Development Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Kentucky
Development engineer jobs in Kentucky are concentrated in Louisville's manufacturing and logistics sectors, Lexington's automotive supply chain, and the growing advanced manufacturing corridor along the I-75 corridor. Major employers including Toyota Manufacturing, Ashland, and Lexmark have established sponsorship track records for engineering talent in this state.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Join Georgia-Pacific's Consumer Products Group R&D at the Neenah Technical Center as a Product Development Engineer on the Dixie® Beverage R&D Team. You will support and advance our #1 Dixie® paper cup and foodservice portfolio by translating technical insight into commercially viable product and process solutions. This role balances hands-on lab and manufacturing work with cross-functional stakeholder engagement to improve product performance, reduce cost and scale innovations into production. Hybrid or remote work solutions will be considered.
OUR TEAM
You'll be part of a multidisciplinary R&D team focused on paper cups and food service solutions for Retail and Professional channels. The team partners closely with product development, mill operations, converting, consumer research, suppliers and 3rd-party manufacturers to mitigate technical risk, run pilot and mill trials, and move winning concepts from pilot to commercial scale.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Partner with business stakeholders, consumer research, mill operations and converting teams to drive year-over-year product and cost improvements: maximize volume, minimize waste, and improve quality across the portfolio.
- Design, plan and execute experiments (lab, pilot and mill trials) to evaluate new product designs, alternative materials, and substrate qualifications.
- Collect, analyze, and synthesize product performance, quality and consumer feedback to mitigate technical risk and guide commercialization decisions.
- Provide technical and project support to internal manufacturing sites and 3rd-party converters to ensure manufacturability and reliable scale-up.
- Develop and maintain supplier relationships to qualify materials, troubleshoot issues, and accelerate product commercialization.
- Solve complex problems using critical thinking and data analysis; propose creative, pragmatic recommendations and lead implementation.
- Coach and educate the technical community to improve R&D effectiveness and share subject matter expertise.
- Travel as needed to support trials, customer meetings and supplier collaboration (25-50%).
- Work safely and effectively in both lab and manufacturing environments.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Science AND 3+ years of product development or process/project engineering experience on paper or plastic products; OR 7+ years of relevant work experience without a 4-year degree.
- Experience developing and managing supplier relationships.
- Demonstrated ability to identify problems, apply creativity to develop solutions, and implement those solutions effectively.
- Comfortable running experiments and trials, collecting performance data, and communicating technical results to diverse stakeholders.
- Willing to travel 25-50% of the time based on business needs.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years' experience in R&D or manufacturing with demonstrated results leading material qualification, product commercialization, process development and scale-up.
- Direct experience with consumer goods development, printing and/or converting processes - especially paper cup manufacturing.
- Familiarity with quality systems and project management practices.
- Experience with sustainable materials (renewable, compostable, etc.) and working to commercialize them.
- Experience with SAP (PLM/MDG) or similar product lifecycle/MDM systems.
- Proven track record of cross-functional leadership, supplier collaboration, and delivering measurable manufacturing or product improvements.
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 and a leading manufacturer of bath tissue, paper towels, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, building products and much more, Georgia-Pacific works to meet evolving needs of customers worldwide with quality products. In addition to the products we make, we operate one of the largest recycling businesses. Our more than 30,000 employees in over 150 locations are empowered to innovate every day - to make everyday products even better.
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).
INTRODUCTION
Join Georgia-Pacific's Consumer Products Group R&D at the Neenah Technical Center as a Product Development Engineer on the Dixie® Beverage R&D Team. You will support and advance our #1 Dixie® paper cup and foodservice portfolio by translating technical insight into commercially viable product and process solutions. This role balances hands-on lab and manufacturing work with cross-functional stakeholder engagement to improve product performance, reduce cost and scale innovations into production. Hybrid or remote work solutions will be considered.
OUR TEAM
You'll be part of a multidisciplinary R&D team focused on paper cups and food service solutions for Retail and Professional channels. The team partners closely with product development, mill operations, converting, consumer research, suppliers and 3rd-party manufacturers to mitigate technical risk, run pilot and mill trials, and move winning concepts from pilot to commercial scale.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Partner with business stakeholders, consumer research, mill operations and converting teams to drive year-over-year product and cost improvements: maximize volume, minimize waste, and improve quality across the portfolio.
- Design, plan and execute experiments (lab, pilot and mill trials) to evaluate new product designs, alternative materials, and substrate qualifications.
