Material Control Analyst

About AOI

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical and HFC networking products — the building blocks that power AI datacenters, CATV broadband, telecom, and fiber access networks around the world. Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, AOI is a vertically integrated company that designs and manufactures everything from semiconductor laser chips to finished optical transceivers, serving tier-one customers across cloud computing, broadband, and telecom. With R&D operations in Atlanta, GA and global manufacturing presence in Taiwan and China, AOI is publicly traded on the Nasdaq (AAOI) and is actively expanding its U.S.-based manufacturing operations in Sugar Land to meet accelerating demand in the AI datacenter market.

Summary

We are looking for a detail-oriented Material Control Analyst to oversee our inventory management and control systems. The Material Control Analyst is responsible for ensuring the accurate and timely planning and scheduling of production materials, monitoring and controlling inventory levels, managing supply risks and reconciling discrepancies. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical skills, experience in material planning, and knowledge of supply chain management and procurement in a manufacturing organization. The successful candidate will have excellent organizational skills and be able to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

Material Planning, Scheduling, and Monitoring

• Plan and schedule the supply of materials to meet production requirements and safety levels
• Review and manage MRP system to ensure accurate stock levels and reorder points
• Coordinate with Procurement, Production Control and other functional organizations to ensure on-time delivery, cost expectations and inventory targets
• Create, analyze and update future demand forecasts on a quarterly and annual basis

Inventory Monitoring, Control, and Analysis

• Utilize information in SAP and other systems to monitor inventory status and ensure data accuracy
• Manage the material life cycle and analyze inventory health and turnover rate
• Minimize obsolete stock and ensure the business is left with minimum liability
• Develop tools or reports to help drive data-driven decisions amongst the team

Risk Management

• Take follow-up actions in relation to material shortages that affect production
• Proactively identify areas of potential supply chain risk and work with internal stakeholders to resolve or suggest alternative solutions to minimize impacts

Qualifications

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 2+ years of relevant experience in supply chain, production control, or manufacturing operations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel with PivotTables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and charts.
• Experience working with ERP, MRP, or production work-order systems to track orders, materials, inventory, or production activity.
• Understanding of how production schedules, material availability, work orders, and customer delivery requirements interact in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail.
• Clear written and verbal communication, with comfort coordinating across cross functional departments to achieve company objectives.
• Ability to work independently, manage changing priorities, and exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred

• Manufacturing experience, ideally in electronics, optical components, semiconductor, or telecom.
• Six Sigma certification or process-improvement experience.
• Experience in high-priority, or fast-changing production environments.
• Professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese is strongly preferred

Location & Work Environment

This position is full-time onsite and based in Sugar Land, Texas. This role is primarily a normal office position with regular interaction across production, inventory, shipping, and related manufacturing functions. Occasional travel to other AOI plants or facilities in the Houston area may be required based on business needs.

Expected business hours are generally Monday through Friday during standard business hours of 9am – 6pm CT. Flexibility is required based on production needs, delivery timelines, expedite requests, and operational priorities. Occasional after-hours or on-call support may be required as business needs arise.

Why AOI?
In addition to competitive salary, AOI offers:

• Flexible and competitive health (medical, dental, vision) plans offer the employee with the right options to meet individual and family needs
• Employer matching on 401(k) deferrals
• Generous PTO policy, with unused PTO payout at end of the year
• Relocation packages available within the United States.

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc (AOI) is committed to providing equal opportunity in all of our employment practices, including hiring, placement, promotion, training, transfer and compensation, to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, religion, sex, veteran status, age, disability, marital status, or any other category protected by State or U.S. Federal law. Moreover, we endeavor to treat our employees fairly.

We do not accept unsolicited proposals from third-party recruiters or agencies. Contacting hiring managers directly may result in disqualification of submissions.