Production Control Planner

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’re seeking a Production Control Planner to support day-to-day manufacturing execution through production planning, scheduling, work-order coordination, material-readiness tracking, and expedite management. You’ll work cross-functionally with Production, Material Control, Purchasing, Engineering, Shipping, Inventory, and Global Sourcing to keep production plans aligned with material availability and customer delivery requirements.

Reporting to the Manager of Production Control, you’ll evaluate demand, build delivery plans, issue and track production orders, coordinate expedites, and confirm material readiness. Success in this role means identifying production risks early, communicating changes clearly, and helping the manufacturing team maintain reliable delivery schedules. The ideal candidate combines strong planning and analytical skills with the ability to communicate across teams, manage changing priorities, and follow production issues through resolution.

Responsibilities

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Evaluate customer demand, sales orders, and internal requirements to develop production schedules and issue or adjust production orders as capacity, materials, and priorities change.
• Track work orders and production schedules through completion, identifying capacity constraints, delays, or priority changes that could impact customer delivery.
• Partner with Material Control to confirm material availability against production requirements and identify shortages that could affect the manufacturing schedule.
• Communicate production status, schedule changes, and potential delivery impacts to Marketing, Purchasing, and other internal stakeholders, flagging risks early.

Intercompany & External Partner Coordination

• Coordinate production activity across internal manufacturing teams, overseas production sites, and external manufacturing partners to keep schedules and priorities aligned.
• Create and follow up on production orders, track consigned components and inventory, and coordinate shipping instructions when production involves other sites or manufacturing partners.
• Work with Global Sourcing, Engineering, and Material Control to resolve material, technical, or scheduling issues, following open items through resolution and escalating risks that could affect production or customer delivery.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Expedite Support

• Coordinate urgent and expedited orders across Production, Material Control, Purchasing, Inventory, and Shipping to support changing customer and production priorities.
• Identify and investigate the root causes of production constraints, including material shortages, scheduling conflicts, bottlenecks, and priority changes, and coordinate appropriate actions to keep production moving.
• Keep stakeholders informed of urgent production issues and escalate constraints that cannot be resolved through normal planning and coordination.

Data Analysis, Reporting & Process Improvement

• Analyze production, work-order, inventory, and schedule data and prepare regular reports on production status, delivery risks, material readiness, and expedited orders.
• Identify process improvements that support production efficiency and on-time delivery.
• Keep production schedules, order records, and planning data accurate and up to date across ERP systems, Excel, and related tools.
• Support additional production control and planning activities as business needs require.

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, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 1-3 years of relevant experience in production control, manufacturing operations, or supply chain 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.
• Experience coordinating with overseas, intercompany, or outsourced / contract manufacturing partners.
• Six Sigma certification or process-improvement experience.
• Experience in high-priority, or fast-changing production environments.
• Professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese

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.