STEM OPT Civil Engineer Jobs
Civil Engineer roles in transportation, structural design, and infrastructure qualify for the STEM OPT extension when your degree maps to an eligible CIP code. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and the 24-month extension gives you up to 36 months total to build licensure hours and transition to long-term sponsorship.
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Kimley-Horn's Peachtree Corners, Georgia (GA) office is looking for Engineering graduates with 1+ years of experience to join their Roadway team. This is not a remote position.
Responsibilities:
-
Candidates will perform a variety of civil engineering tasks supporting various project managers as required. Job duties may include, but are not limited to:
-
Horizontal and vertical alignments
- Grading and Drainage design
- Streetscape and roadway improvements
- Multimodal design, including multi-use trails and complete streets
-
Signage, striping and signalization plans
-
As a critical member of the team, you will perform a variety of engineering tasks and will receive both on-the-job and formal training as well as mentorship and exposure to plan production, project finances, and client interactions.
Qualifications
- 1+ years experience with a civil engineering design firm
- Bachelors or Masters from an ABET accredited university in the field of Civil Engineering
- Working knowledge of AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills
- Strong sense of urgency and self-initiative to meet client deadlines
- Detail-oriented with an ability to contribute to a positive work environment
- Ability to work independently and as a team
Why Kimley-Horn?:
At Kimley-Horn, we do things differently. People, clients, and employees are at the forefront of who we are. Clients know we prioritize achieving their goals and growing their success. Employees know our culture and approach to business are built on a desire to provide an environment for everyone to flourish. Our commitment to quality is only as good as the people behind it—that’s why we welcome and develop passionate, hardworking, and proactive employees. We take pride in how our employee retention, robust benefits package, and company values have led to Kimley-Horn’s placement on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work” list for 19 years!
Key Benefits at Kimley-Horn:
- Exceptional Retirement Plan: 2-to-1 company match on up to 4% of eligible compensation (salary + bonus) and additional profit-sharing contribution.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
- Time Off: Personal leave, flexible scheduling, floating holidays, and half-day Fridays.
- Financial Wellness: Student loan matching in our 401(k), and performance-based bonuses.
- Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement and extensive internal training programs.
- Family-Friendly Benefits: New Parent Leave, family building benefits, and childcare resources.
Overview:
Kimley-Horn's Peachtree Corners, Georgia (GA) office is looking for Engineering graduates with 1+ years of experience to join their Roadway team. This is not a remote position.
Responsibilities:
-
Candidates will perform a variety of civil engineering tasks supporting various project managers as required. Job duties may include, but are not limited to:
-
Horizontal and vertical alignments
- Grading and Drainage design
- Streetscape and roadway improvements
- Multimodal design, including multi-use trails and complete streets
-
Signage, striping and signalization plans
-
As a critical member of the team, you will perform a variety of engineering tasks and will receive both on-the-job and formal training as well as mentorship and exposure to plan production, project finances, and client interactions.
Qualifications
- 1+ years experience with a civil engineering design firm
- Bachelors or Masters from an ABET accredited university in the field of Civil Engineering
- Working knowledge of AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills
- Strong sense of urgency and self-initiative to meet client deadlines
- Detail-oriented with an ability to contribute to a positive work environment
- Ability to work independently and as a team
Why Kimley-Horn?:
At Kimley-Horn, we do things differently. People, clients, and employees are at the forefront of who we are. Clients know we prioritize achieving their goals and growing their success. Employees know our culture and approach to business are built on a desire to provide an environment for everyone to flourish. Our commitment to quality is only as good as the people behind it—that’s why we welcome and develop passionate, hardworking, and proactive employees. We take pride in how our employee retention, robust benefits package, and company values have led to Kimley-Horn’s placement on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work” list for 19 years!
Key Benefits at Kimley-Horn:
- Exceptional Retirement Plan: 2-to-1 company match on up to 4% of eligible compensation (salary + bonus) and additional profit-sharing contribution.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
- Time Off: Personal leave, flexible scheduling, floating holidays, and half-day Fridays.
