Manufacturing Application Support Technician

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 Technician to provide ongoing technical support for manufacturing software and productions systems using established SOPs, troubleshooting guides, and work instructions. This position is responsible for performing standard and advanced troubleshooting steps, diagnostic data collection, execute approved system checks, resolving known issues, and escalating unresolved or complex problems to the Manufacturing Application Support Engineering Team.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, dependable, and able to follow technical instructions accurately in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Strong communication, documentation, and basic computer troubleshooting skills are essential. Experience supporting manufacturing systems or production environments is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support for manufacturing software and production systems by following established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), troubleshooting guides, and work instructions.
• Perform standard troubleshooting procedures to identify and resolve known manufacturing application and system issues.
• Collect and document troubleshooting information, including error messages, screenshots, timestamps, Equipment IDs, Lot IDs, system status, and other information required by support procedures.
• Perform approved system checks and recovery actions according to documented procedures, including checking application status, restarting approved applications or services, and verifying system recovery.
• Run predefined SQL queries, scripts, or diagnostic tools as specified in approved troubleshooting procedures to assist with issue investigation. This position is not responsible for developing SQL queries or making unauthorized database changes.
• Provide feedback on troubleshooting guides and SOPs when instructions are unclear, incomplete, or do not match actual system behavior

Qualifications

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

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Automation, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Basic proficiency with Windows operating systems and Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
• Basic understanding of software applications, system interfaces, and common computer troubleshooting methods.
• Ability to follow established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), troubleshooting guides, and work instructions to identify and resolve common technical issues.
• Ability to perform approved system checks, diagnostic procedures, and recovery actions while accurately documenting results.
• Ability to collect and document technical information, including error messages, screenshots, system logs, equipment identifiers, and troubleshooting activities.
• Familiarity with ticketing or issue-tracking systems to document support requests, troubleshooting steps, and resolutions.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across Production, Engineering, IT, and Application Support teams.
• Ability to manage multiple support requests, recognize when escalation is required, and follow technical instructions accurately in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred

• Previous experience in technical support, application support, IT support, or a manufacturing production environment.
• Familiarity with manufacturing software systems, such as MES, EAP, WMS, or other factory automation applications.
• Experience executing predefined SQL queries, diagnostic scripts, or troubleshooting tools using established procedures.
• Experience troubleshooting Windows-based applications or performing approved Windows Services checks and recovery actions.
• Experience documenting technical issues, maintaining troubleshooting records, or providing feedback on SOPs and work instructions.
• Manufacturing experience, ideally in electronics, optical components, semiconductor, or telecommunications.
• Professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese is strongly preferred.

Location & Work Environment

This position is full-time onsite in Sugar Land, Texas, with work performed across office and manufacturing environments, including potential access to cleanroom and production areas.

Employees must follow applicable facility safety procedures, including gowning, personal protective equipment (PPE), and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protocols when entering designated areas.

Expected business hours are generally Monday through Friday, 9am–6pm CT. Occasional after-hours or on-call support may be required based on manufacturing operations.

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.