Food & Beverage STEM OPT Jobs in Kansas
Kansas food and beverage companies, including major meatpacking and grain-processing operations in Wichita, Garden City, and Liberal, regularly hire STEM-qualified international students for roles in food science, process engineering, and quality assurance. F-1 STEM OPT authorization gives eligible graduates up to 36 months of work authorization, making Kansas a practical target for food & beverage sponsorship searches.
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Get Access To All JobsAt Hilmar Cheese Company we improve lives around the world through wholesome dairy products. Since our founding in 1984, Hilmar Cheese Company has been committed to innovation and sustainability. Our state-of-the-art production facilities convert an abundance of locally sourced high-quality milk into a variety of nutritious cheeses, whey protein and lactose. The Cheese and Ingredients that we produce create a wide variety of retail and food service products from sliced and shredded cheeses, to protein supplements and infant formula. We are a trusted partner to premier food and beverage brands in more than fifty countries helping bring their vision into reality.
Throughout our decades of success and growth we have remained committed to our mission and values and these principles unite our people and guide all that we do.
A Typical Day
The Process Engineer I is responsible for supporting the Company’s strategic objectives through development of the optimum, most cost-effective process technologies used to manufacture Hilmar’s products to enhance profitability, market position, and growth. This position will provide Process Engineering support on all aspects of the manufacturing process: maximizing productivity, reducing operating costs, and improving process sustainability through energy and water usage reduction. The work includes troubleshooting problems in existing processes, finding optimization opportunities that improve process capability, evaluating new technologies to determine their applicability, cost, and benefits to Hilmar, and designing new and/or improved processing lines. The Process Engineer I will focus on a specific manufacturing site and/or business area as well as provide support to other sites on discrete projects.
Job Responsibilities
- Contribute to manufacturing site Process Improvement teams to deliver industry leading products and processes that help drive the business forward in its quest for operational excellence.
- Spends time in production plants, identifying operational pain points and reviewing performance data to find opportunities to improve yield, quality, and throughput.
- Participate in the troubleshooting of persistent, complex operational issues, providing win:win solutions that balance multiple KPIs and optimize total cost of ownership.
- Implement these in a manner that makes it easier for the business to execute and deliver value successfully and sustainably.
- Works with appropriate cross-functional teams such as Operations, FSQA, Training, Maintenance, Engineering, or Operational Technology to implement changes.
- Develop and implement process control strategies aimed at improving results and reducing process variability. Collaborate with Controls Engineers to test, debug, and deploy control programs effectively.
- Support Process Engineering components of new product development, experimental equipment and design, and plant trials. Utilize insights gained to guide final process design and commercialization.
- Partnering with Project Engineering and cross-functional teams on capital projects, participate in new Process design. Develop P&IDs, perform mass balances, and develop functional descriptions.
- Support the Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) process within capital projects to ensure successful execution, on-time startup, and delivery of business objectives.
- Stay up to date on latest available technologies, industry direction, and trends to continuously improve HCC’s technology portfolio. Manage Hilmar’s trade secrets and competitive advantage appropriately.
- This role supports a primary manufacturing site, but may require 20 – 40% travel depending on business need and project activity.
What You Will Need
- B.S. in Chemical or Biochemical Engineering, or other Engineering field
- Ability to complete energy and mass balances
- Ability to collect and analyze production data using statistical techniques
- Ability to effectively summarize and present technical information to a variety of audiences
- MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint at intermediate level
What Will Put You Ahead
- B.S. in Chemical or Biochemical Engineering, or other Engineering field plus 2 years’ manufacturing experience, OR M.S. in Chemical or Biochemical Engineering, or other Engineering field
- Knowledge of unit operations commonly found in the food industry and waste-water treatment
- Knowledge and/or experience in food processing and process optimization.
- Ability to develop operational models of plant processes
- Experience with statistical analysis software
- Leadership and teambuilding skills
Physical Demands & Work Environment
The work is primarily performed in an office environment and the physical demands are characteristic of a mostly sedentary role. Specific details of the essential functions of the position are available in the Job Safety Analysis, made available on request.
Food safety is a companywide responsibility and each employee must know their role in the manufacture and distribution of safe, wholesome, and high quality products.
This description is a general statement and does not include other duties as assigned
Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer/EEO. We participate in E-Verify.
Salary Range: USD ($68,879.00 - $103,319.00) ANN
The final compensation offered within this range will depend on factors including the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.
At Hilmar Cheese Company we improve lives around the world through wholesome dairy products. Since our founding in 1984, Hilmar Cheese Company has been committed to innovation and sustainability. Our state-of-the-art production facilities convert an abundance of locally sourced high-quality milk into a variety of nutritious cheeses, whey protein and lactose. The Cheese and Ingredients that we produce create a wide variety of retail and food service products from sliced and shredded cheeses, to protein supplements and infant formula. We are a trusted partner to premier food and beverage brands in more than fifty countries helping bring their vision into reality.
Throughout our decades of success and growth we have remained committed to our mission and values and these principles unite our people and guide all that we do.
