Manufacturing OPT Jobs in Nebraska
Manufacturing F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in Nebraska are concentrated in Omaha, Lincoln, and Grand Island, where major employers like Kawasaki Motors, Becton Dickinson, and Tyson Foods maintain large production and engineering operations. Nebraska's food processing, industrial equipment, and medical device manufacturing sectors regularly hire OPT-eligible engineers, quality specialists, and process technicians.
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Get Access To All JobsABOUT THE POSITION:
The Production Planner will create and maintain manufacturing schedules, work with sales, engineering, purchasing, and manufacturing to maintain a production plan. The Production Planner will do capacity planning, set lead times, and maintain all aspects of the facility schedule. The production planner will lead production meetings and daily schedule update meetings to effectively communicate and plan the facility.
Location: Blair, NE
Key Deliverables:
- Forecast and manage ramp-up and ramp-down planning for New Product Introductions, balancing, demand, capacity, and inventory risk
- May serve as planning representative on cross functional teams
- Assist planning process improvement projects
- Ability to develop strategic plans for implementing and improving ERP system use
- Schedule usage of production materials to ensure optimal production levels
- Produce reports based on findings and performance of production
- Determine manpower, equipment, and raw materials need to cover production demand
Key Activities & Responsibilities
- Create and maintain all production schedules for the facility
- Plan and slot all work orders, set capacities, and lead times, and verify delivery dates
- Work with all departments to maintain required information and work to keep everyone informed of schedule additions and changes
- Draws up master schedule to establish sequence and lead time of each operation to meet shipping dates according to sales forecasts or customer orders
- Analyzes production specifications and plant capacity data and performs mathematical calculations to determine manufacturing processes, tools, and human resource requirements
- Experience with visual or similar ERP system preferred
- Detail oriented with good organizational skills
- Willingness and aptitude to implement a planned introduction of Visual ERP scheduling
- Continually seek ways to improve processes and workflow to drive positive change
- Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities
- Accomplish department and company mission by achieving set goals
- Promote and educate others on Astec’s core values
- Follow company policies, procedures, and safety rules at all times
To be successful in this role, your experience and competencies are:
- Bachelor’s degree preferred, Associates degree or equivalent from an accredited college or technical school with 6+ years planning experience in manufacturing environment
- Maintain a positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating in a manner so that you get along with customers, clients, co-workers, and management
- Willingness to utilize lean knowledge tools to identify and assist with continuous improvement
- This position will require strong communication skills, along with strong computer skills including Microsoft Excel, and ERP system knowledge is preferred
Supervisor and Leadership Expectations: None
Our Culture and Values
Employees that become part of Astec embody the values below throughout their work.
- Continuous devotion to meeting the needs of our customers
- Honesty and integrity in all aspects of business
- Respect for all individuals
- Preserving entrepreneurial spirit and innovation
- Safety, quality and productivity as means to ensure success
NOTE: This position responsible for certain internal control responsibilities. These internal control responsibilities are verbally communicated to the incumbent and periodic feedback is provided as it relates to the performance of these internal control responsibilities.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Manufacturing Environment
Shop manufacturing environment exposures include exposure to moving mechanical parts, machinery, tools and equipment, vibration, fumes or airborne particles, motorized vehicles, welding and machining operations, outside weather conditions and exposure to the risk of electric shock. The employee may occasionally be exposed to varying levels of dirt, dust, toxic or caustic chemicals, very warm and/or very chilly temperatures. The noise level in the shop can be very loud at times consistent with an industrial assembly facility and may require hearing protection. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
ABOUT THE POSITION:
The Production Planner will create and maintain manufacturing schedules, work with sales, engineering, purchasing, and manufacturing to maintain a production plan. The Production Planner will do capacity planning, set lead times, and maintain all aspects of the facility schedule. The production planner will lead production meetings and daily schedule update meetings to effectively communicate and plan the facility.
