Aerospace & Defense STEM OPT Jobs in Texas
Texas is one of the top states for aerospace and defense hiring, with major employers like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, and L3Harris operating facilities across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Houston, and San Antonio. F-1 students on STEM OPT authorization can pursue engineering, systems, and technical roles at companies with established OPT hiring programs in these hubs.
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Position Summary: Responsible for coordination of all technical activities on assigned projects. Plans, schedules, conducts, and coordinates assigned engineering work; monitors work for compliance to applicable FAA/EASA regulations, customer requirements, accepted engineering practices, as well as RECARO standards; ensures effective communication and coordination on assigned projects between all disciplines and all other project participants. Responsible and accountable to ensure that all assigned personnel are coordinating their activities with other project participants and that the requirements of the Contract are being satisfied. On a large project the Project Manager may delegate certain project management responsibilities to the Project Engineer, including day-to-day interaction with the Client’s designated representative as well as coordination of all internal activities.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following, other duties may be assigned:
- Coordinates all aspects of the design and certification of aircraft seats. This includes the coordination of designers, design engineers, electrical engineers, certification engineers and product support personnel.
- Plans, schedules and tracks engineering tasks; provides detailed report to Program and Engineering Management.
- Summarizes technical customer requirements, communicates this to the team and ensures customer expectations are being met.
- Responds to concerns of customers by making design changes in seat design and components in a manner that meets customer expectations and are in conformance with applicable regulations.
- Coordinates design meetings with other project engineers to discuss engineering issues, including design changes and requests from customers.
- Supports Purchasing and Production by providing bills of materials and documentation to support sourcing of components.
- Periodically writes Service Bulletins pertaining to modification of fielded seats; coordinates service bulletins approval with airworthiness authorities.
- Experience in the use of CFR, EASA CS, (E)TSO regulations, as well as the use of parts lists with high variant diversity is desired.
- Knowledge of PLM based database systems such as Teamcenter, Agile or Enovia is desired.
- Completes root cause analysis on MRB (Material Review Board) actions, and presents resolutions to the Engineering, Quality and Operations Departments.
- Interfaces with outside suppliers during the design process.
- Effectively participates and contributes in telecoms and meetings with the overseas based engineers and program management by applying engineering knowledge, discussing manufacturing issues, and also suggesting potential seat development topics and innovations.
- Verifies use of appropriate materials according to their usage on the seat using advanced knowledge.
- Monitor capacity planning and tracking for all engineering tasks on assigned projects.
Education/Experience:
Bachelor’s Degree required in Aeronautical or Mechanical Engineering field with 2-7 years of related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Technical Experience:
- Advanced knowledge of manufacturing processes is required.
- Experience in the design of Aircraft interiors is required.
- Knowledge about aircraft documentation systems for after sales (CMM, SB) and aircraft configuration control systems is required.
Computer Skills:
- A minimum of 2 years’ experience in CATIA V5 or similar is required.
Travel Requirements:
Employees are expected to travel up to 25% of the time both National and International as required.
STEM OPT Aerospace & Defense Job Roles in Texas
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Search Aerospace & Defense Jobs in TexasAerospace & Defense STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Texas: Frequently Asked Questions
Which aerospace and defense companies sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas in Texas?
Texas hosts a concentration of major aerospace and defense contractors with documented OPT hiring histories. Lockheed Martin operates large engineering facilities in Fort Worth and Grand Prairie. Raytheon Technologies has a significant presence in the Dallas area. L3Harris, Boeing, Bell Textron, and Northrop Grumman also maintain Texas operations. Sponsorship practices vary by location, business unit, and specific role, so verifying each employer's current STEM OPT policy directly is essential.
Which cities in Texas have the most aerospace and defense F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Dallas-Fort Worth leads in volume, anchored by defense contractors like Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth and numerous suppliers across the metroplex. Houston supports aerospace roles tied to NASA's Johnson Space Center and its commercial space contractor ecosystem. San Antonio has a strong defense aviation presence through military installations and maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations. Austin is a smaller but growing market for aerospace-adjacent technology roles.
What types of aerospace and defense roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship?
Roles that commonly qualify include systems engineering, avionics and electrical engineering, mechanical and structural engineering, software engineering for embedded or mission-critical systems, manufacturing engineering, and data analysis. These positions generally require a degree in engineering, computer science, physics, or a related STEM field. Positions requiring active U.S. security clearances can limit eligibility for international students, so candidates should confirm clearance requirements before applying.
How do I find aerospace and defense F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Texas?
Migrate Mate filters aerospace and defense job listings specifically by visa authorization type, making it practical to identify Texas employers with F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship history rather than sorting through general postings manually. You can search by city, role type, and industry to surface companies that have previously filed for OPT workers in aerospace and defense disciplines. Reviewing employer DOL filing records through OFLC can also help confirm sponsorship activity.
Are there any Texas-specific or industry-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in aerospace and defense?
Security clearance requirements are a significant factor unique to defense work. Many positions at prime contractors require a U.S. security clearance, which F-1 students are generally ineligible to hold. This narrows the pool of accessible roles to unclassified programs and commercial aerospace work. Texas also has no state income tax, which affects compensation calculations. Students should confirm their STEM OPT employer meets E-Verify enrollment requirements, which USCIS mandates for all STEM OPT extension employers.