Fashion & Apparel OPT Jobs in Illinois
Fashion and apparel F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in Illinois are concentrated in Chicago, home to major employers like Shein's U.S. operations, Ferrara Candy Company's design teams, and a network of independent labels and retail headquarters. Illinois combines Midwest manufacturing roots with a growing fashion tech and e-commerce sector, giving OPT candidates roles spanning design, merchandising, sourcing, and product development.
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Get Access To All JobsProject Manager - Vehicle Sensing Solutions
Location: Rochester Hills, MI or Lisle, IL (Onsite)
Travel: Domestic and international travel as needed (10-15%)
Business Unit: Vehicle Sensing Solutions
Your Job
At Molex, we don't just manufacture components; we help enable the sensing technologies shaping the future of mobility and industrial innovation.
We are seeking a Project Manager to lead complex automotive and industrial sensor development programs within our Vehicle Sensing Solutions Business Unit (VSSBU). In this role, you will lead global, cross-functional teams through the full product lifecycle, from concept and development through validation, APQP-driven product development, industrialization, and launch into world-class manufacturing environments.
As sensing technologies continue to evolve across electrification, safety systems, and intelligent mobility platforms, this role offers the opportunity to help shape next-generation vehicle innovation while driving critical customer and business outcomes.
This position is ideal for a technically minded project leader who thrives in fast-paced automotive manufacturing environments and enjoys balancing customer engagement, cross-functional leadership, problem solving, and execution accountability. You will play a critical role in ensuring successful product launches that meet customer expectations for quality, timing, and cost while helping drive innovation and operational excellence across our global footprint.
Our Team
Our Vehicle Sensing Solutions team combines the speed and entrepreneurial spirit of a growing business with the global scale, investment, and stability of Molex. This is an environment where individuals are empowered to lead, influence key decisions, solve complex technical challenges, and create long-term value across next-generation automotive sensing technologies.
What truly differentiates us is our culture. Guided by Koch's Principle Based Management™ philosophy, we empower employees with ownership, autonomy, and the ability to continuously learn, innovate, and create value. For someone energized by principled entrepreneurship and making a visible impact within a growing business, this role offers significant ownership and the opportunity to help shape the future of sensing technology.
What You Will Do
- Lead global cross-functional teams through all phases of product development, NPI, and launch execution
- Drive successful delivery of project scope while meeting timing, financial, quality, and customer satisfaction objectives
- Hold teams accountable for product development deliverables and support flawless manufacturing launches
- Partner closely with Plant Project Managers on launch strategy and execution support
- Manage communication, risk escalation, stakeholder reporting, and alignment across project teams, leadership, manufacturing sites, suppliers, and customers
- Manage and improve project financial performance including BOM cost, development investment, and industrialization spend
- Proactively identify risks, remove obstacles, and drive resolution of complex technical and operational challenges
- Collaborate directly with automotive customers and internal engineering/manufacturing teams to support successful program execution
Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, or related technical field
- Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams, driving accountability, and making decisions in fast-paced technical environments
- Experience managing multiple technical projects simultaneously while achieving timing, cost, and quality targets
- Experience leading new product development (NPD/NPI) and automotive product launches from concept through industrialization and post-launch support
- Experience supporting automotive product development activities including APQP, validation, PPAP, or related automotive quality processes
- Experience identifying project risks, solving complex technical challenges, and leading cross-functional teams through execution
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed (10-15%)
What Will Put You Ahead
- 2 years' + experience in project management within technical manufacturing or automotive environments
- Experience working for an automotive Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier
- Experience with automotive sensing technologies, automotive electronics, or electro-mechanical components
- Strong proficiency with Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office, and workflow/project management tools
- Engineering or Manufacturing degree and/or technical manufacturing experience
- Experience supporting global manufacturing operations and launch execution
At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.
Hiring Philosophy
All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.
Who We Are
As a Koch company, Molex is a leading supplier of connectors and interconnect components, driving innovation in electronics and supporting industries from automotive to health care and consumer to data communications. The thousands of innovators who work for Molex have made us a global electronics leader. Our experienced people, groundbreaking products and leading-edge technologies help us deliver a wider array of solutions to more markets than ever before.
At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.
Our Benefits
Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.
Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.
Equal Opportunities
Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here, aquí, or tu).
LI-LAL
LI-ONSITE
Project Manager - Vehicle Sensing Solutions
Location: Rochester Hills, MI or Lisle, IL (Onsite)
Travel: Domestic and international travel as needed (10-15%)
Business Unit: Vehicle Sensing Solutions
Your Job
At Molex, we don't just manufacture components; we help enable the sensing technologies shaping the future of mobility and industrial innovation.
We are seeking a Project Manager to lead complex automotive and industrial sensor development programs within our Vehicle Sensing Solutions Business Unit (VSSBU). In this role, you will lead global, cross-functional teams through the full product lifecycle, from concept and development through validation, APQP-driven product development, industrialization, and launch into world-class manufacturing environments.
As sensing technologies continue to evolve across electrification, safety systems, and intelligent mobility platforms, this role offers the opportunity to help shape next-generation vehicle innovation while driving critical customer and business outcomes.
This position is ideal for a technically minded project leader who thrives in fast-paced automotive manufacturing environments and enjoys balancing customer engagement, cross-functional leadership, problem solving, and execution accountability. You will play a critical role in ensuring successful product launches that meet customer expectations for quality, timing, and cost while helping drive innovation and operational excellence across our global footprint.
