OPT Jobs in Iowa
Iowa's agriculture, advanced manufacturing, financial services, and growing tech sectors all hire F-1 OPT candidates, with Des Moines, Iowa City, and Ames offering the strongest employer density. Universities like Iowa State and the University of Iowa feed directly into regional hiring pipelines.
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Get Access To All JobsSUMMARY
The Associate Real Estate Portfolio Manager will act as a team lead in the negotiation, financial evaluation, problem solving and legal research associated with Ryders' Real Estate Portfolio. This is primarily an asset management role that is responsible for all real estate activities. Successful candidate must drive consistent corporate real estate objectives for the business units and perform specialized projects as assigned. Responsibilities include complex real estate financial analysis, deal negotiation, and finalizing real estate contract terms and conditions, analyze broker opinions of value (BOV) along with multiple methods of valuation as required for transactions in order to guide the organization through the decision making process. This position will provide real estate subject matter expertise to internal business customers and drive management decision making at the BU, Region, and HQ level by developing and communicating the strategy needed to successfully achieve real estate goals to manage business needs. Position is primary point of contact with Ryder Legal, Environmental, Risk, Safety, Operations, Business Development and BU Leadership to ensure all transactions follow Ryder policies and are executed in a timely manner. The position will report to the Sr Manager of Real Estate and continuously evaluate the assigned portfolio and processes related to real estate for each business segment to improve real estate deliverable and create continuous improvement and efficiencies.
REMOTE work from HOME
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Manage Real Estate transactions start to finish. Source brokerage services based on qualifications needed, then collaborate with brokers to locate new properties and complete valuations. Analyze and prioritize potential real estate opportunities, then negotiate and execute transactions for assigned business units.
- Work with Management team to develop and then execute diverse Real Estate strategies for designated assigned portfolio areas. Make time sensitive decisions to facilitate completion of real estate transactions. Lead internal cross functional team and execute changes based on discussions, through dynamic selection process, including members from Ryder’s legal, operations, risk, tax, environmental departments in order to complete projects successfully. Manage teams of external consultants such as architects, engineers, and brokers in evaluating real estate assets, Lead departmental teams for the selection, evaluation, and completion of real estate transactions.
- Work with the broader real estate Facility Planning and Construction team to coordinate and ensure completion of assigned portfolio projects that require construction or equipment installation.
- Evaluate assigned real estate portfolio needed improvement initiatives.
- Work with real estate management and support department on specialized portfolio projects.
- Drive portfolio process improvement projects.
- Ensure Ryder portfolio records are accurate and current in RE database.
- Ensure that all real estate transaction processes conform to Ryder internal approval controls. Comply with RCE process and Sarbanes Oxley requirements.
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Evaluate the facilities in the assigned portfolio to develop short and long term strategic plans.
- Develop detailed action plans based on the business strategy as it pertains to Real Estate.
- Conduct market tests to ensure alternatives are evaluated and all economics are competitive.
- Continuously evaluate processes related to Real Estate to drive out waste.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Project management skills
- Effective negotiation skills
- Ability to exert influence on changing the status quo and exercise leadership in bringing about new directions
- Ability to create and maintain professional relationships within all levels of the organization (peers, work groups, customers, supervisors)
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
- Flexibility to operate and self-driven to excel in a fast-paced environment
- Capable of multi-tasking, highly organized, with excellent time management skills
- Detailed oriented with excellent follow-up practices
- Excellent collaboration and team building skills
- Team driven character with a desire to grow through ongoing improvement
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree required real estate, business, finance, or related field.
- Master's degree preferred real estate or related field
- Five (5) years or more professional experience in Commercial Real Estate related jobs required
JOB CATEGORY: Real Estate & Construction
OUR CULTURE & COMMITMENT:
At Ryder, you’re trusted to make an impact—while enjoying room to grow and having a voice that’s heard. Our culture is built on respect, collaboration, and shared pride in doing great work rooted in innovation and safety.
Your Voice. Your Success. The Future We Build Together.
COMPENSATION INFORMATION:
The compensation offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors, including the candidate’s relevant experience; education, including relevant degrees or certifications; work location; market data/ranges; internal equity; internal salary ranges; etc. The position may also be eligible to receive an annual bonus, commission, and/or long-term incentive plan based on the level and/or type. Compensation ranges for the position are below:
PAY TYPE:
Salaried
Minimum Pay Range: $55,000
Maximum Pay Range: $75,000
BENEFITS INFORMATION:
For all Full-time positions only: Ryder offers comprehensive health and welfare benefits, to include medical, prescription, dental, vision, life insurance and disability insurance options, as well as paid time off for vacation, illness, bereavement, family and parental leave, and a tax-advantaged 401(k) retirement savings plan.
