Food & Beverage STEM OPT Jobs in Illinois
Illinois is a major hub for food & beverage F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship, with global companies like Kraft Heinz, Mondelēz International, and Abbott anchoring hiring in the Chicago metro. Data science, food technology, and supply chain engineering roles are common entry points for STEM OPT candidates across Chicago, Deerfield, and the broader northeast corridor.
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Get Access To All JobsOVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY
Fox Sports
FOX Sports, the industry leader in live events, is the umbrella entity representing Fox Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes, as well as a joint-venture business in the Big Ten Network and digital properties including http://FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App. FOX Sports has delivered the most watched television program, NFL’s America’s Game of the Week on FOX, for fourteen consecutive years.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Big Ten Network is currently seeking a highly skilled, adaptable, and detail-oriented Systems Support Engineer to join our broadcast engineering team. In this role, you will be responsible for ensuring the high availability, performance, and operational continuity of both our IT network infrastructure and core media production systems.
The ideal candidate bridges the gap between enterprise-level networking and daily end-user broadcast support. You will focus heavily on maintaining complex network infrastructures—specifically IP Multicast routing (SMPTE ST 2110 / AES67), facility-wide IP documentation, and network migration planning—while actively supporting our creative and technical teams across edit suites, ingest workflows, and live graphics platforms.
Above all, you bring a customer-service-first attitude, acting as an approachable, proactive partner to production staff, editors, operators, and engineering colleagues alike.
A SNAPSHOT OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Network Architecture & Multicast Management:
- Maintain, troubleshoot, and optimize the core broadcast network infrastructure, ensuring seamless transport of uncompressed video, audio, and metadata over IP
- Configure and manage IGMP snooping, IGMP querying, PIM (Sparse/Dense mode), and non-blocking multicast architectures critical for live broadcast environments
- Monitor network performance, bandwidth utilization, and Quality of Service (QoS) parameters to proactively prevent packet loss and jitter in live streams
Documentation & Migration Planning:
- Own and maintain comprehensive, highly accurate IP documentation for the entire facility, including logical/physical network topologies, VLAN maps, subnet allocations, and multicast address assignments
- Act as a core technical resource in planning and executing facility upgrades and network migrations (e.g., transitions from legacy SDI/POTS to ST 2110 IP cores, switch replacements, or ISP cutovers)
- Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), runbooks, and end-user guides to streamline system operation and onboarding
Operations & User Support:
- Deliver elite, customer-focused technical support with an empathetic, clear, and proactive communication style
- Assist with routine desktop, OS, and software support for production workstations and control room surfaces
- Participate in an on-call rotation to support live, high-profile events and breaking news environments
Creative Services Support:
- Provide tier-2/3 technical and operational support for critical post-production, ingest, and live playback systems
- Edit Suites: Maintain, troubleshoot, and optimize Adobe Creative Cloud environments (Premiere Pro, After Effects, Media Encoder) connected to shared storage infrastructures
- Ingest & Content Management: Support Grass Valley Stratus ingest workflows, asset management, and playback servers to ensure reliable media capture and transfer
- Broadcast Graphics: Support and maintain real-time graphics systems, including VizRT and Ross Xpression engines, control software, and hardware output cards
- Diagnose and resolve software glitches, hardware failures, codec mismatches, and workflow bottlenecks quickly to keep production schedules moving smoothly
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
- 3+ years in a broadcast facility, live production environment, or media-focused IT role
- Deep understanding of TCP/IP, VLANs, VRFs, DHCP, DNS, and non-blocking switch architectures
- Demonstrated experience with IP Multicast (PIM, IGMPv2/v3) and familiarity with standards like SMPTE ST 2110, ST 2022-6/7, AES67, and PTP (IEEE 1588)
- Hands-on experience supporting Adobe Creative Cloud (specifically Premiere Pro), Grass Valley Stratus / K2 storage platforms, and live broadcast graphics systems (VizRT, Ross Xpression)
- Strong service orientation with a genuine passion for helping end users solve technical challenges in fast-paced production environments
- Ability to analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve system issues calmly during high-stakes live broadcasts or tight edit deadlines
- Meticulous approach to tracking assets, documenting IP schemes, and executing routine maintenance windows without disrupting air
NICE TO HAVE BUT NOT A DEALBREAKER
- Bachelor’s degree in Network Engineering, Computer Science, Broadcast Technology, or equivalent hands-on professional experience
- Ubiquiti UniFi ecosystem management (configuring and maintaining UniFi switches, access points, security gateways, and UniFi Network Application environments)
- Cisco CCNP/CCIE or Arista ACE certification
- Experience with network documentation and monitoring tools (NetBox, Visio, Wireshark, SolarWinds, Grafana)
- Familiarity with broadcast control systems and NMOS standards (IS-04/IS-05)
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable law.