Our Team
Our Vehicle Sensing Solutions team combines the speed and entrepreneurial spirit of a growing business with the global scale, investment, and stability of Molex. This is an environment where individuals are empowered to lead, influence key decisions, solve complex technical challenges, and create long-term value across next-generation automotive sensing technologies.
What truly differentiates us is our culture. Guided by Koch's Principle Based Management™ philosophy, we empower employees with ownership, autonomy, and the ability to continuously learn, innovate, and create value. For someone energized by principled entrepreneurship and making a visible impact within a growing business, this role offers significant ownership and the opportunity to help shape the future of sensing technology.
What You Will Do
- Lead global cross-functional teams through all phases of product development, NPI, and launch execution
- Drive successful delivery of project scope while meeting timing, financial, quality, and customer satisfaction objectives
- Hold teams accountable for product development deliverables and support flawless manufacturing launches
- Partner closely with Plant Project Managers on launch strategy and execution support
- Manage communication, risk escalation, stakeholder reporting, and alignment across project teams, leadership, manufacturing sites, suppliers, and customers
- Manage and improve project financial performance including BOM cost, development investment, and industrialization spend
- Proactively identify risks, remove obstacles, and drive resolution of complex technical and operational challenges
- Collaborate directly with automotive customers and internal engineering/manufacturing teams to support successful program execution
Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, or related technical field
- Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams, driving accountability, and making decisions in fast-paced technical environments
- Experience managing multiple technical projects simultaneously while achieving timing, cost, and quality targets
- Experience leading new product development (NPD/NPI) and automotive product launches from concept through industrialization and post-launch support
- Experience supporting automotive product development activities including APQP, validation, PPAP, or related automotive quality processes
- Experience identifying project risks, solving complex technical challenges, and leading cross-functional teams through execution
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed (10-15%)
What Will Put You Ahead
- 2 years' + experience in project management within technical manufacturing or automotive environments
- Experience working for an automotive Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier
- Experience with automotive sensing technologies, automotive electronics, or electro-mechanical components
- Strong proficiency with Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office, and workflow/project management tools
- Engineering or Manufacturing degree and/or technical manufacturing experience
- Experience supporting global manufacturing operations and launch execution
At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.
Hiring Philosophy
All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.
Who We Are
As a Koch company, Molex is a leading supplier of connectors and interconnect components, driving innovation in electronics and supporting industries from automotive to health care and consumer to data communications. The thousands of innovators who work for Molex have made us a global electronics leader. Our experienced people, groundbreaking products and leading-edge technologies help us deliver a wider array of solutions to more markets than ever before.
At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.
Our Benefits
Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.
Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.
Equal Opportunities
Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here, aquí, or tu).
LI-LAL
LI-ONSITE
OPT Fashion & Apparel Job Roles in Illinois
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Search Fashion & Apparel Jobs in IllinoisFashion & Apparel OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which fashion and apparel companies in Illinois sponsor F-1 OPT visas?
Illinois-based employers with histories of hiring international candidates in fashion and apparel include Shein's U.S. division, Cato Fashions' regional offices, and mid-size apparel brands headquartered in Chicago's Fulton Market and River North districts. Larger retail corporations like Sears Holdings legacy entities and specialty outdoor apparel companies based in the Chicago suburbs have also filed OPT-related employment authorizations. Sponsorship availability varies by role, department size, and hiring cycle.
Which cities in Illinois have the most fashion and apparel F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
Chicago accounts for the overwhelming majority of fashion and apparel OPT opportunities in Illinois, particularly in neighborhoods like the Fulton Market District, the Loop, and River North where design studios, showrooms, and brand headquarters cluster. Suburbs including Schaumburg and Oak Brook host corporate offices for retail and apparel chains that occasionally recruit international talent for merchandising and planning roles. Outside the Chicago metro area, opportunities are significantly more limited.
What types of fashion and apparel roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship in Illinois?
Roles that commonly qualify for F-1 OPT in Illinois fashion and apparel include apparel product development coordinator, fashion merchandising analyst, textile sourcing specialist, visual merchandising manager, and e-commerce product specialist. Technical positions such as CAD designer, pattern maker with relevant degree credentials, and supply chain analyst for apparel brands also appear. OPT eligibility depends on whether the role directly relates to your field of study as documented on your I-20.
How do I find fashion and apparel F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students and filters fashion and apparel jobs in Illinois by F-1 OPT eligibility, so you are not sorting through postings that do not apply to your situation. Beyond Migrate Mate, attending Chicago-area trade events like the Chicago Apparel Center showrooms and networking through the Illinois Institute of Art alumni connections can surface opportunities that are rarely posted publicly. Confirming OPT eligibility directly with each employer's HR team before applying is always advisable.
Are there any Illinois-specific or industry-specific considerations for F-1 OPT in fashion and apparel?
Illinois does not impose state-level restrictions on OPT employment, but fashion and apparel employers in Chicago tend to favor candidates enrolled in or recently graduated from programs at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, DePaul University, or Columbia College Chicago, whose curricula align closely with industry roles. Apparel roles at smaller Illinois boutique brands may lack dedicated HR infrastructure to process international employment paperwork, making mid-size and enterprise employers generally more prepared to support OPT candidates.