Manufacturing Application Support Engineer

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 seeking a Manufacturing Application Support Engineer to provide technical support for the manufacturing software systems powering our high-volume electronics manufacturing environment. This position will support manufacturing applications and factory automation systems, troubleshoot production-related software issues, perform SQL-based data investigation, and work closely with Production, Engineering, IT, Software Development, and external vendors.

A key responsibility of this position is to develop and maintain high-quality technical documentation, including troubleshooting guides, production SOPs, software operation manuals, and knowledge base articles. The goal is not only to resolve production issues quickly, but also to convert troubleshooting experience into standardized documentation and procedures so that similar issues can be resolved faster in the future.

The ideal candidate will have strong troubleshooting, cross-functional communication, documentation, and analytical skills. Mandarin Chinese proficiency is highly preferred due to collaboration with Chinese-speaking users, engineers, and vendors.

Job Responsibilities

• Use SQL to investigate and troubleshoot production issues, including reviewing manufacturing transactions, equipment status, lot information, system records, and data inconsistencies.
• Support manufacturing systems and factory automation applications, including MES, EAP, RMS, FDC, WMS, equipment interfaces, barcode/label systems, and other production-related software.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, including troubleshooting guides, production SOPs, software operation manuals, user instructions, Knowledge Base articles, and application support procedures.
• Work closely with Production, Process Engineering, Equipment Engineering, IT, Software Development, and external vendors to troubleshoot and resolve manufacturing system issues.
• Participate in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for critical or recurring production incidents and assist in identifying corrective and preventive actions.
• Participate in after-hours or on-call support for critical production issues, as required by manufacturing operations.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Automation, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Minimum 1 year of relevant work experience.
• Strong working knowledge of SQL and relational databases, including the ability to write and execute SQL queries for troubleshooting, data validation, and production issue investigation.
• Experience troubleshooting software applications using logs, database records, transaction history, error messages, and diagnostic tools.
• Experience supporting Windows-based applications and Windows Services.
• Understanding of client/server architecture, system interfaces, networking concepts, and application-to-application communication.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong technical documentation skills, including the ability to create troubleshooting guides, SOPs, work instructions, and Knowledge Base articles.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work effectively with Production, Engineering, IT, Software Development, and other cross-functional teams.
• Ability to prioritize production support issues, document findings accurately, and recognize when an issue requires escalation.

Preferred

• Experience supporting MES or other manufacturing software applications.
• Experience with EAP and equipment-to-host integration.
• Experience with SECS/GEM communication and troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with RMS, FDC, WMS, equipment interfaces, barcode/label systems, or other factory automation applications.
• Experience with Microsoft SQL Server and SSMS.
• Experience troubleshooting integrations among equipment, EAP, MES, databases, and other manufacturing systems.
• Basic C#/.NET, PowerShell, Python, or similar scripting/programming experience.
• Experience developing standardized troubleshooting procedures or providing guidance to L1/Application Support Technicians.
• Understanding of manufacturing operations and production support processes.
• Mandarin Chinese proficiency is highly preferred.

Location & Work Environment

This position is full-time onsite and based in Sugar Land, Texas. This location has a combination of office, warehouse, and cleanroom manufacturing work environments.

Expected business hours are 9am to 6pm CT, Monday through Friday; however, this role may participate in after-hours or on-call support for critical production issues as required by manufacturing operations.

Why AOI?

In addition to competitive salary, AOI offers:

• Flexible and competitive health (medical, dental, vision) plans offer employees 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.