Pursuant to state and local pay disclosure requirements, the pay rate/range for this role, with final offer amount dependent on education, skills, experience, and location is $39.75-57.69 per hour. This role is also eligible for various benefits, including medical/dental/vision, insurance, a 401(k) plan, paid time off, and other benefits in accordance with applicable plan documents. Benefits for Union represented employees will be in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY
Fox Sports
FOX Sports, the industry leader in live events, is the umbrella entity representing Fox Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes, as well as a joint-venture business in the Big Ten Network and digital properties including http://FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App. FOX Sports has delivered the most watched television program, NFL’s America’s Game of the Week on FOX, for fourteen consecutive years.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Big Ten Network is currently seeking a highly skilled, adaptable, and detail-oriented Systems Support Engineer to join our broadcast engineering team. In this role, you will be responsible for ensuring the high availability, performance, and operational continuity of both our IT network infrastructure and core media production systems.
The ideal candidate bridges the gap between enterprise-level networking and daily end-user broadcast support. You will focus heavily on maintaining complex network infrastructures—specifically IP Multicast routing (SMPTE ST 2110 / AES67), facility-wide IP documentation, and network migration planning—while actively supporting our creative and technical teams across edit suites, ingest workflows, and live graphics platforms.
Above all, you bring a customer-service-first attitude, acting as an approachable, proactive partner to production staff, editors, operators, and engineering colleagues alike.
A SNAPSHOT OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Network Architecture & Multicast Management:
- Maintain, troubleshoot, and optimize the core broadcast network infrastructure, ensuring seamless transport of uncompressed video, audio, and metadata over IP
- Configure and manage IGMP snooping, IGMP querying, PIM (Sparse/Dense mode), and non-blocking multicast architectures critical for live broadcast environments
- Monitor network performance, bandwidth utilization, and Quality of Service (QoS) parameters to proactively prevent packet loss and jitter in live streams
Documentation & Migration Planning:
- Own and maintain comprehensive, highly accurate IP documentation for the entire facility, including logical/physical network topologies, VLAN maps, subnet allocations, and multicast address assignments
- Act as a core technical resource in planning and executing facility upgrades and network migrations (e.g., transitions from legacy SDI/POTS to ST 2110 IP cores, switch replacements, or ISP cutovers)
- Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), runbooks, and end-user guides to streamline system operation and onboarding
Operations & User Support:
- Deliver elite, customer-focused technical support with an empathetic, clear, and proactive communication style
- Assist with routine desktop, OS, and software support for production workstations and control room surfaces
- Participate in an on-call rotation to support live, high-profile events and breaking news environments
Creative Services Support:
- Provide tier-2/3 technical and operational support for critical post-production, ingest, and live playback systems
- Edit Suites: Maintain, troubleshoot, and optimize Adobe Creative Cloud environments (Premiere Pro, After Effects, Media Encoder) connected to shared storage infrastructures
- Ingest & Content Management: Support Grass Valley Stratus ingest workflows, asset management, and playback servers to ensure reliable media capture and transfer
- Broadcast Graphics: Support and maintain real-time graphics systems, including VizRT and Ross Xpression engines, control software, and hardware output cards
- Diagnose and resolve software glitches, hardware failures, codec mismatches, and workflow bottlenecks quickly to keep production schedules moving smoothly
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
- 3+ years in a broadcast facility, live production environment, or media-focused IT role
- Deep understanding of TCP/IP, VLANs, VRFs, DHCP, DNS, and non-blocking switch architectures
- Demonstrated experience with IP Multicast (PIM, IGMPv2/v3) and familiarity with standards like SMPTE ST 2110, ST 2022-6/7, AES67, and PTP (IEEE 1588)
- Hands-on experience supporting Adobe Creative Cloud (specifically Premiere Pro), Grass Valley Stratus / K2 storage platforms, and live broadcast graphics systems (VizRT, Ross Xpression)
