Manufacturing OPT Jobs in Minnesota
Minnesota's manufacturing sector spans medical devices, food processing, and industrial equipment, with major employers like 3M, Medtronic, General Mills, and Cargill concentrated in the Twin Cities metro and regional hubs like Rochester and St. Cloud. F-1 OPT candidates with engineering, supply chain, or quality assurance backgrounds will find relevant sponsorship opportunities across the state.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The Human Resources Generalist serves as the primary HR business partner for the Albert Lea, MN facility, providing strategic and day-to-day HR support to leaders and employees while ensuring compliance with employment laws, company policies, and organizational objectives. This role partners with leaders to drive employee engagement, performance, talent initiatives, and organizational effectiveness.
Working closely with the onsite HR Coordinator, the HR Generalist supports onboarding, orientation, employee events, and other HR initiatives to deliver a seamless employee experience.
This position requires an experienced HR professional who can confidently navigate complex employee situations, coach leaders through difficult conversations, and balance employee advocacy with sound business judgment.
Core Competencies: Business Partnership, Employee Relations, Professionalism & Integrity, Continuous Learning, Courageous Conversations, Adaptability
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
HR Business Partnership
- Serve as the primary HR resource for the Albert Lea facility, building trusted relationships with leaders and employees.
- Partner with leaders on employee relations, performance management, attendance, corrective action, organizational changes, and workforce planning.
- Coach leaders through complex employee situations while ensuring consistency, fairness, and compliance.
- Support leadership development and reinforce company culture.
- Analyze timekeeping and workforce data to identify attendance trends and labor concerns.
Employee Relations
- Investigate employee concerns and recommend practical, legally compliant solutions.
- Facilitate conflict resolution and difficult conversations with professionalism, discretion, and empathy.
- Interpret and consistently apply company policies and employment practices.
- Maintain confidentiality while exercising sound judgment.
Talent Management
- Partner with hiring managers throughout the recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding process.
- Support performance management, employee development, succession planning, and retention initiatives.
- Identify trends impacting engagement and organizational effectiveness.
- Recommend innovative recruiting strategies and build community partnerships to strengthen talent pipelines.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
- Maintain accurate personnel records and HR documentation.
- Support HR audits, reporting, and policy administration.
- Partner with Operations, Facilities, and HR leadership on workforce compliance initiatives.
- Support incident reporting, workers' compensation, reasonable suspicion, work restrictions, ADA accommodations, and leave administration.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience required. In lieu of a degree, 5+ years of progressive HR Generalist experience is preferred.
- SHRM-CP, PHR, or related HR certification preferred.
- Strong knowledge of employment laws and HR best practices.
- Demonstrated experience managing employee relations and coaching leaders through complex workplace situations.
- Manufacturing or multi-site HR experience preferred.
SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS
- Ability to build credibility and trusted relationships at all levels.
- Strong emotional intelligence, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
- High level of professionalism, integrity, discretion, and confidentiality.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
- Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and work independently in a collaborative environment.
Physical Requirements
This position requires regular sitting, standing, walking throughout a manufacturing facility, operating standard office equipment, and occasionally lifting up to 20 pounds. Frequent interaction with employees in both office and production environments is required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Occasional travel to the Brooklyn Park, MN headquarters or other U.S. facilities may be required to support recruiting, training, or HR initiatives.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Competitive Salary: $80,000–$95,000 DOE
Comprehensive Benefits Package:
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- HSA, FSA, Dependent Care FSA
- Life Insurance, Disability, AD&D
- 401(k)
- Paid Time Off
- Paid Holidays & Floating Holidays
- ESST
Disclaimer:
This job description outlines the primary responsibilities of the position but is not intended to be all-inclusive. Additional duties may be assigned as business needs require. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Design Ready Controls is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing competitive total compensation and benefits. Compensation is determined based on qualifications, experience, market conditions, geographic location, and internal equity.
INTRODUCTION
The Human Resources Generalist serves as the primary HR business partner for the Albert Lea, MN facility, providing strategic and day-to-day HR support to leaders and employees while ensuring compliance with employment laws, company policies, and organizational objectives. This role partners with leaders to drive employee engagement, performance, talent initiatives, and organizational effectiveness.
Working closely with the onsite HR Coordinator, the HR Generalist supports onboarding, orientation, employee events, and other HR initiatives to deliver a seamless employee experience.
This position requires an experienced HR professional who can confidently navigate complex employee situations, coach leaders through difficult conversations, and balance employee advocacy with sound business judgment.
Core Competencies: Business Partnership, Employee Relations, Professionalism & Integrity, Continuous Learning, Courageous Conversations, Adaptability
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
HR Business Partnership
- Serve as the primary HR resource for the Albert Lea facility, building trusted relationships with leaders and employees.
- Partner with leaders on employee relations, performance management, attendance, corrective action, organizational changes, and workforce planning.
