Purchasing Manager

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.; Sugar Land (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible health plans

401(k) matching

Generous PTO policy

Relocation package

Immigration sponsorships

Job summary

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. is seeking a Purchasing Manager in Sugar Land, Texas. This role involves establishing procurement strategies to support manufacturing plants, leading a purchasing team, and enhancing supplier relationships. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain or related field, 3-5 years of management experience, and proficiency in SAP. AOI offers competitive health plans, 401(k) matching, generous PTO, and relocation support.

Qualifications

• 5+ years management experience in procurement or related field.
• In-depth understanding of end-to-end procurement lifecycle management.
• Highly organized, analytical, proactive with strong urgency and adaptability.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement procurement strategies to ensure efficiency.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing purchasing team.
• Ensure timely execution of purchasing processes and resolve discrepancies.
• Monitor and improve freight costs and supplier performance.
• Build and manage supplier relationships for continuous improvement.
• Improve purchasing systems to enhance efficiency and transparency.

Skills

Procurement strategy development

Team leadership

SAP proficiency

Data analysis

Supplier management

Cost negotiation

Interpersonal skills

Process efficiency focus

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain or related field

Tools

SAP

Data analysis and reporting tools

Job description

Build a Brighter Future with AOI: Join Our Team of Visionaries

We are looking for a highly motivated Purchasing Manager to join our team. This role is responsible for establishing and implementing purchasing strategies aligned with company goals while supporting multiple manufacturing plants. In this role, you will lead a purchasing team to ensure timely, high-quality, and cost-effective procurement. In addition, you will work cross‑functionally with internal teams and external vendors and will be expected to challenge inefficiencies and think strategically to drive a tangible impact across the organization.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop, implement and maintain a comprehensive procurement strategy, policies, and procedures that align with organizational objectives to ensure efficiency, consistency, and compliance.
• Lead, mentor and develop a high‑performing purchasing team, fostering a collaborative, results‑driven, and service‑oriented culture.
• Oversee the daily transactional workflow to ensure timely purchasing execution (Purchase to Pay), including processing purchase requests and purchase orders through systems, confirming shipping dates and arranging shipments, ensuring invoice three‑way matching, and resolving invoice discrepancies.
• Monitor and improve freight cost, container utilization, and demurrage rates.
• Facilitate clear communication between the Purchasing department and all operational teams to streamline workflows.
• Build and manage supplier relationships and performance, including on‑time delivery, quality, responsiveness, and cost, using data‑driven insights to guide decision‑making and continuous improvement.
• Implement, maintain and improve purchasing systems and procedures to streamline requisition‑to‑pay cycles and enhance efficiency and transparency.
• Monitor and report on purchasing budgets and variances, identifying cost‑saving opportunities and operational improvements.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s degree or above preferably in Supply Chain, business administration or related field.
• At least 3–5 years of working experience as a manager role in procurement or related field.
• Proficiency in advanced SAP, data analysis and reporting tools.
• In‑depth knowledge of end‑to‑end procurement lifecycle management, supplier management, and cost negotiation.
• Proven ability to manage high‑volume, diverse categories of spend without direct supervision.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a focus on process efficiency and internal customer service.
• Highly organized, analytical, and proactive, with a strong sense of urgency, flexibility and adaptability.

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 that offer employees the right options to meet individual and family needs.
• Employer matching on 401(k) deferrals.
• Generous PTO policy, with unused PTO payout at the end of the year.
• Relocation package available within the U.S.
• Immigration sponsorships (must be currently authorized to work in the U.S.).