Chemicals & Materials STEM OPT Jobs in Connecticut
Connecticut's chemicals and materials sector spans specialty chemicals manufacturers, advanced materials firms, and pharmaceutical suppliers concentrated in cities like Stamford, Bridgeport, and Hartford. Companies including Henkel, Chemours, and Thermo Fisher Scientific have Connecticut operations with STEM-designated roles in chemical engineering, materials science, and process development that can support F-1 STEM OPT work authorization.
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King Industries
Job Description
Building Plant Process Engineer
Location: Norwalk, CT
King Industries, Inc. is actively seeking Plant Process Engineers to join our Engineering Department. Ideal candidates will have a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering and 0-2 years of professional experience in process engineering within chemical plant operations. The Plant Process Engineer position is a unique developmental role that provides hands-on plant experience, formal training, and progressive project responsibilities. This role is designed to prepare individuals for full Process Design Engineer duties.
Skills Required:
- Regular and consistent attendance at our Norwalk location.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Competency in field of chemical engineering process operations involving heat transfer, fluid flow, mass transfer, distillation, reaction engineering and liquid/liquid extraction.
- Competency in the use of personal computers for business and technical applications.
- Excellent organizational skills, persistence, good judgment, and ability to follow through on all details and manage multiple chemical processes simultaneously.
- Must be self-motivated with strong desire to learn and master new chemistry and chemical processes.
Education and Experience Requirements:
- Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, from an accredited university.
- 0-2 years professional experience in process engineering in chemical plant operations.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Develop a strong working knowledge of all processes in assigned process codes.
- Develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of design and all relevant technical information and details for each process and system in assigned process areas.
- PFD’s for all processes in building.
- Log Sheets.
- Process Conditions.
- Flow rates and compositions of all streams.
- Operating conditions and safe operating limits– temperature, pressure, flow, etc.
- Physical properties and vapor pressure of RM’s, fluids and products.
- Process samples and QC testing plus meanings of key QC tests.
- Waste streams and environmental aspect of specific processes.
- Equipment set-up and technical details of process equipment.
- Start-up and shut-down procedures.
- Daily process monitoring includes, but not limited to, log sheets, batch sheets, DCS data, etc.
- Develop operating parameter lists and ranges for all processes and all batches in assigned building (Batch sheet ranges and log sheet ranges).
- Hands-on operation of process equipment.
- Review completed batch sheets with operators for compliance and improvements.
- Recommend, propose and work with Production on updates and improvements to batch sheets.
- Teach and advise operators on best ways of troubleshooting operating problems and maintain a safe optimized operation of production units.
- Off shift visits to meet with 2nd and 3rd shift operators at least once a quarter and as needed for training. This includes attending the shift change meetings.
- Attend Production and Engineering meetings.
- Coordinate, with Production and Engineering, daily and project maintenance work in assigned processes.
- Conduct/Assist with Lock Out Tag Outs (LOTOs), review and approve safety work permits (SWPs) on a daily basis.
- Advice and assist start-up operations after a maintenance shut down and during non-routine operations.
- Participate in Process Hazard Analysis (PHAs) for all assigned processes.
- Propose projects for process changes and improvements that would improve process operability, process safety and control, improve product quality, reduce waste and down time.
- Write ECNs and manage small projects for assigned processes.
- Review all ECNs for assigned processes.
- Work closely with Project/Design Engineering on large capital projects associated where needed.
- Collaborate with Engineering to maintain Standard Operating Instructions (SOIs) – specifically startup, operating and shut down sections.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $65,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
- Tuition reimbursement
Education:
- Bachelor's (Required)
Experience:
- Chemical Plant Operations: 1 year (Required)
- Process engineering: 1 year (Required)
Ability to Commute:
- Norwalk, CT 06850 (Required)
Work Location: In person
STEM OPT Chemicals & Materials Job Roles in Connecticut
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Search Chemicals & Materials Jobs in ConnecticutChemicals & Materials STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Connecticut: Frequently Asked Questions
Which chemicals & materials companies sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas in Connecticut?
Connecticut hosts several chemicals and materials employers with a history of hiring STEM OPT candidates, including Henkel's adhesives and surface technologies divisions, Thermo Fisher Scientific's laboratory and manufacturing operations, and specialty chemical suppliers clustered near Stamford and Bridgeport. Pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturers and advanced polymer companies in the Naugatuck Valley corridor also regularly hire chemical engineers and materials scientists on STEM OPT authorization.
Which cities in Connecticut have the most chemicals & materials F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Stamford leads for corporate chemicals and materials roles, particularly in specialty chemicals and consumer products R&D. Bridgeport and New Haven support manufacturing-side positions in materials processing and quality control. The Naugatuck Valley, including Shelton and Ansonia, concentrates advanced materials and polymer manufacturing employers. Hartford and its suburbs host analytical laboratory and environmental chemistry roles tied to the state's insurance and industrial base.
What types of chemicals & materials roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship?
Roles that map to STEM-designated Classification of Instructional Programs codes qualify. In chemicals and materials, these commonly include chemical engineering positions, materials scientist roles, process development scientists, analytical chemists, polymer scientists, and quality assurance engineers. The STEM degree classifications covering these occupations appear on the STEM OPT designated degree program list maintained by DHS. Employers confirm eligibility when completing the I-983 training plan with your DSO.
How do I find chemicals & materials F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Connecticut?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for employers with verified STEM OPT sponsorship activity in Connecticut's chemicals and materials sector, saving you from applying to postings where sponsorship is unlikely. Search by role type such as chemical engineer or materials scientist alongside the Connecticut location filter to surface relevant openings. You can also cross-reference employer LCA filing history through OFLC Wage Search to confirm a company has sponsored similar roles before applying.
Are there any Connecticut-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in chemicals & materials?
Connecticut enforces its own environmental and occupational safety regulations through DEEP, which can affect hiring timelines for roles involving hazardous materials or regulated substances. Some employers in the state's specialty chemicals cluster require security clearances or work with export-controlled materials, which can complicate STEM OPT eligibility. Additionally, Connecticut's higher cost of living relative to other Northeast states is worth factoring into your job search even though sponsorship processes themselves follow federal rules uniformly.