- Financial Wellness: Student loan matching in our 401(k), and performance-based bonuses.
- Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement and extensive internal training programs.
- Family-Friendly Benefits: New Parent Leave, family building benefits, and childcare resources.
See all 735+ STEM OPT Civil Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Civil Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Civil Engineer
Verify your CIP code before applying
Check that your civil, structural, or environmental engineering degree maps to an approved STEM CIP code on the official STEM Designated Degree Program List. A mismatch blocks your extension even if your role qualifies, so confirm with your DSO before you start applying.
Filter employers by E-Verify enrollment status
STEM OPT employers must be enrolled in E-Verify before you start work. Search the E-Verify employer search tool to confirm enrollment before accepting an offer. Many civil engineering firms, including municipal contractors and federal subcontractors, are already enrolled due to federal contracting requirements.
Use O*NET to anchor your training plan
Your I-983 training plan must tie your civil engineering tasks to specific learning objectives. Pull the O*NET occupation profile for Civil Engineers to identify technical competencies, then map your day-to-day project work directly to those outcomes so your DSO and employer can sign off without revisions.
Target firms with active H-1B filing history
Civil engineering firms that have previously sponsored H-1B visa petitions have already navigated the prevailing wage and specialty occupation requirements your future sponsorship will need. Use Migrate Mate to filter civil engineer roles by employers with verified DOL Labor Condition Application filing history.
Align your offer letter with DOL prevailing wage
Before signing, run your job title and work location through the OFLC Wage Search to check the prevailing wage level. If your offered salary falls below the Level I or II wage for your county, your employer's future LCA filing will require a salary adjustment, which can stall H-1B sponsorship.
File your I-983 update within the required window
USCIS requires a revised I-983 within 10 days of any material change to your training plan, including a project reassignment, change in supervisor, or shift in core duties. Civil engineering roles often involve phase-based project work, so flag scope changes to your DSO proactively rather than after the fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a civil engineering degree qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Civil engineering degrees typically qualify if the program's CIP code appears on the STEM Designated Degree Program List maintained by the Department of Homeland Security. Core civil engineering CIP codes, including those for structural, environmental, and transportation engineering, are covered. Interdisciplinary programs like construction management may or may not qualify depending on how your school classified the degree, so confirm the CIP code with your DSO before you rely on it.
What E-Verify requirement applies to my civil engineering employer?
Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify before your STEM OPT extension start date. This is a federal requirement, not a company policy option. Many civil engineering firms already meet this threshold because federal contracting rules require E-Verify participation for government project work. You can confirm enrollment through the E-Verify employer search tool before accepting an offer, not after.
What goes into the I-983 training plan for a civil engineering role?
Your I-983 must describe the specific technical and professional goals you'll pursue, the supervision structure, and how your daily work connects to your degree. For civil engineering roles, that typically means mapping tasks like site analysis, AutoCAD or Civil 3D modeling, load calculations, or permit coordination to named learning objectives. Generic job descriptions won't satisfy the requirement. The O*NET occupation profile for Civil Engineers is a practical starting point for drafting objective language your DSO can approve.
How does cap-gap protection work if my employer files an H-1B for me?
If your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf before April 1 and USCIS selects it in the lottery, cap-gap automatically extends your OPT work authorization through September 30 of that fiscal year. Your EAD remains valid and you can keep working without a gap. If premium processing is used and the petition is approved before October 1, your H-1B status begins on October 1. Your DSO issues a cap-gap I-20 to document the extension.
How do I find civil engineering employers who are set up for STEM OPT?
Start with Migrate Mate, which filters civil engineer roles by employers with active E-Verify enrollment and prior DOL Labor Condition Application filing history. That filing history signals the employer has already handled the prevailing wage and specialty occupation documentation that STEM OPT and eventual H-1B sponsorship both require. Infrastructure, transportation, and environmental consulting firms are among the most active sponsors in this occupation.