- Coach leaders through complex employee situations while ensuring consistency, fairness, and compliance.
- Support leadership development and reinforce company culture.
- Analyze timekeeping and workforce data to identify attendance trends and labor concerns.
Employee Relations
- Investigate employee concerns and recommend practical, legally compliant solutions.
- Facilitate conflict resolution and difficult conversations with professionalism, discretion, and empathy.
- Interpret and consistently apply company policies and employment practices.
- Maintain confidentiality while exercising sound judgment.
Talent Management
- Partner with hiring managers throughout the recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding process.
- Support performance management, employee development, succession planning, and retention initiatives.
- Identify trends impacting engagement and organizational effectiveness.
- Recommend innovative recruiting strategies and build community partnerships to strengthen talent pipelines.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
- Maintain accurate personnel records and HR documentation.
- Support HR audits, reporting, and policy administration.
- Partner with Operations, Facilities, and HR leadership on workforce compliance initiatives.
- Support incident reporting, workers' compensation, reasonable suspicion, work restrictions, ADA accommodations, and leave administration.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience required. In lieu of a degree, 5+ years of progressive HR Generalist experience is preferred.
- SHRM-CP, PHR, or related HR certification preferred.
- Strong knowledge of employment laws and HR best practices.
- Demonstrated experience managing employee relations and coaching leaders through complex workplace situations.
- Manufacturing or multi-site HR experience preferred.
SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS
- Ability to build credibility and trusted relationships at all levels.
- Strong emotional intelligence, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
- High level of professionalism, integrity, discretion, and confidentiality.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
- Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and work independently in a collaborative environment.
Physical Requirements
This position requires regular sitting, standing, walking throughout a manufacturing facility, operating standard office equipment, and occasionally lifting up to 20 pounds. Frequent interaction with employees in both office and production environments is required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Occasional travel to the Brooklyn Park, MN headquarters or other U.S. facilities may be required to support recruiting, training, or HR initiatives.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Competitive Salary: $80,000–$95,000 DOE
Comprehensive Benefits Package:
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- HSA, FSA, Dependent Care FSA
- Life Insurance, Disability, AD&D
- 401(k)
- Paid Time Off
- Paid Holidays & Floating Holidays
- ESST
Disclaimer:
This job description outlines the primary responsibilities of the position but is not intended to be all-inclusive. Additional duties may be assigned as business needs require. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Design Ready Controls is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing competitive total compensation and benefits. Compensation is determined based on qualifications, experience, market conditions, geographic location, and internal equity.
OPT Manufacturing Job Roles in Minnesota
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Search Manufacturing Jobs in MinnesotaManufacturing OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Minnesota: Frequently Asked Questions
Which manufacturing companies sponsor F-1 OPT visas in Minnesota?
Several large Minnesota manufacturers have established records of hiring F-1 OPT workers, including 3M, Medtronic, General Mills, Cargill, and Donaldson Company. These employers regularly recruit engineering and technical graduates for OPT positions. Mid-size manufacturers in medical devices and food processing also hire OPT candidates, particularly those with degrees in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, or food science.
Which cities in Minnesota have the most manufacturing F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
The Twin Cities metro, covering Minneapolis and St. Paul, concentrates the largest share of Minnesota manufacturing sponsorship opportunities, especially in medical devices and food production. Maplewood hosts 3M's headquarters, while Fridley and Arden Hills have significant manufacturing campuses. Rochester supports medical manufacturing tied to the broader Mayo Clinic ecosystem, and St. Cloud has a notable industrial and food processing presence.
What types of manufacturing roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship?
Roles with a direct connection to your degree field are the strongest fit for OPT. Common qualifying positions in Minnesota manufacturing include process engineer, quality engineer, manufacturing engineer, R&D engineer, supply chain analyst, and production operations analyst. Roles in regulatory affairs and materials science are also common in the medical device segment. Purely manual or general labor positions do not qualify because OPT requires employment directly related to your field of study.
How do I find manufacturing F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in Minnesota?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students on F-1 OPT, and filters jobs by visa type and industry so you can browse Minnesota manufacturing roles without sorting through positions that don't sponsor. Beyond using Migrate Mate, attending career fairs at the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State universities puts you in direct contact with regional manufacturers who actively recruit international engineering and technical graduates.
Are there any state-specific considerations for F-1 OPT sponsorship in Minnesota manufacturing?
Minnesota's concentration in medical device manufacturing means many roles involve FDA-regulated environments, and employers in this segment are generally experienced with employment verification processes including E-Verify, which is federally required for OPT workers. Minnesota does not impose additional state-level work authorization requirements beyond federal rules. OPT STEM extension eligibility is particularly relevant here since engineering and science roles at qualifying manufacturers can support a 24-month STEM OPT extension if the employer is enrolled in E-Verify.