Aerospace & Defense Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Florida
Florida's aerospace and defense sector centers around major contractors like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman, concentrated primarily in Orlando, Melbourne, Tampa, and Jacksonville. The state hosts significant operations for space programs, defense manufacturing, and aviation systems, creating consistent demand for engineers, technicians, and specialized professionals on work visas.
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ABOUT FTAI AVIATION LTD. (NASDAQ: FTAI)
FTAI owns and maintains commercial jet engines with a focus on the Maintenance, Repair and Exchange (MRE) of CFM56 and V2500 engines. FTAI’s propriety portfolio of products, including The Module Factory and a joint venture to distribute engine PMA helps make CFM56 and V2500 engine maintenance simpler, more cost-effective, significantly faster, and more environmentally friendly. Additionally, FTAI owns and leases jet aircraft which often facilitates the acquisition of engines at attractive prices. FTAI invests in aviation assets and aerospace products that generate strong and stable cash flows with the potential for earnings growth and asset appreciation.
FTAI operates globally and has offices in New York, Miami, Montreal, Singapore, Dubai, United Kingdom and Ireland.
JOB OVERVIEW
FTAI Aviation’s Innovation Group is the company strategic division where future technologies are developed. The department supports day-to-day activities while seeking improvement projects for financial and technological growth. We are currently looking for Repair Development Engineers to define, substantiate and qualify new repairs for CFM56 engine hardware, and to deploy them across FTAI’s global MRO operations.
Responsibilities:
- Define repair schemes for CFM56 hardware, establishing the technical approach and acceptance criteria for parts that fall outside published serviceable or repairable limits.
- Build the substantiation package: stress, thermal and life analysis, materials and process justification, test plans, and the supporting data.
- Coordinate approvals with Designated Engineering Representatives (DER) and the design approval organization, and prepare the technical content each approval route requires.
- Own the qualification path from concept through first article to production release, including the process qualification behind it.
- Review unserviceable material and assess whether a repair is technically sound and commercially worth developing.
- Act as FTAI’s technical contact with repair vendors and joint-development partners, holding them to the network’s technical requirements.
- Deploy approved repairs into the shops: write work instructions, brief site engineering and production teams, and support first production runs.
- Provide the technical inputs — expected yield, cost, cycle time and service life — used to prioritize the repair development pipeline.
- Prepare and present technical and project status updates to leadership and stakeholders.
Qualifications
- Mechanical, Aerospace, Materials or Metallurgical engineering degree from an accredited university, or equivalent engineering experience
- Minimum 5 years of experience in aero engine engineering — repair development, MRO engineering, DER support, or OEM component design (8+ years for the senior level)
- Hands-on knowledge of CFM56 or comparable turbofan hardware: turbine and compressor blades and vanes, cases, combustors, rotating structures
- Working command of engine and component maintenance manuals, serviceable and repairable limits, and unserviceable material disposition
- Substantiation fundamentals: finite element or classical stress analysis, materials behavior, and fatigue and creep life assessment
- Familiarity with FAA and EASA repair approval routes, including PMA and DER, and the evidence each requires
- Strong technical writing skills — on this team the approval package is the deliverable
- Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience serving as a Designated Engineering Representative (DER), or successfully leading a DER repair approval through the certification process
- Repair process knowledge — welding, brazing, thermal spray and coatings, machining, or additive manufacturing
- Industrial gas turbine or power generation experience
Job Demands:
Work is performed in a Shop environment and requires the ability to perform extensive standing, driving, walking, and climbing; to lift up to 50lbs. regularly; to manipulate up to 100lbs. with assistance. Must be able to bend, stoop, climb to reach materials, and work in a noisy environment.
Equal Opportunity Employment Statement:
Our company is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Aerospace & Defense Job Roles in Florida
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Search Aerospace & Defense Jobs in FloridaAerospace & Defense Jobs in Florida: Frequently Asked Questions
Which aerospace and defense companies sponsor visas in Florida?
Major sponsors include Lockheed Martin (Orlando, Cape Canaveral), Boeing (Jacksonville), Northrop Grumman (Melbourne), Raytheon (St. Petersburg), General Dynamics (Jacksonville), and L3Harris Technologies (Melbourne). Smaller defense contractors like CACI, Booz Allen Hamilton, and SAIC also sponsor visas for specialized engineering and technical roles throughout the state.
How to find aerospace & defense visa sponsorship jobs in Florida?
Search Migrate Mate for Florida-specific aerospace and defense positions that offer visa sponsorship. Focus on the Space Coast region around Melbourne and Cape Canaveral, Orlando's defense corridor, and Jacksonville's naval aviation sector. Many positions require security clearance eligibility, which limits opportunities to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, making visa-friendly roles more competitive.
Which cities in Florida have the most aerospace and defense sponsorship jobs?
Orlando leads with Lockheed Martin's missile and fire control systems division. Melbourne and the Space Coast region offer numerous opportunities with defense contractors supporting NASA and Space Force operations. Jacksonville focuses on naval aviation and shipbuilding, while Tampa and St. Petersburg host Raytheon, MacDill Air Force Base contractors, and aviation maintenance companies.
What visa types are most common for aerospace and defense roles in Florida?
H-1B visas dominate for engineering positions (aerospace, systems, software, electrical), while TN visas serve Canadian and Mexican engineers. O-1 visas apply to exceptional engineers with advanced degrees or specialized expertise in space systems or defense technology. Some research positions qualify for J-1 visa exchange visitor programs through university partnerships.
Do Florida aerospace companies have specific requirements for international workers?
Many positions require security clearance eligibility, limiting opportunities to U.S. citizens and green card holders. However, non-clearance roles in commercial aviation, space systems integration, and software development remain accessible to visa holders. University of Florida, Florida Institute of Technology, and Embry-Riddle provide strong pipeline programs that help international graduates connect with sponsoring employers.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored aerospace & defense jobs in Florida?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.