Location: Blair, NE
Key Deliverables:
- Forecast and manage ramp-up and ramp-down planning for New Product Introductions, balancing, demand, capacity, and inventory risk
- May serve as planning representative on cross functional teams
- Assist planning process improvement projects
- Ability to develop strategic plans for implementing and improving ERP system use
- Schedule usage of production materials to ensure optimal production levels
- Produce reports based on findings and performance of production
- Determine manpower, equipment, and raw materials need to cover production demand
Key Activities & Responsibilities
- Create and maintain all production schedules for the facility
- Plan and slot all work orders, set capacities, and lead times, and verify delivery dates
- Work with all departments to maintain required information and work to keep everyone informed of schedule additions and changes
- Draws up master schedule to establish sequence and lead time of each operation to meet shipping dates according to sales forecasts or customer orders
- Analyzes production specifications and plant capacity data and performs mathematical calculations to determine manufacturing processes, tools, and human resource requirements
- Experience with visual or similar ERP system preferred
- Detail oriented with good organizational skills
- Willingness and aptitude to implement a planned introduction of Visual ERP scheduling
- Continually seek ways to improve processes and workflow to drive positive change
- Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities
- Accomplish department and company mission by achieving set goals
- Promote and educate others on Astec’s core values
- Follow company policies, procedures, and safety rules at all times
To be successful in this role, your experience and competencies are:
- Bachelor’s degree preferred, Associates degree or equivalent from an accredited college or technical school with 6+ years planning experience in manufacturing environment
- Maintain a positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating in a manner so that you get along with customers, clients, co-workers, and management
- Willingness to utilize lean knowledge tools to identify and assist with continuous improvement
- This position will require strong communication skills, along with strong computer skills including Microsoft Excel, and ERP system knowledge is preferred
Supervisor and Leadership Expectations: None
Our Culture and Values
Employees that become part of Astec embody the values below throughout their work.
- Continuous devotion to meeting the needs of our customers
- Honesty and integrity in all aspects of business
- Respect for all individuals
- Preserving entrepreneurial spirit and innovation
- Safety, quality and productivity as means to ensure success
NOTE: This position responsible for certain internal control responsibilities. These internal control responsibilities are verbally communicated to the incumbent and periodic feedback is provided as it relates to the performance of these internal control responsibilities.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Manufacturing Environment
Shop manufacturing environment exposures include exposure to moving mechanical parts, machinery, tools and equipment, vibration, fumes or airborne particles, motorized vehicles, welding and machining operations, outside weather conditions and exposure to the risk of electric shock. The employee may occasionally be exposed to varying levels of dirt, dust, toxic or caustic chemicals, very warm and/or very chilly temperatures. The noise level in the shop can be very loud at times consistent with an industrial assembly facility and may require hearing protection. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
OPT Manufacturing Job Roles in Nebraska
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Search Manufacturing Jobs in NebraskaManufacturing OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Nebraska: Frequently Asked Questions
Which manufacturing companies sponsor F-1 OPT visas in Nebraska?
Nebraska manufacturers that have historically hired OPT workers include Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing in Lincoln, Becton Dickinson in Columbus, and Valmont Industries in Omaha. Food processing giants like Tyson Foods and JBS USA, which operate large Nebraska facilities, also hire engineering and technical roles that commonly fall within OPT-eligible STEM fields. Sponsorship availability varies by role, facility, and hiring cycle.
Which cities in Nebraska have the most manufacturing F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
Omaha and Lincoln account for the largest share of Nebraska manufacturing OPT opportunities, driven by industrial equipment, medical device, and technology-adjacent production facilities. Grand Island and Columbus are significant secondary markets, particularly in food processing and agricultural manufacturing. Norfolk and Hastings also have industrial employers, though job volume in those cities is smaller than in the metro areas.
What types of manufacturing roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship?
Roles that most commonly qualify are those requiring a degree in a directly related field: mechanical, industrial, chemical, or electrical engineering positions, quality assurance and process engineering roles, manufacturing operations analyst positions, and supply chain or production planning roles with an engineering or technical degree requirement. General assembly or line supervisor roles without a degree requirement rarely qualify for STEM OPT extension purposes.
How do I find manufacturing F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in Nebraska?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students and filters manufacturing jobs in Nebraska by visa type, including F-1 OPT, so you avoid applying to roles that won't consider OPT workers. Beyond Migrate Mate, Nebraska's university career centers at UNL and UNO maintain employer relationships with local manufacturers who have a history of hiring international students, which can help you identify receptive companies before applying.
Are there any Nebraska-specific considerations for F-1 OPT in manufacturing?
Nebraska's manufacturing sector is heavily weighted toward food processing, which involves USDA-regulated facilities. Some of these sites require E-Verify participation, which is standard for OPT employers anyway, but it also means hiring processes can move more slowly due to additional background checks. For STEM OPT extension, your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify and the role must be directly related to your degree, which is worth confirming early with your DSO.