Cybersecurity Manager

Applied-Optoelectronics-Inc; Sugar Land (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation package within US

Immigration sponsorships

Job summary

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. seeks a Cybersecurity Manager to lead GRC initiatives in a high-value semiconductor manufacturing setting. You will align risk programs with ISO/IEC 27001, NIST SP 800-53, and SEMI standards while partnering with IT, OT, and engineering to protect IP and uptime.

You will oversee risk assessments, audits, and vendor security programs, ensuring regulatory compliance across global data flows and orchestrating incident response governance with executive stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in a related field.
• 5+ years in cybersecurity or IT risk management, with at least 2 years in a leadership role within manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, or semiconductor environments.
• Experience aligning security programs to ISO/IEC 27001, NIST SP 800-53, and SEMI cybersecurity standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance, risk, and compliance activities across the organization.
• Perform formal risk assessments and manage internal/external audits with mitigation planning.
• Establish and maintain third-party supply chain security programs and vendor risk criteria.
• Ensure regulatory compliance across global manufacturing data flows (GDPR, export controls, NDAs).
• Design and run incident response tabletop exercises and coordinate with executives, legal, and technical teams.
• Collaborate with OT/ICS to extend GRC baselines to fabrication equipment and plant networks.
• Review IAM, network zoning, micro-segmentation, and zero-trust architectures for compliance.
• Translate vulnerability findings into prioritized remediation plans for production systems.

Skills

GRC leadership

Risk management

Regulatory compliance

Policy development

Incident response governance

IAM

Network security

Zero-trust

Vendor risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Information Security / MIS / Engineering

Tools

SIEM

Asset inventorying tools

IAM platforms

Endpoint protection

Regulatory standards experience (ISO/NIST/SEMI)

Job description

The Cybersecurity Manager (High-Tech Manufacturing & Semiconductors) leads the strategic alignment, implementation, and management of the organization's information and operational security frameworks. This role bridges the gap between complex enterprise risk strategies and practical technical engineering controls. Operating in a high-value manufacturing environment, this manager is primarily responsible for Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), while possessing the technical fluency required to collaborate effectively with IT, Operational Technology (OT), and engineering teams. The core mission is to protect proprietary intellectual property (IP), secure advanced fabrication supply chains, ensure operational uptime, and maintain audit readiness against global regulatory standards.

Responsibilities

• Core Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Responsibilities
• Framework Alignment: Define, execute, and mature information security policies mapped explicitly to ISO/IEC 27001, NIST SP 800-53, and semiconductor industry specifications (e.g., SEMI cybersecurity standards).
• Risk Management & Audits: Lead formal risk assessments across corporate networks. Manage internal and external audits, compiling risk registers and mapping mitigation paths.
• Third-Party Supply Chain Security: Establish comprehensive vendor assessment criteria to evaluate and continually audit external component suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and outsourced service providers.
• Regulatory Compliance: Coordinate and ensure enterprise compliance with international regulations relevant to manufacturing data flows, including GDPR, export control constraints, and client-specific data non-disclosure mandates.
• Incident Response Governance: Design, maintain, and run periodic simulation tabletops for the Cyber Incident Response Plan, ensuring clear communication pathways between executive stakeholders, legal counsel, and technical investigators.
• Technical Oversight & Collaboration
• OT/ICS Collaboration: Interface directly with operational technology and SCADA engineering teams to ensure GRC baselines extend to automated fabrication equipment, testing cleanrooms, and physical plant networks without disrupting production availability.
• Architectural Alignment: Review technical designs for Identity & Access Management (IAM), network zoning/micro-segmentation, and zero-trust remote access architecture to ensure strict compliance with internal security baselines.
• Vulnerability Lifecycle Management: Collaborate with security operations and IT engineering to translate vulnerability scan results and penetration testing findings into prioritized, risk-based remediation plans for production-critical servers and workstations.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Security, Management Information Systems (MIS), Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Experience

• 5+ years of progressive experience in cybersecurity or IT risk management, with a minimum of 2 years in a dedicated leadership or management function within a manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, or semiconductor environment.

Preferred

• Technical Knowledge Base: Deep familiarity with network security constructs, IAM platforms, endpoint protection suites, SIEM logging architectures, and automated asset inventorying tools.

Licenses/certifications

• Industry Certifications: Professional management credentials are highly preferred (e.g., CISM, CISSP, CRISC, or CISA).

Location

This position will be on-site based in Sugar Land, Texas.

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 package available within US
• Immigration sponsorships (Must be currently authorized to work in the US)