STEM OPT Process Engineering Manager Jobs
Process Engineering Manager roles qualify for STEM OPT when your degree maps to an approved CIP code in engineering or a related technical field. The 24-month extension requires your employer to be enrolled in E-Verify and to co-sign your I-983 training plan. With 36 months of total OPT authorization, you have a realistic runway to pursue H-1B visa sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsWork Schedule
Standard (Mon-Fri)
Environmental Conditions
Adherence to all Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Safety Standards, Cleanroom: no hair products, jewelry, makeup, nail polish, perfume, exposed piercings, facial hair etc... allowed, Office, Some degree of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required (safety glasses, gowning, gloves, lab coat, ear plugs etc.)
Job Description
As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.
As a Manufacturing Engineer III at Thermo Fisher Scientific, you will optimize production processes, implement new technologies, and drive continuous improvement initiatives. You'll work with cross-functional teams to ensure the efficient manufacture of high-quality products while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements. This position offers the opportunity to contribute meaningfully by enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer through innovative manufacturing solutions.
You will manage process improvement projects, provide technical expertise for new product introductions, develop and validate manufacturing processes, and implement automation solutions. Working with R&D, Quality, Production, and other departments, you'll optimize existing processes while ensuring consistent product quality and regulatory compliance. Your analytical skills and engineering expertise will help drive cost reductions, improve efficiencies, and enhance manufacturing capabilities across our operations.
A Day in the Life:
- Lead problem solving efforts and issue resolution for major equipment breakdowns
- Seek opportunities for process and optimization improvements not limited to throughput, yield, and containment
- Serve as primary point of contact as the equipment and process expert. Recommend capital investments and assist in new product development, product proposals, and quotes
- Analyze operational equipment and maintenance data to drive engineering solutions to support cost reduction, quality, safety, and operational efficiencies
- Drive process improvements (PPI) with teams to complete PPI projects and cost savings initiatives
- Work closely with maintenance to align on data driven decisions to improve equipment up time
- Use root cause problem solving and CAPA generation and execution to improve quality
- Collaborate with internal and external customers, as well as original equipment manufacturers to provide technical expertise, recommendations, and continuous improvement efforts on processing equipment
- Communicate improvement ideas for the process and equipment performance to multiple departments
REQUIREMENTS
- Advanced Degree plus 1 year of experience, or Bachelor's Degree plus 3 years of experience in manufacturing engineering in regulated industries (pharmaceutical, medical device, or similar)
- Preferred Fields of Study: Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial or related field)
- Lean Six Sigma certification preferred
- Strong knowledge of GMP, ISO standards, and regulatory requirements
- Expertise in process validation, equipment qualification, and change control management
- Proficient in statistical analysis and continuous improvement methodologies
- Experience with automation systems, PLCs, and manufacturing control systems
- Strong project management skills and ability to work with cross-functional teams
- Demonstrated success implementing process improvements and cost reduction initiatives
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work effectively in a dynamic manufacturing environment
- Experience supporting engineers and technicians
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and relevant engineering software
- Must be able to work in cleanroom environments when required
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Experience with risk assessment methodologies and root cause analysis
- Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and tools
- Able to express ideas and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams
- Innovative problem solver who can envision new and better ways of doing things
Work Schedule
Standard (Mon-Fri)
Environmental Conditions
Adherence to all Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Safety Standards, Cleanroom: no hair products, jewelry, makeup, nail polish, perfume, exposed piercings, facial hair etc... allowed, Office, Some degree of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required (safety glasses, gowning, gloves, lab coat, ear plugs etc.)
Job Description
As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.
As a Manufacturing Engineer III at Thermo Fisher Scientific, you will optimize production processes, implement new technologies, and drive continuous improvement initiatives. You'll work with cross-functional teams to ensure the efficient manufacture of high-quality products while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements. This position offers the opportunity to contribute meaningfully by enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer through innovative manufacturing solutions.
You will manage process improvement projects, provide technical expertise for new product introductions, develop and validate manufacturing processes, and implement automation solutions. Working with R&D, Quality, Production, and other departments, you'll optimize existing processes while ensuring consistent product quality and regulatory compliance. Your analytical skills and engineering expertise will help drive cost reductions, improve efficiencies, and enhance manufacturing capabilities across our operations.
