategy Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as Strategy Managers?
Yes. Strategy Manager is a specialty occupation under USCIS guidelines because the role typically requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field such as business, economics, engineering, or a related discipline. Your OPT work authorization permits full-time employment in roles directly related to your degree field, which most strategy positions satisfy.
Does a Strategy Manager role qualify for STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your undergraduate or graduate degree, not the job title itself. If your degree is in a STEM-designated field, such as applied mathematics, computer science, statistics, or industrial engineering, you may be eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension even in a strategy role. Confirm your degree's CIP code with your DSO before applying.
How common is H-1B sponsorship for Strategy Manager positions?
Sponsorship is most common at large employers with established legal and HR infrastructure. Management consulting firms, major technology companies, and large financial institutions regularly sponsor Strategy Managers for H-1B visas. Smaller firms and early-stage startups are far less likely to sponsor. You can browse sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate to identify which companies have an active track record.
What degree backgrounds support a Strategy Manager OPT application?
Business administration, economics, finance, industrial engineering, and applied mathematics are the most common qualifying degrees. The key is demonstrating that your coursework directly prepared you for the analytical and strategic work the role requires. A degree in an unrelated field, even a rigorous one, can complicate the specialty occupation argument if your job duties are not clearly connected.
When should I disclose my OPT status to a potential employer?
The first recruiter conversation is the right moment. Disclosing early lets both sides determine sponsorship compatibility before investing significant time in interviews and case studies. Waiting until after an offer is extended creates pressure and goodwill problems. Employers who sponsor appreciate the transparency, and those who do not will decline early, saving you weeks in their process.