STEM OPT Jobs in Mississippi
Mississippi's F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship activity clusters around Jackson's healthcare and engineering sectors, the Gulf Coast's advanced manufacturing corridor, and university-adjacent research employers in Starkville and Hattiesburg. E-Verify enrollment is required for all STEM OPT employers, narrowing your target list to compliant hirers from the start.
Find F-1 STEM OPT Jobs in MississippiOverview
Showing 5 of 106+ STEM OPT Jobs in Mississippi
See all 106+ STEM OPT Jobs in Mississippi
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Jobs in Mississippi.
Get Access To All JobsRole & Responsibilities:
- This is a plant leadership role, capable of supervising and training Project Engineers, Co-ops, and hourly staff.
- Work within a centralized engineering department providing engineering support to all plant departments.
- Incorporate safety into all activities and ensure safe working conditions of self and others within the manufacturing environment.
- Successful identification, development, budgeting and execution of plant Capital, Non-Capital, Infrastructure, and Non-Routine projects.
- Responsible for participating in day-to-day process activities and recommend improvements to reduce variation and maximize efficiency to include waste, speed, delay, and raw material usage.
- Collaborate and build relationships throughout the organization to successfully complete projects.
- Demonstrate high level of initiative to self-seek opportunities and solutions for plant operational needs with limited direction or supervision.
- Assist with leading continuous improvement initiatives, such as LSS/LEAN, and the plant’s Reliability Predictive Maintenance (work order) system.
Qualifications & Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with prior experience as a Project Engineer.
- Candidate must demonstrate strong analytical skills, understand data collection, statistics and recognize relationship between various process functions.
- Able to utilize apply advanced problem solving techniques such as SPC, control charts, Pareto charts, process cycle time, fishbone diagrams, flowcharting and process balancing.
- Training in the lean six sigma methodology preferred.
- Must possess strong communication, relationship building and leadership skills to be able to foster cross functional collaboration.
- Self starter and excellent organizational skills to be able to handle multiple activities.
- Being detail-oriented is critical to maintain data integrity.
Rate of pay may be adjusted based on the qualifications and experience of the candidate.
USG employees enjoy a number of benefit options for themselves and their families. These include two medical insurance options, as well as vision and dental coverage. The cost of these optional programs varies based on coverage level - employees generally pay 25% of the monthly premium cost, USG pays the rest. These coverage options are offered on the first day of employment with no waiting period.
Additionally, USG employees enjoy both a 401(k) Investment Plan with company match and a pension plan. Beyond these main features, employees may also choose from a number of additional programs like life insurance, accident insurance, legal insurance, even pet insurance, just to name a few. USG also offers Quarterly (hourly) / Annual (salary) bonus potential for all employees based on performance metrics tied to safety, quality, and productivity. USG also provides employees with paid time off and paid holidays.
Since 1902, Chicago-based USG has been a leader in producing innovative, award-winning products and systems to build everything from major commercial developments and residential housing to home improvements. USG's employees are committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and quality in everything we do. Our steadfast commitment to the company's core business values – innovation, quality, integrity, service, diversity, efficiency and safety – have helped us become the company we are today.
EOE including disability/veteran
Role & Responsibilities:
- This is a plant leadership role, capable of supervising and training Project Engineers, Co-ops, and hourly staff.
- Work within a centralized engineering department providing engineering support to all plant departments.
- Incorporate safety into all activities and ensure safe working conditions of self and others within the manufacturing environment.
- Successful identification, development, budgeting and execution of plant Capital, Non-Capital, Infrastructure, and Non-Routine projects.
- Responsible for participating in day-to-day process activities and recommend improvements to reduce variation and maximize efficiency to include waste, speed, delay, and raw material usage.
- Collaborate and build relationships throughout the organization to successfully complete projects.
- Demonstrate high level of initiative to self-seek opportunities and solutions for plant operational needs with limited direction or supervision.
- Assist with leading continuous improvement initiatives, such as LSS/LEAN, and the plant’s Reliability Predictive Maintenance (work order) system.
Qualifications & Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with prior experience as a Project Engineer.
- Candidate must demonstrate strong analytical skills, understand data collection, statistics and recognize relationship between various process functions.
- Able to utilize apply advanced problem solving techniques such as SPC, control charts, Pareto charts, process cycle time, fishbone diagrams, flowcharting and process balancing.
- Training in the lean six sigma methodology preferred.
- Must possess strong communication, relationship building and leadership skills to be able to foster cross functional collaboration.
- Self starter and excellent organizational skills to be able to handle multiple activities.