- Strong service orientation with a genuine passion for helping end users solve technical challenges in fast-paced production environments
- Ability to analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve system issues calmly during high-stakes live broadcasts or tight edit deadlines
- Meticulous approach to tracking assets, documenting IP schemes, and executing routine maintenance windows without disrupting air
NICE TO HAVE BUT NOT A DEALBREAKER
- Bachelor’s degree in Network Engineering, Computer Science, Broadcast Technology, or equivalent hands-on professional experience
- Ubiquiti UniFi ecosystem management (configuring and maintaining UniFi switches, access points, security gateways, and UniFi Network Application environments)
- Cisco CCNP/CCIE or Arista ACE certification
- Experience with network documentation and monitoring tools (NetBox, Visio, Wireshark, SolarWinds, Grafana)
- Familiarity with broadcast control systems and NMOS standards (IS-04/IS-05)
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable law.
Pursuant to state and local pay disclosure requirements, the pay rate/range for this role, with final offer amount dependent on education, skills, experience, and location is $39.75-57.69 per hour. This role is also eligible for various benefits, including medical/dental/vision, insurance, a 401(k) plan, paid time off, and other benefits in accordance with applicable plan documents. Benefits for Union represented employees will be in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
STEM OPT Food & Beverage Job Roles in Illinois
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Search Food & Beverage Jobs in IllinoisFood & Beverage STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which food & beverage companies in Illinois sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas?
Several large food and beverage companies headquartered or with major operations in Illinois have filed Labor Condition Applications for roles. Kraft Heinz, Mondelēz International, Abbott Nutrition, TreeHouse Foods, and U.S. Foods have all appeared in DOL disclosure data for data science, engineering, food science, and supply chain positions. Larger corporations with established HR infrastructure tend to have more consistent F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship processes than smaller regional producers.
Which cities in Illinois have the most food & beverage F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Chicago and its northern suburbs account for the majority of food and beverage STEM OPT opportunities in Illinois. The corridor stretching from downtown Chicago through Northfield, Deerfield, and Northbrook is home to several global food company headquarters. Hoffman Estates and Lisle also have a presence, while Champaign-Urbana occasionally offers opportunities linked to University of Illinois research commercialization and food technology startups.
What types of food & beverage roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in Illinois?
Roles that qualify for STEM OPT must fall under a designated STEM degree classification. In food and beverage, qualifying positions commonly include food scientist, process engineer, data analyst, supply chain analyst, quality assurance engineer, R&D scientist, and packaging engineer. Roles with degree requirements in food science, chemical engineering, data science, or agricultural engineering are most frequently matched to STEM OPT eligibility. Sales and marketing positions generally do not qualify unless tied to a STEM-designated degree.
How do I find food & beverage F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate lets you filter food and beverage jobs in Illinois specifically for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship, drawing on DOL Labor Condition Application data to show which employers have an active history of sponsoring STEM OPT workers. This is more reliable than guessing based on company size alone. You can narrow results by role type, city, and employer, which is particularly useful when targeting the Chicago metro's concentration of food company headquarters.
Are there any Illinois-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in food & beverage?
Illinois does not impose state-level restrictions on F-1 STEM OPT employment beyond federal requirements. However, food manufacturing facilities in Illinois may require E-Verify enrollment, which is consistent with federal STEM OPT employer obligations. Illinois also has a strong university pipeline through the University of Illinois and Northwestern University, meaning recruiters in the food and beverage sector are generally familiar with OPT timelines and documentation requirements. Confirming your employer is enrolled in E-Verify before accepting an offer is essential for STEM OPT authorization.