Ryder is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free workplace.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Some positions require additional screening that may include employment and education verification; motor vehicle records check and a road test; and/or badging or background requirements of the customer to which you are assigned.
Security Notice for Applicants:
Ryder will only communicate with an applicant directly from a [@ryder.com] email address and will never conduct an interview online through a chat type forum, messaging app (such as WhatsApp or Telegram), or via an online questionnaire. During an interview, Ryder will never ask for any form of payment or banking details and will never solicit personal information outside of the formal submitted application through www.ryder.com/careers.
Should you have any questions regarding the application process or to verify the legitimacy of an interview or Ryder representative, please contact Ryder at careers@ryder.com.
CURRENT EMPLOYEES:
If you are a current employee at Ryder, please click here to log in to Workday to apply using the internal application process.
SUMMARY
The Associate Real Estate Portfolio Manager will act as a team lead in the negotiation, financial evaluation, problem solving and legal research associated with Ryders' Real Estate Portfolio. This is primarily an asset management role that is responsible for all real estate activities. Successful candidate must drive consistent corporate real estate objectives for the business units and perform specialized projects as assigned. Responsibilities include complex real estate financial analysis, deal negotiation, and finalizing real estate contract terms and conditions, analyze broker opinions of value (BOV) along with multiple methods of valuation as required for transactions in order to guide the organization through the decision making process. This position will provide real estate subject matter expertise to internal business customers and drive management decision making at the BU, Region, and HQ level by developing and communicating the strategy needed to successfully achieve real estate goals to manage business needs. Position is primary point of contact with Ryder Legal, Environmental, Risk, Safety, Operations, Business Development and BU Leadership to ensure all transactions follow Ryder policies and are executed in a timely manner. The position will report to the Sr Manager of Real Estate and continuously evaluate the assigned portfolio and processes related to real estate for each business segment to improve real estate deliverable and create continuous improvement and efficiencies.
REMOTE work from HOME
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Manage Real Estate transactions start to finish. Source brokerage services based on qualifications needed, then collaborate with brokers to locate new properties and complete valuations. Analyze and prioritize potential real estate opportunities, then negotiate and execute transactions for assigned business units.
- Work with Management team to develop and then execute diverse Real Estate strategies for designated assigned portfolio areas. Make time sensitive decisions to facilitate completion of real estate transactions. Lead internal cross functional team and execute changes based on discussions, through dynamic selection process, including members from Ryder’s legal, operations, risk, tax, environmental departments in order to complete projects successfully. Manage teams of external consultants such as architects, engineers, and brokers in evaluating real estate assets, Lead departmental teams for the selection, evaluation, and completion of real estate transactions.
- Work with the broader real estate Facility Planning and Construction team to coordinate and ensure completion of assigned portfolio projects that require construction or equipment installation.
- Evaluate assigned real estate portfolio needed improvement initiatives.
- Work with real estate management and support department on specialized portfolio projects.
- Drive portfolio process improvement projects.
- Ensure Ryder portfolio records are accurate and current in RE database.
- Ensure that all real estate transaction processes conform to Ryder internal approval controls. Comply with RCE process and Sarbanes Oxley requirements.
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Evaluate the facilities in the assigned portfolio to develop short and long term strategic plans.
- Develop detailed action plans based on the business strategy as it pertains to Real Estate.
- Conduct market tests to ensure alternatives are evaluated and all economics are competitive.
- Continuously evaluate processes related to Real Estate to drive out waste.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Project management skills
- Effective negotiation skills
- Ability to exert influence on changing the status quo and exercise leadership in bringing about new directions
- Ability to create and maintain professional relationships within all levels of the organization (peers, work groups, customers, supervisors)
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
- Flexibility to operate and self-driven to excel in a fast-paced environment
- Capable of multi-tasking, highly organized, with excellent time management skills
- Detailed oriented with excellent follow-up practices
- Excellent collaboration and team building skills
- Team driven character with a desire to grow through ongoing improvement
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree required real estate, business, finance, or related field.
- Master's degree preferred real estate or related field
- Five (5) years or more professional experience in Commercial Real Estate related jobs required
JOB CATEGORY: Real Estate & Construction
OUR CULTURE & COMMITMENT:
At Ryder, you’re trusted to make an impact—while enjoying room to grow and having a voice that’s heard. Our culture is built on respect, collaboration, and shared pride in doing great work rooted in innovation and safety.
Your Voice. Your Success. The Future We Build Together.