- Being detail-oriented is critical to maintain data integrity.
Rate of pay may be adjusted based on the qualifications and experience of the candidate.
USG employees enjoy a number of benefit options for themselves and their families. These include two medical insurance options, as well as vision and dental coverage. The cost of these optional programs varies based on coverage level - employees generally pay 25% of the monthly premium cost, USG pays the rest. These coverage options are offered on the first day of employment with no waiting period.
Additionally, USG employees enjoy both a 401(k) Investment Plan with company match and a pension plan. Beyond these main features, employees may also choose from a number of additional programs like life insurance, accident insurance, legal insurance, even pet insurance, just to name a few. USG also offers Quarterly (hourly) / Annual (salary) bonus potential for all employees based on performance metrics tied to safety, quality, and productivity. USG also provides employees with paid time off and paid holidays.
Since 1902, Chicago-based USG has been a leader in producing innovative, award-winning products and systems to build everything from major commercial developments and residential housing to home improvements. USG's employees are committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and quality in everything we do. Our steadfast commitment to the company's core business values – innovation, quality, integrity, service, diversity, efficiency and safety – have helped us become the company we are today.
EOE including disability/veteran
Tips for Finding STEM OPT Jobs in Mississippi
Filter Mississippi employers by E-Verify status
STEM OPT extensions require your employer to be enrolled in E-Verify before your extension is approved. Cross-reference Mississippi manufacturers along the Gulf Coast and healthcare systems in Jackson against the E-Verify employer search before investing time in an application.
Target research-adjacent roles at Mississippi universities
Mississippi State University, University of Mississippi, and University of Southern Mississippi all employ STEM OPT-eligible staff in research and applied science roles outside faculty positions. These employers understand I-983 training plan requirements and typically have existing DSO coordination workflows.
Use Migrate Mate to identify active STEM OPT sponsors
Search Migrate Mate's database filtered to Mississippi to see which employers have active DOL Labor Condition Application filings for STEM-relevant roles. This cuts out employers who've never sponsored and focuses your outreach on companies with a documented hiring pattern.
Submit your I-765 before your OPT EAD expires
USCIS recommends filing your STEM OPT extension application up to 90 days before your current EAD end date. If you're working for a Mississippi employer and your DSO hasn't issued a new I-20 recommending the extension, that's the bottleneck to resolve first.
See all 106+ F-1 STEM OPT jobs in Mississippi
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new F-1 STEM OPT jobs in Mississippi.
Get Access To All JobsF-1 STEM OPT Jobs in Mississippi: Frequently Asked Questions
Which industries in Mississippi sponsor the most F-1 STEM OPT visas?
Advanced manufacturing along the Gulf Coast corridor, healthcare systems concentrated in Jackson, and engineering firms tied to aerospace and defense contractors in the Stennis Space Center area generate the highest volume of F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship activity in Mississippi. Agricultural technology and university-based research positions in Starkville and Hattiesburg also produce consistent STEM OPT hiring across data science and environmental science roles.
Which cities in Mississippi have the most F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Jackson has the densest concentration of STEM OPT-eligible roles, driven by its healthcare, information technology, and state government research sectors. The Gulf Coast cities of Biloxi and Gulfport support manufacturing and engineering roles tied to shipbuilding and defense. Starkville benefits from proximity to Mississippi State University, where research staff and applied computing roles frequently qualify for STEM OPT sponsorship.
What types of roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in Mississippi?
Qualifying roles must directly relate to your STEM degree and map to an STEM degree classification on USCIS's STEM Designated Degree Program List. In Mississippi, this commonly includes software engineers, data analysts, civil and mechanical engineers, biomedical researchers, environmental scientists, and IT systems specialists. Roles in operations or project management may qualify if the position requires applying STEM knowledge directly, which you can verify using O*NET.
How do I find F-1 STEM OPT jobs in Mississippi?
Migrate Mate lets you filter job listings specifically to employers with active DOL Labor Condition Application filings in Mississippi, so you're only seeing companies that have sponsored STEM-related work authorization before. Cross-reference any promising employer against the E-Verify employer search to confirm they meet STEM OPT's mandatory E-Verify enrollment requirement before applying.
Are there any Mississippi-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship?
Mississippi has a smaller overall sponsorship market than coastal states, so employer familiarity with STEM OPT's I-983 training plan requirement varies widely. Smaller manufacturers and regional engineering firms may be willing to hire but unfamiliar with the process. Coming prepared with a completed I-983 draft and a summary of E-Verify enrollment steps significantly improves your odds with employers who are sponsoring for the first time.