A Day in the Life:
- Lead problem solving efforts and issue resolution for major equipment breakdowns
- Seek opportunities for process and optimization improvements not limited to throughput, yield, and containment
- Serve as primary point of contact as the equipment and process expert. Recommend capital investments and assist in new product development, product proposals, and quotes
- Analyze operational equipment and maintenance data to drive engineering solutions to support cost reduction, quality, safety, and operational efficiencies
- Drive process improvements (PPI) with teams to complete PPI projects and cost savings initiatives
- Work closely with maintenance to align on data driven decisions to improve equipment up time
- Use root cause problem solving and CAPA generation and execution to improve quality
- Collaborate with internal and external customers, as well as original equipment manufacturers to provide technical expertise, recommendations, and continuous improvement efforts on processing equipment
- Communicate improvement ideas for the process and equipment performance to multiple departments
REQUIREMENTS
- Advanced Degree plus 1 year of experience, or Bachelor's Degree plus 3 years of experience in manufacturing engineering in regulated industries (pharmaceutical, medical device, or similar)
- Preferred Fields of Study: Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial or related field)
- Lean Six Sigma certification preferred
- Strong knowledge of GMP, ISO standards, and regulatory requirements
- Expertise in process validation, equipment qualification, and change control management
- Proficient in statistical analysis and continuous improvement methodologies
- Experience with automation systems, PLCs, and manufacturing control systems
- Strong project management skills and ability to work with cross-functional teams
- Demonstrated success implementing process improvements and cost reduction initiatives
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work effectively in a dynamic manufacturing environment
- Experience supporting engineers and technicians
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and relevant engineering software
- Must be able to work in cleanroom environments when required
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Experience with risk assessment methodologies and root cause analysis
- Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and tools
- Able to express ideas and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams
- Innovative problem solver who can envision new and better ways of doing things
See all 36+ STEM OPT Process Engineering Manager Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Process Engineering Manager Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Process Engineering Manager
Verify your CIP code before applying
Pull your degree's CIP code from your school's registrar and cross-reference it against the STEM OPT designated degree program list. Process engineering roles typically align with CIP codes under industrial, chemical, or manufacturing engineering, but a mismatch can disqualify your extension request.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Ask for the employer's E-Verify Company ID before signing anything. E-Verify enrollment is mandatory for STEM OPT employers, and an employer who can't provide that ID cannot legally employ you under the 24-month extension regardless of how the offer letter reads.
Build your I-983 training plan around engineering deliverables
Process Engineering Manager roles involve measurable outputs like yield improvement targets, equipment qualification protocols, and cross-functional team leadership. Document these specifically in your I-983 rather than using generic language, since your DSO reviews the plan for degree-level relevance.
Target companies with active H-1B LCA filings
Use Migrate Mate to filter Process Engineering Manager roles by employers with verified H-1B Labor Condition Application history. This narrows your search to companies that have already navigated immigration paperwork for engineering roles, which signals readiness to sponsor beyond OPT.
Understand cap-gap protection for H-1B transitions
If your OPT end date falls between April 1 and October 1 and your employer files an H-1B petition by April 1, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization through September 30. USCIS issues a cap-gap EAD extension notice, and you can work continuously without a gap.
Negotiate your start date around I-983 reporting windows
STEM OPT requires an annual I-983 evaluation report, and your employer must submit a final report within 30 days of your end date or termination. Align your offer start date so your first evaluation period covers a full 12 months of substantive process engineering work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Process Engineering Manager role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It qualifies if your underlying degree maps to an approved STEM CIP code, typically industrial engineering, chemical engineering, manufacturing engineering, or a closely related technical field. The role itself must also provide training directly related to that degree. Review the O*NET profile for this occupation to confirm the degree alignment your DSO will evaluate when approving your I-983 training plan.
How do I verify that a potential employer is enrolled in E-Verify?
Ask the recruiter or HR contact for the company's E-Verify Company ID during the offer stage, not after you accept. E-Verify enrollment is a legal prerequisite for employing STEM OPT students under the 24-month extension. If the employer can't provide that ID or expresses confusion about the requirement, the role cannot support your extension regardless of other sponsorship intentions.
What should my I-983 training plan include for a Process Engineering Manager position?
Your I-983 must connect the day-to-day work to learning objectives grounded in your STEM degree. For this role, that means documenting specific engineering tasks such as process optimization projects, equipment validation protocols, or production yield analysis, along with measurable goals and a supervision structure. Vague descriptions of general management duties will not satisfy your DSO's review, and USCIS expects the plan to demonstrate a direct link to technical training.
What happens to my work authorization if my H-1B petition is filed while I'm on STEM OPT?
If your employer files a cap-subject H-1B petition by April 1 and you're selected in the lottery, cap-gap protection automatically extends your OPT EAD through September 30 of that year. You can continue working in your Process Engineering Manager role without interruption. USCIS will issue documentation confirming the extension, and your employer should update your I-9 accordingly before your original EAD expires.
Where can I find Process Engineering Manager jobs that support STEM OPT?
Migrate Mate filters Process Engineering Manager listings by employers with verified E-Verify enrollment and H-1B LCA filing history, so you can focus your search on companies that are already set up to support STEM OPT extensions and long-term sponsorship. Searching without that filter means manually vetting each employer for E-Verify status before you can assess whether the role is viable for your authorization.