Chemicals & Materials F-1 STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in South Carolina
South Carolina's chemicals and materials sector, anchored by employers like Michelin, BASF, and Eastman Chemical in the Upstate and Lowcountry regions, actively hires STEM graduates in engineering, process chemistry, and materials science. F-1 students on STEM OPT can find qualifying 24-month extension roles with manufacturers and R&D operations concentrated around Greenville, Spartanburg, Charleston, and Columbia.
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Job Title: Process Engineer
SITUATION IN ORGANIZATION
Reports directly to the Engineering and Continuous Improvement Manager. This position has no direct reports.
JOB DIMENSIONS
Based on input from R&D and knowledge of the plant reactor process capabilities, develop detailed processing procedures for each product. Observe, analyze, and optimize process efficiency and safety.
Improve product consistency and cycle time performance while reducing cost. Lead new recipe industrialization for the site. The role is part of the plant based technical staffing and is accountable for coordination and alignment with Coating Solutions Manufacturing Excellence resources.
KEY ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Health, Safety, Environment – 25%
- Understand plant environmental health and safety regulations and comply with all applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
- Facilitate the plant’s Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) by analyzing process risk.
- Leads the site Process Safety Management (PSM) program.
Leadership – 5%
- Provide and develop training for manufacturing personnel.
- Provide process engineering, chemistry support and detailed know how to manufacturing personnel.
- Regularly communicate with other departments, in written, electronic, and/or verbal form, on the status of process and other projects, scheduled completion time, and need for assistance.
Quality Improvement – 30%
- Determine source of variation in production of reactor products and develop systems or procedures required to reduce or eliminate variation.
- Assist Quality Control Lab in developing effective correction guidelines for products to reduce blocked stock inventory.
- Lead efforts for continuous improvement in quality and productivity of products. Progress is demonstrated by reduced variability, tighter distribution of product properties, improved product yields, and reduced generation of non-conforming products.
- Leads and drives advanced troubleshooting, conducts appropriate root-cause analysis, and ensures corrective actions are implemented to address unplanned quality and process events as defined in department trigger criteria. Distribute timely communication of results to business/functional stakeholders.
- Monitors, reports, and provides input to daily production schedule concerning recipe compatibility and the potential impact of product quality. Identifies adjustments to production and shipping planning as appropriate. Ensure continuous evaluation and implementation of improvements.
Technical Support – 40%
- Develop procedures required for introduction of new products to facility.
- Provide field management for new product introductions and plant process improvements, demonstrating good understanding and knowledge of process control system.
- Assist in plant projects by reviewing project proposals and plans as needed.
- Serves as the Scale-Up Coordinator for the manufacturing facility. Participates in the scale up prioritization meetings to drive business level scale up activities at the plant to completion.
- Owns and maintains the plant recipe system and serves as the coordinator for new product development activities assigned to the plant.
- Communicates results using the scale up communication form, summarizing all recipe related activities. This includes any significant recipe change, product scale up, alternate raw material trial, or cycle time improvements.
- Provides in plant technical support to monitor scale up and/or troubleshooting activities. This may involve non-traditional work scheduling.
- Initiates changes to plant Batch Operating Procedures (BOP’s), new raw materials (both alternate supplier and new chemicals to the plant), and plant distributed control system (DCS) recipes. Ensure the changes are documented in a revision history and that the management of change (MOC) process is effectively executed.
- Engages the Recipe Industrialization and/or Technology Team for technical support as necessary to participate in troubleshooting and/or investigation activities.
- Participate and provide feedback in manufacturing capability analysis for new product ASAP Gate process. Provide feedback to support Gate 4 commercialization.
- Generate ideas that can be implemented with Recipe Industrialization group support on recipe related cycle time and quality improvements. Coordinate these improvement activities with Operation Excellence work process to ensure time/cost savings are appropriately captured.
- Other duties as assigned by Management.
CONTEXT AND ENVIRONMENT
- This position may require occasional afterhours work or a modified schedule to ensure that site’s needs are met.