COMPENSATION INFORMATION:
The compensation offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors, including the candidate’s relevant experience; education, including relevant degrees or certifications; work location; market data/ranges; internal equity; internal salary ranges; etc. The position may also be eligible to receive an annual bonus, commission, and/or long-term incentive plan based on the level and/or type. Compensation ranges for the position are below:
PAY TYPE:
Salaried
Minimum Pay Range: $55,000
Maximum Pay Range: $75,000
BENEFITS INFORMATION:
For all Full-time positions only: Ryder offers comprehensive health and welfare benefits, to include medical, prescription, dental, vision, life insurance and disability insurance options, as well as paid time off for vacation, illness, bereavement, family and parental leave, and a tax-advantaged 401(k) retirement savings plan.
Ryder is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free workplace.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Some positions require additional screening that may include employment and education verification; motor vehicle records check and a road test; and/or badging or background requirements of the customer to which you are assigned.
Security Notice for Applicants:
Ryder will only communicate with an applicant directly from a [@ryder.com] email address and will never conduct an interview online through a chat type forum, messaging app (such as WhatsApp or Telegram), or via an online questionnaire. During an interview, Ryder will never ask for any form of payment or banking details and will never solicit personal information outside of the formal submitted application through www.ryder.com/careers.
Should you have any questions regarding the application process or to verify the legitimacy of an interview or Ryder representative, please contact Ryder at careers@ryder.com.
CURRENT EMPLOYEES:
If you are a current employee at Ryder, please click here to log in to Workday to apply using the internal application process.
Search F-1 OPT Jobs by Industry in Iowa
Tips for Finding OPT Jobs in Iowa
Target Iowa's university research corridors
Iowa State University in Ames and the University of Iowa in Iowa City anchor dense clusters of research labs, biotech firms, and engineering companies that regularly hire OPT candidates. These corridors are worth prioritizing before expanding your search statewide.
Look beyond agriculture into agtech and food science
Iowa's agricultural economy has spawned a strong agtech and food science sector with companies like Corteva and Kemin Industries. These employers hire engineers, data scientists, and researchers on OPT far more actively than traditional farming operations.
Use Migrate Mate to filter by OPT-friendly employers
Searching broadly wastes time on employers unfamiliar with OPT authorization. Migrate Mate lets you filter specifically for companies that have sponsored F-1 OPT candidates in Iowa, so your applications go to employers already set up to hire you.
Pursue Des Moines financial services firms early
Des Moines is a national insurance and financial services hub with major employers like Principal Financial and Nationwide. Finance, actuarial, and data analytics roles in this sector frequently qualify as specialty occupations under OPT's STEM and non-STEM tracks.
Align your OPT application timeline with Iowa hiring cycles
Many Iowa employers, particularly in manufacturing and financial services, hire on a January or June start cycle. Apply to USCIS for your OPT EAD at least 90 days before your intended start date so your work authorization aligns with these windows.
Verify STEM OPT eligibility before applying to extension-eligible roles
If your degree is in a STEM field, you may qualify for a 24-month OPT extension, giving employers three years of OPT-based work authorization. Confirm your program's CIP code qualifies before emphasizing this benefit to Iowa employers in your outreach.
See all 1,315+ F-1 OPT jobs in Iowa
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new F-1 OPT jobs in Iowa.
Get Access To All JobsF-1 OPT Jobs in Iowa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which industries in Iowa sponsor the most F-1 OPT visas?
Financial services and insurance, advanced manufacturing, engineering, agtech and food science, and healthcare technology are the strongest F-1 OPT sponsoring industries in Iowa. Des Moines-based insurers and financial firms, along with engineering and research operations tied to Iowa State University and the University of Iowa, account for a large share of OPT hires in the state.
Which cities in Iowa have the most F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
Des Moines has the highest concentration of F-1 OPT sponsoring employers in Iowa, driven by its financial services and insurance sectors. Iowa City and Ames follow closely, with hiring closely tied to the University of Iowa and Iowa State University research ecosystems. Cedar Rapids and Davenport also offer opportunities in manufacturing and healthcare.
What types of roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship in Iowa?
Roles in software engineering, data analytics, financial analysis, actuarial science, mechanical and electrical engineering, food science, and biomedical research are among the most common qualifying positions in Iowa. A qualifying OPT role must be directly related to your field of study, so the connection between your degree and the job description is what matters most.
How do I find F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in Iowa?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for this search. It filters job listings by visa type so you can see Iowa employers who have a history of sponsoring F-1 OPT candidates, rather than applying broadly and discovering late that an employer won't work with OPT authorization. Your university's career center is also a strong local resource for employer relationships specific to Iowa.
Are there any Iowa-specific considerations for F-1 OPT sponsorship I should know about?
Iowa does not impose state-level restrictions on OPT employment beyond federal requirements. One practical consideration: many Iowa employers outside Des Moines are mid-size or regional companies with less experience processing OPT authorization paperwork. Being prepared to explain your work authorization clearly, including STEM extension eligibility if applicable, can reduce friction during the hiring process with these employers.