Purchasing Planner

APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS INC; Sugar Land (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible health plans

Employer matching on 401(k)

Generous PTO policy

Job summary

APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS INC is looking for a Purchasing Planner to be based in Sugar Land, Texas. In this role, you will manage supplier relationships, negotiate pricing, and implement procurement strategies.

The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, with strong negotiation and vendor management skills. AOI offers competitive salary along with flexible health plans and generous PTO policies.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years of working experience as a Buyer.
• Thorough understanding of end-to-end Procurement lifecycle management.
• Demonstrated success in achieving cost savings through vendor negotiations.

Responsibilities

• Sourcing suppliers and maintaining relationships with them.
• Lead negotiations on pricing and order quantities.
• Manage the end-to-end purchase requisition-to-order process.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Vendor management

Cost analysis

Time management

Bilingual in Mandarin Chinese

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain or business-related

Master’s degree in Supply Chain or business-related

Tools

SAP

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

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 are seeking a Purchasing Planner. In this role, you will be responsible for looking at market outlooks and determine when and what to buy when contracting with vendors, ordering supplies, or making a big investment in a product, technology, etc. You will also be responsible for developing and implementing short- and long-term strategies to purchase commodities.

Job Duties

• Sourcing suppliers and maintaining long‑lasting relationships with them as well as existing suppliers
• Lead negotiations on pricing, order quantities, and delivery timelines to optimize value.
• Working with legal counsel to ensure that all contracts relating to product procurement contain all details of the negotiation.
• Assessing quotes and compiling a detailed assessment of cost breakdowns.
• Generating quote comparisons and contributing to internal supplier selection based on the quotes.
• Manage the end‑to‑end purchase requisition‑to‑order process, including price negotiations and documentation.
• Serve as the primary liaison for vendors, tracking order status, resolving delivery discrepancies, and managing returns (RMA).
• Coordinate cross‑functionally with warehouse operations to ensure procurement plans support current and projected demand requirements.
• Analyze spending patterns to recommend and implement cost‑saving opportunities.
• Drive process enhancements through data‑driven analysis and best practice implementation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s degree preferably in Supply Chain or business-related
• Nice‑to‑have: Master’s degree preferably in Supply Chain or business‑related
• 1–3 years of working experience as a Buyer
• Proficiency in SAP, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Thorough understanding of end‑to‑end Procurement lifecycle management
• Demonstrated success in achieving year‑over‑year cost savings through vendor negotiations
• Sound time‑management and organizational skills
• Team player in multi‑culture environment
• Bilingual in Mandarin Chinese is strongly preferred
• Not required but will be a plus: Six Sigma/Lean Sigma, Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)

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