Engineering Recruiter

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.

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

AOI is seeking a proactive and detail‑oriented Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter to join our dynamic team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for coordinating all aspects of the recruitment process, including collaborating with hiring teams, managing candidate pipelines, and supporting various HR activities. The Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter will search for and identify qualified candidates for engineering and technical positions supporting AOI's semiconductor, hardware, and manufacturing operations, with related technician and manufacturing hiring as needed. Working closely with the recruitment team and hiring managers, this position plays a key role in building robust candidate pipelines and ensuring a steady flow of qualified candidates for highly complex technical and manufacturing environments. The ideal candidate will possess proactive sourcing skills, relationship‑building abilities, and the technical fluency to credibly engage engineers, technical candidates, and manufacturing leaders.

Job Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of a quality full‑cycle recruitment service for assigned manufacturing, engineering, and technical positions and contribute to recruitment strategy and objectives
• Work closely with the TA team and engineering and manufacturing hiring managers to understand specific job requirements and develop targeted sourcing strategies
• Assess candidate technical qualifications, manufacturing experience, skills, and cultural fit through initial conversations and screening processes
• Provide detailed and relevant candidate information to the hiring team
• Extend offers and negotiate compensation
• Initiate contact with passive candidates and maintain a strong network of engineering, technical, and manufacturing talent for current and future opportunities
• Foster relationships to ensure a positive candidate experience
• Stay informed about engineering, semiconductor, manufacturing, competitor, and talent market trends to provide insights and recommendations for talent acquisition strategies
• Assist with and prepare correspondence as requested
• Other HR tasks as assigned

Qualifications

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

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Engineering, liberal arts, or a similar discipline
• 3+ years of full‑cycle recruiting experience, including engineering, manufacturing, semiconductor, hardware, or another highly complex technical environment
• Demonstrated ability to understand technical job requirements and credibly engage engineers, technicians, technical candidates, and hiring managers
• Hands‑on experience with full‑cycle recruiting using various interview techniques and evaluation methods
• Proficient in MS Office applications
• Knowledge of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS); ClearCompany a plus
• Proficiency in Indeed, LinkedIn Recruiter, and sourcing techniques, including Boolean search
• Familiarity with ADP Workforce Now or another HRIS
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize and handle multiple requisitions with competing priorities
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport quickly with candidates, hiring managers, and employees
• Bilingual in Spanish, Vietnamese, or Mandarin Chinese is preferred

This position is full‑time onsite and based in Sugar Land, Texas. This location has a combination of office, warehouse, and cleanroom manufacturing work environments. Expected business hours for this position are 9am to 6pm CT, Monday through Friday.

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.