- Occasional travel to corporate or other sites.
- Organizes workload to comply with deadlines and priorities, works independently to complete department or unit functions and prepare correspondence, reports and forms.
- Utilizes advanced computer skills including word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, and databases, Creates database, presentations and reports.
- Understand plant environmental health and safety regulations and comply with all applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
- Supports the site HES policy and complies with all regulatory and internal requirements.
- Participates in HES activities provided by site management and Arkema Inc. (e.g., Behavioral Base Safety, SafeStart, etc.)
- Supports and promotes the reporting of all health, safety, environmental, near-miss, accident or injury incidents.
REQUIRED EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS /WORK EXPERIENCE
- Minimum a BS degree in Chemical Engineering.
- Two years of chemical process engineering experience is desirable.
- Competence and knowledge of process control system / batch recipe management is highly desirable.
- Proven analytical and problem-solving abilities. Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.
- MOC work process knowledge and formal / informal root cause analysis methodology.
- Strong plant technical knowledge including plant capabilities.
- Must be able to read Process & Instrumentation Drawings.
- Leadership skills and ability to manage and direct teams.
DEMONSTRATED COMPETENCIES
Technical expertise
- Expertise in chemistry, chemical engineering, process safety, data analysis and statistics.
- Thorough knowledge of personal computer applications including spreadsheet and database management skills.
Organizational expertise
- Strong safety-minded work ethic and work history.
- Strong team member skills including communication, participation, and expressing mutual respect.
Chemicals & Materials Job Roles in South Carolina
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Search Chemicals & Materials Jobs in South CarolinaChemicals & Materials Jobs in South Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions
Which chemicals and materials companies sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas in South Carolina?
South Carolina hosts several large chemicals and materials employers with documented F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship history. Michelin's North American headquarters in Greenville, BASF's agricultural solutions operations, Eastman Chemical's regional facilities, and specialty polymer manufacturers in the Upstate corridor regularly hire STEM graduates. Multinational manufacturers in tire manufacturing, specialty coatings, and advanced composites are among the most active sponsors for OPT-eligible engineering and chemistry graduates.
Which cities in South Carolina have the most chemicals and materials F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Greenville and Spartanburg in the Upstate region lead in chemicals and materials sponsorship opportunities, driven by Michelin's headquarters and a dense cluster of European-owned manufacturing firms. Charleston supports opportunities in specialty materials and port-adjacent chemical distribution. Columbia, as the state capital and home to the University of South Carolina, also sees demand from industrial and government-adjacent materials research operations.
What types of chemicals and materials roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship?
Roles that align with STEM-designated Classification of Instructional Programs codes qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. In chemicals and materials, qualifying positions commonly include chemical process engineer, materials scientist, polymer engineer, quality assurance chemist, R&D engineer, and environmental engineer. The position must require application of a STEM degree, and the employer must be enrolled in E-Verify. O*NET occupation profiles can help verify whether a specific role meets STEM criteria.
How do I find chemicals and materials F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in South Carolina?
Migrate Mate filters chemicals and materials jobs in South Carolina by F-1 STEM OPT eligibility, showing employers with confirmed sponsorship activity so you're not applying to roles that won't support your authorization. Search by role type, location, and STEM designation to surface positions at Upstate manufacturers, Lowcountry industrial facilities, and materials R&D operations that have sponsored STEM OPT workers. The OFLC Wage Search can also help you verify prevailing wages for specific roles before you apply.
Are there state-specific or industry-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in South Carolina's chemicals sector?
South Carolina's chemicals and materials industry is heavily manufacturing-oriented, which means many roles involve production floor or site-based work rather than pure research settings. STEM OPT employers must be enrolled in E-Verify and must sign a training plan (Form I-983) with the student. Some smaller specialty chemical firms may not yet have E-Verify enrollment, so confirming this status before accepting an offer is important. South Carolina also has no state income tax on wages, which can be a practical financial consideration when evaluating offers.