- Collect, analyze, and synthesize product performance, quality and consumer feedback to mitigate technical risk and guide commercialization decisions.
- Provide technical and project support to internal manufacturing sites and 3rd-party converters to ensure manufacturability and reliable scale-up.
- Develop and maintain supplier relationships to qualify materials, troubleshoot issues, and accelerate product commercialization.
- Solve complex problems using critical thinking and data analysis; propose creative, pragmatic recommendations and lead implementation.
- Coach and educate the technical community to improve R&D effectiveness and share subject matter expertise.
- Travel as needed to support trials, customer meetings and supplier collaboration (25-50%).
- Work safely and effectively in both lab and manufacturing environments.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Science AND 3+ years of product development or process/project engineering experience on paper or plastic products; OR 7+ years of relevant work experience without a 4-year degree.
- Experience developing and managing supplier relationships.
- Demonstrated ability to identify problems, apply creativity to develop solutions, and implement those solutions effectively.
- Comfortable running experiments and trials, collecting performance data, and communicating technical results to diverse stakeholders.
- Willing to travel 25-50% of the time based on business needs.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years' experience in R&D or manufacturing with demonstrated results leading material qualification, product commercialization, process development and scale-up.
- Direct experience with consumer goods development, printing and/or converting processes - especially paper cup manufacturing.
- Familiarity with quality systems and project management practices.
- Experience with sustainable materials (renewable, compostable, etc.) and working to commercialize them.
- Experience with SAP (PLM/MDG) or similar product lifecycle/MDM systems.
- Proven track record of cross-functional leadership, supplier collaboration, and delivering measurable manufacturing or product improvements.
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 and a leading manufacturer of bath tissue, paper towels, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, building products and much more, Georgia-Pacific works to meet evolving needs of customers worldwide with quality products. In addition to the products we make, we operate one of the largest recycling businesses. Our more than 30,000 employees in over 150 locations are empowered to innovate every day - to make everyday products even better.
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).
Development Engineer Job Roles in Kentucky
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Search Development Engineer Jobs in KentuckyDevelopment Engineer Jobs in Kentucky: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for development engineers in Kentucky?
Toyota's Georgetown manufacturing campus is one of the most active sponsors for engineering roles in Kentucky, alongside suppliers in the regional automotive network. Lexmark International in Lexington, Ashland Inc., and defense contractors near Fort Campbell also have histories of sponsoring development engineers. Larger manufacturers with dedicated HR and legal teams are generally better positioned to manage the sponsorship process than smaller firms.
Which visa types are most common for development engineer roles in Kentucky?
The H-1B visa is the most common visa category for development engineers in Kentucky, as the role typically qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring at least a bachelor's degree in engineering or a closely related field. Candidates with Canadian or Mexican citizenship may qualify for the TN visa under the USMCA, which can be a faster path. Employers sponsoring senior or highly specialized engineers sometimes pursue O-1 visa or EB-1 immigrant visa categories.
Which cities in Kentucky have the most development engineer sponsorship jobs?
Louisville and Lexington account for the majority of development engineer sponsorship activity in Kentucky. Louisville's manufacturing base, logistics industry, and GE Appliances headquarters drive consistent engineering demand. Lexington benefits from the Toyota Georgetown plant nearby and a strong University of Kentucky engineering pipeline. Smaller but growing clusters exist in Elizabethtown and Bowling Green, both tied to automotive and battery manufacturing expansion.
How to find development engineer visa sponsorship jobs in Kentucky?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically by visa sponsorship availability, making it easier to identify development engineer roles in Kentucky where employers are actively willing to sponsor. Rather than sorting through thousands of general postings, you can focus on Kentucky-based employers who have indicated sponsorship openness. Migrate Mate's filters let you narrow by role type and state, which is particularly useful given Kentucky's concentration of manufacturing and engineering employers.
Are there state-specific considerations for development engineers seeking sponsorship in Kentucky?
Kentucky's engineering market is heavily tied to automotive and advanced manufacturing, so development engineer roles here often require familiarity with process engineering, quality systems, or product lifecycle development relevant to those industries. The University of Kentucky and University of Louisville both produce engineering graduates who feed local talent pipelines, which can affect competition for roles. Employers filing H-1B petitions for Kentucky positions must meet Department of Labor prevailing wage requirements specific to the Louisville or Lexington metropolitan statistical areas.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored development engineer jobs in Kentucky?
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.