Aerospace & Defense OPT Jobs in Texas
Texas is one of the strongest states for aerospace and defense F-1 OPT sponsorship, with major employers like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Bell, and Boeing operating large facilities across the state. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Houston, and San Antonio anchor most hiring activity, offering F-1 OPT students in engineering, avionics, and systems roles meaningful pathways into the industry.
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Get Access To All JobsPosition Summary:
Responsible for procurement of materials, components, supplies and/or services for the company in accordance with standard operating procedures, contractual requirements, financial and savings targets, and all regulatory requirements. Responsible for strategy execution, change management, source selection, contract negotiations, supplier management, and conflict resolution throughout the supply chain.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following, other duties may be assigned:
Purchase Order Management:
- Place and confirm purchase orders with approved suppliers for established material, parts, or services in accordance with contracts, master production schedule, independent spares/repair requirements, and established lead times.
- Ensure purchase orders are executed, goods received, and invoices paid in accordance with the approved terms and conditions.
Master Data Management:
- Maintain contracts and source rules within ERP system
- Manage lead time, part cost, setup cost, and mode of transportation
Change Management:
- Coordinate all engineering changes with the Engineering department, as assigned
- Perform analysis of inventory to include supplier WIP and transportation WIP
- Calculate cost impact due to engineering change to include cost of rework and scrap
- Manage effectivity date of change to minimize cost impact and maximize inventory consumption
- Ability to understand and read bills of material and Engineering drawings and RECARO standards
- Prepare all needed engineering data packages and facilitate submission to suppliers
- Manage supplier quote and negotiation process
- Manage PO revisions to support effectivity and master production schedule
- Resolve any documentation discrepancies
Supplier Management:
- Conduct monthly supplier management reviews to support business objectives & deliverables
- Manage supplier on time delivery and fill accuracy
- Manage all quality issues throughout the process to include first article, receiving inspection, discrepancies on the production line, and supplier corrective actions
- Management total cost of ownership to include part cost, transportation cost, cost of poor quality
- Maintain standard risk cube to include any mitigation plans
- Facilitate communication of forecasts with suppliers to ensure proper long range planning of capacity, manpower, and raw materials
- Manage any instances of supplier transition and present to sourcing board
- Ensure all RECARO owned tooling is properly tagged and logged into ERP system of record and maintain tool life, maintenance records and prepare annual tooling budget requirements
Global Strategy:
- Support RECARO global sourcing strategy
- Explore opportunities in low cost countries
- Support all exchange rate risk mitigation efforts
- Develop annual plan to accomplish cost targets
Negotiation:
- Ensure all required documentation is in place to include but not limited to: Non-Disclosure Agreement, Global Purchase Agreement, Quality Assurance Agreement, Supplier Questionnaire, Supplier Risk Assessment, Supplier Audit, Supplier Credit Report
- Lead negotiations of all terms and conditions of all agreements and contracts in the best interest of RECARO
- Ensure all negotiations are legal, ethical, and in accordance with company policies as well as any governing or regulatory agencies
Supplier Selection:
- Ensure supplier capabilities and core competencies are in line with the commodity family strategy and RECARO business objectives
- Conduct fair competition among qualified potential suppliers
- Evaluate supplier scorecard and audit results where applicable
- Present results to supplier selection board or sourcing board for approval
Safety:
- Follow all office safety policies
- Ensure compliance with all shop floor safety regulations when participating in activities within any production, logistics, warehousing, or staging areas.
Compliance:
- Ensure compliance with all RECARO policies, procedures, and work instructions
- Ensure compliance with any regulatory or governing body to include, but not limited to, AS9100, EN9100, ISO9001, ISO14001, FAA, EASA, Airbus, or Boeing
Additional:
- Any other duties as required by your supervisory staff.
Requirements
Education/Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field plus 3+ years of experience in procurement or 7+ years of experience in procurement without a bachelor’s degree.
- Engineered-to-order procurement is a plus
- Willing and able to travel throughout the United States and to other countries as required
Computer Skills:
- Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook required
- Familiarity with MRP systems/SAP experience preferred
- Familiarity with Teamcenter preferred
Position Summary:
Responsible for procurement of materials, components, supplies and/or services for the company in accordance with standard operating procedures, contractual requirements, financial and savings targets, and all regulatory requirements. Responsible for strategy execution, change management, source selection, contract negotiations, supplier management, and conflict resolution throughout the supply chain.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following, other duties may be assigned:
Purchase Order Management:
- Place and confirm purchase orders with approved suppliers for established material, parts, or services in accordance with contracts, master production schedule, independent spares/repair requirements, and established lead times.
- Ensure purchase orders are executed, goods received, and invoices paid in accordance with the approved terms and conditions.
