Manager - Centralized Immigration

Manager - Centralized Immigration

Your responsibilities

The Manager – Centralized Immigration is responsible for leading and governing all U.S. employment-based immigration matters across North America through a centralized, enterprise-wide model. This role ensures compliance, risk mitigation, operational efficiency, and strategic workforce planning related to visa sponsorship and global mobility.

The position replaces a decentralized immigration coordination structure with a standardized, compliant, and scalable framework. The Manager will serve as the single point of accountability for immigration program administration and governance, partnering closely with Business Unit HR leaders, external immigration counsel, global HR teams, Legal, Finance, and executive leadership. This role provides program administration, coordination, and governance; it does not provide legal advice to employees or make legal eligibility determinations, which remain with qualified immigration counsel.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Immigration Governance & Strategy

• Develop and implement a centralized immigration management framework across all North America business units.
• Establish standardized policies, workflows, and documentation protocols.
• Ensure alignment with corporate governance and global mobility standards.
• Provide executive visibility into immigration population risk and sponsorship exposure.

U.S. Employment-Based Visa Management

• Coordinate with external counsel on all employment-based immigration processes (H-1B, L-1, TN, E-2, PERM, I-140, I-485, EAD/AP renewals).
• Support and monitor compliance with USCIS, Department of Labor, and Department of Homeland Security regulations, in coordination with counsel.
• Oversee I-9 compliance and audit readiness.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Own enterprise-wide immigration compliance tracking and renewal monitoring.
• Develop dashboards with risk indicators for leadership review.
• Determine appropriate use of premium processing consistent with company policy and case-specific timing requirements, avoiding any deferral that risks a status lapse.
• Coordinate internal compliance reviews and audits with Legal/counsel.
• Maintain immigration data in accordance with company access-control, data-minimization, and retention standards, and preserve attorney-client privilege on legal communications.

Vendor & Legal Counsel Management

• Serve as primary relationship owner for external immigration law firms.
• Negotiate consolidated billing rates and service standards.
• Monitor SLAs, response times, and filing accuracy.
• Manage legal spend optimization initiatives.

Workforce Planning & Business Partnership

• Advise HR leaders on workforce planning implications related to visa timelines.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to align recruiting strategy with immigration requirements.
• Support executive decision-making regarding sponsored workforce continuity.
• Ensure sponsorship and hiring recommendations are made without regard to citizenship status or national origin, consistent with 8 U.S.C. § 1324b and Title VII.

Cross-Border Coordination

• Coordinate with global HR teams on international assignments.
• Support inbound and outbound assignment planning.
• Ensure alignment with tax, payroll, and compliance considerations.

Reporting & Executive Communication

• Develop quarterly executive summaries outlining sponsored population metrics and risk exposure.
• Present updates to senior HR leadership and Legal partners.
• Maintain confidential employee case documentation.

Your profile

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This position supervises Tax & Trade activities.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required (HR, Business, Legal Studies, or related field).
• Master’s degree or HR certification preferred.
• 5–8+ years of progressive experience in employment-based immigration management.
• Experience within a multi-state, multi-entity corporate structure.
• Experience partnering with external immigration counsel.
• Manufacturing or automotive industry experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of U.S. immigration compliance regulations.
• Working knowledge of Form I-9 compliance requirements.
• Experience building tracking systems and dashboards.
• Vendor contract negotiation experience.
• High level of confidentiality and professional judgment.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinker with operational discipline.
• High attention to detail and compliance orientation.
• Executive communication capability.
• Cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Exercises discretion and independent judgment on business and operational matters of significance (e.g., vendor selection, budget management, process design, and case prioritization) supporting the administrative exemption.

Travel Requirements

Limited travel (10-20%) within North America as needed.

Work Environment

• Office and/or Home Office

Physical Demands (if applicable)

While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to stand, walk, sit and talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and / or move up to 50 pounds.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Your benefits

We offer a robust suite of benefits designed to help you thrive—health insurance, paid leave, and more. You’ll also enjoy a culture that values balance, learning, and long-term career development.

Notices:

Job Applicant Notice of Collection

thyssenkrupp Notice of Fraudulent Job Offers

Important to us

Health and Wellness

Health & Safety

Highest health & safety standards and a wide range of health promotion and healthcare activities.

Highest health & safety standards and a wide range of health promotion and healthcare activities.

Pension and Retirement

Pension

We have various financial models to give you individual support.

We have various financial models to give you individual support.

Collaboration and Teamwork

Collaboration

Collegiality is of huge importance – we treat everyone with respect and appreciation.

Collegiality is of huge importance – we treat everyone with respect and appreciation.

Professional Development

Development

Training and education programs to help you develop professionally and personally.

Training and education programs to help you develop professionally and personally.

Compensation and Salary

Compensation & benefits

Fair working conditions and competitive pay are an important basis for us.

Fair working conditions and competitive pay are an important basis for us.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity

We promote an open and tolerant work culture.

We promote an open and tolerant work culture.

Work-Life Balance

Work-Life Balance

Work-Life Balance: we guarantee regular working hours to support work-life balance.

Work-Life Balance: we guarantee regular working hours to support work-life balance.

Creative and Innovation

Creative leeway

We offer a work environment in which you can try out new solutions in a no blame culture.

We offer a work environment in which you can try out new solutions in a no blame culture.

Vacation and Time Off

Vacation and paid time off

Vacation and paid time off: Paid vacation, sick leave and personal days.

Vacation and paid time off: Paid vacation, sick leave and personal days.

Sustainability and Environment

Sustainability

We act with responsibility and environmental awareness. We support sociopolitical initiatives and focus on resource eff