A Typical Day
The Process Engineer I is responsible for supporting the Company’s strategic objectives through development of the optimum, most cost-effective process technologies used to manufacture Hilmar’s products to enhance profitability, market position, and growth. This position will provide Process Engineering support on all aspects of the manufacturing process: maximizing productivity, reducing operating costs, and improving process sustainability through energy and water usage reduction. The work includes troubleshooting problems in existing processes, finding optimization opportunities that improve process capability, evaluating new technologies to determine their applicability, cost, and benefits to Hilmar, and designing new and/or improved processing lines. The Process Engineer I will focus on a specific manufacturing site and/or business area as well as provide support to other sites on discrete projects.
Job Responsibilities
- Contribute to manufacturing site Process Improvement teams to deliver industry leading products and processes that help drive the business forward in its quest for operational excellence.
- Spends time in production plants, identifying operational pain points and reviewing performance data to find opportunities to improve yield, quality, and throughput.
- Participate in the troubleshooting of persistent, complex operational issues, providing win:win solutions that balance multiple KPIs and optimize total cost of ownership.
- Implement these in a manner that makes it easier for the business to execute and deliver value successfully and sustainably.
- Works with appropriate cross-functional teams such as Operations, FSQA, Training, Maintenance, Engineering, or Operational Technology to implement changes.
- Develop and implement process control strategies aimed at improving results and reducing process variability. Collaborate with Controls Engineers to test, debug, and deploy control programs effectively.
- Support Process Engineering components of new product development, experimental equipment and design, and plant trials. Utilize insights gained to guide final process design and commercialization.
- Partnering with Project Engineering and cross-functional teams on capital projects, participate in new Process design. Develop P&IDs, perform mass balances, and develop functional descriptions.
- Support the Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) process within capital projects to ensure successful execution, on-time startup, and delivery of business objectives.
- Stay up to date on latest available technologies, industry direction, and trends to continuously improve HCC’s technology portfolio. Manage Hilmar’s trade secrets and competitive advantage appropriately.
- This role supports a primary manufacturing site, but may require 20 – 40% travel depending on business need and project activity.
What You Will Need
- B.S. in Chemical or Biochemical Engineering, or other Engineering field
- Ability to complete energy and mass balances
- Ability to collect and analyze production data using statistical techniques
- Ability to effectively summarize and present technical information to a variety of audiences
- MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint at intermediate level
What Will Put You Ahead
- B.S. in Chemical or Biochemical Engineering, or other Engineering field plus 2 years’ manufacturing experience, OR M.S. in Chemical or Biochemical Engineering, or other Engineering field
- Knowledge of unit operations commonly found in the food industry and waste-water treatment
- Knowledge and/or experience in food processing and process optimization.
- Ability to develop operational models of plant processes
- Experience with statistical analysis software
- Leadership and teambuilding skills
Physical Demands & Work Environment
The work is primarily performed in an office environment and the physical demands are characteristic of a mostly sedentary role. Specific details of the essential functions of the position are available in the Job Safety Analysis, made available on request.
Food safety is a companywide responsibility and each employee must know their role in the manufacture and distribution of safe, wholesome, and high quality products.
This description is a general statement and does not include other duties as assigned
Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer/EEO. We participate in E-Verify.
Salary Range: USD ($68,879.00 - $103,319.00) ANN
The final compensation offered within this range will depend on factors including the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.
STEM OPT Food & Beverage Job Roles in Kansas
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Search Food & Beverage Jobs in KansasFood & Beverage STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Kansas: Frequently Asked Questions
Which food & beverage companies sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas in Kansas?
Kansas food and beverage employers with documented international hiring patterns include large meatpacking operations such as Tyson Foods and Cargill, grain and flour processors like Ardent Mills, and established consumer brands headquartered or operating in Wichita. Sponsorship willingness varies by role and business unit, so confirming LCA filing history for a specific employer and job title before applying is a practical first step.
Which cities in Kansas have the most food & beverage F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Wichita concentrates the broadest range of food and beverage employers in Kansas, from corporate offices to processing facilities. Garden City and Liberal, anchored by large beef-processing plants, generate consistent demand for food science and engineering graduates. Salina and Topeka also have food manufacturing presences. STEM OPT-eligible candidates generally find the most activity in Wichita and the southwest Kansas meatpacking corridor.
How do I find food & beverage F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Kansas?
Migrate Mate lets you filter specifically for food and beverage roles in Kansas that have F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship history, so you can focus on employers who have previously supported international candidates in this visa category. Searching by industry and state together narrows results to positions where sponsorship is a realistic expectation rather than an open question, saving significant time in your job search.
What types of food & beverage roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in Kansas?
Roles that commonly qualify include food scientist, food process engineer, quality assurance engineer, research and development scientist, automation and controls engineer, and data analyst positions supporting production operations. These titles typically map to STEM-designated CIP codes in food science, agricultural engineering, or chemical engineering. Roles in sales, logistics coordination, or general management without a STEM-degree requirement are less likely to qualify for STEM OPT authorization.
Are there state-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in Kansas food & beverage jobs?
Kansas employers in food and beverage, particularly those operating large processing facilities, are often enrolled in E-Verify, which is a federal requirement for STEM OPT employers. The concentration of meatpacking and grain-processing industries means many open STEM roles are in rural or semi-rural locations rather than major metros. Candidates should verify that a prospective employer's specific site is enrolled in E-Verify, as E-Verify enrollment is required at the worksite level for STEM OPT authorization under USCIS regulations.