Master Data Management:
- Maintain contracts and source rules within ERP system
- Manage lead time, part cost, setup cost, and mode of transportation
Change Management:
- Coordinate all engineering changes with the Engineering department, as assigned
- Perform analysis of inventory to include supplier WIP and transportation WIP
- Calculate cost impact due to engineering change to include cost of rework and scrap
- Manage effectivity date of change to minimize cost impact and maximize inventory consumption
- Ability to understand and read bills of material and Engineering drawings and RECARO standards
- Prepare all needed engineering data packages and facilitate submission to suppliers
- Manage supplier quote and negotiation process
- Manage PO revisions to support effectivity and master production schedule
- Resolve any documentation discrepancies
Supplier Management:
- Conduct monthly supplier management reviews to support business objectives & deliverables
- Manage supplier on time delivery and fill accuracy
- Manage all quality issues throughout the process to include first article, receiving inspection, discrepancies on the production line, and supplier corrective actions
- Management total cost of ownership to include part cost, transportation cost, cost of poor quality
- Maintain standard risk cube to include any mitigation plans
- Facilitate communication of forecasts with suppliers to ensure proper long range planning of capacity, manpower, and raw materials
- Manage any instances of supplier transition and present to sourcing board
- Ensure all RECARO owned tooling is properly tagged and logged into ERP system of record and maintain tool life, maintenance records and prepare annual tooling budget requirements
Global Strategy:
- Support RECARO global sourcing strategy
- Explore opportunities in low cost countries
- Support all exchange rate risk mitigation efforts
- Develop annual plan to accomplish cost targets
Negotiation:
- Ensure all required documentation is in place to include but not limited to: Non-Disclosure Agreement, Global Purchase Agreement, Quality Assurance Agreement, Supplier Questionnaire, Supplier Risk Assessment, Supplier Audit, Supplier Credit Report
- Lead negotiations of all terms and conditions of all agreements and contracts in the best interest of RECARO
- Ensure all negotiations are legal, ethical, and in accordance with company policies as well as any governing or regulatory agencies
Supplier Selection:
- Ensure supplier capabilities and core competencies are in line with the commodity family strategy and RECARO business objectives
- Conduct fair competition among qualified potential suppliers
- Evaluate supplier scorecard and audit results where applicable
- Present results to supplier selection board or sourcing board for approval
Safety:
- Follow all office safety policies
- Ensure compliance with all shop floor safety regulations when participating in activities within any production, logistics, warehousing, or staging areas.
Compliance:
- Ensure compliance with all RECARO policies, procedures, and work instructions
- Ensure compliance with any regulatory or governing body to include, but not limited to, AS9100, EN9100, ISO9001, ISO14001, FAA, EASA, Airbus, or Boeing
Additional:
- Any other duties as required by your supervisory staff.
Requirements
Education/Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field plus 3+ years of experience in procurement or 7+ years of experience in procurement without a bachelor’s degree.
- Engineered-to-order procurement is a plus
- Willing and able to travel throughout the United States and to other countries as required
Computer Skills:
- Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook required
- Familiarity with MRP systems/SAP experience preferred
- Familiarity with Teamcenter preferred
OPT Aerospace & Defense Job Roles in Texas
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Search Aerospace & Defense Jobs in TexasAerospace & Defense OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Texas: Frequently Asked Questions
Which aerospace and defense companies sponsor F-1 OPT visas in Texas?
Several large prime contractors and defense firms in Texas have histories of hiring F-1 OPT students. Lockheed Martin operates a major facility in Fort Worth focused on fighter aircraft programs. Raytheon has a significant presence in the Dallas area. Bell Textron is headquartered in Fort Worth, and L3Harris has operations in Waco and Dallas. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston also supports OPT hiring for aerospace roles.
Which cities in Texas have the most aerospace and defense F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
Dallas-Fort Worth leads the state, driven by major defense contractors and a dense network of aerospace suppliers. Houston is the second-strongest market, anchored by NASA's Johnson Space Center and a cluster of aerospace engineering firms. San Antonio has a growing defense sector tied to military aviation, including maintenance and systems work. Austin is a smaller but emerging hub for aerospace startups and defense technology companies.
What types of aerospace and defense roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship?
F-1 OPT must be directly related to your field of study, so qualifying roles in aerospace and defense typically include aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, systems engineering, avionics, software development for defense applications, and data analysis. Roles in quality assurance, structural analysis, propulsion, and flight test engineering are also common matches for students graduating from engineering or applied science programs.
How do I find aerospace and defense F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in Texas?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students searching for visa sponsorship jobs, including aerospace and defense F-1 OPT roles in Texas. You can filter directly by visa type and industry to see active listings from employers that sponsor. This saves significant time compared to manually screening postings. Migrate Mate aggregates sponsorship-friendly employers so you can focus your applications on companies that have a history of hiring F-1 OPT candidates in this sector.
Are there any Texas-specific considerations for F-1 OPT sponsorship in aerospace and defense?
Many Texas aerospace and defense positions involve work on government contracts, which can introduce security clearance requirements. U.S. security clearances are generally limited to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, so F-1 OPT students may find certain roles explicitly unavailable to them. It's important to review each job posting carefully for clearance requirements before applying. Roles in commercial aerospace, space technology, and unclassified defense work are more commonly open to OPT candidates.