Customer Delivery Manager

Summary

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical and Radio Frequency (RF) products, including components, modules, and equipment. AOI’s products are the building blocks for broadband access networks worldwide, where they are used in the internet data center, CATV broadband, telecom, and FTTH markets. AOI is also a leader in broadband software solutions, delivering innovative software platforms that enable service providers to manage, operate, and optimize their broadband access networks.

AOI’s Product & Program Management organization in Atlanta, GA has an opening for a Customer Delivery Manager. This role is responsible for managing the end-to-end delivery of software solutions to customers, ensuring successful integration, adoption, and ongoing success. The Customer Delivery Manager serves as the primary program management point of contact for customers throughout the software delivery lifecycle, while also driving customer success initiatives including best practices, new release adoption, and feature enablement.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Delivery & Program Management:

• Lead and manage software delivery programs for customers, ensuring solutions are delivered on time, within scope, and to the highest quality standards.
• Develop detailed delivery plans, including timelines, milestones, integration checkpoints, and resource allocation.
• Monitor delivery progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies to ensure successful customer deployments.
• Manage product and software transitions from engineering to customer deployment, ensuring smooth handoffs and minimal disruption.

Customer Integration & Onboarding:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for customers during software integration and deployment phases.
• Work closely with customers to understand their existing systems and infrastructure, developing integration strategies that meet their specific requirements.
• Facilitate onboarding of new software releases, ensuring customers are fully prepared for deployment and ongoing operations.

Customer Success & Adoption:

• Drive customer success by proactively engaging customers on best practices for software utilization and feature adoption.
• Develop and deliver enablement materials, training, and guidance to support the adoption of new software releases and features.
• Gather and analyze customer feedback to identify opportunities for improvement and inform future software development priorities.
• Monitor customer health and satisfaction, addressing concerns and escalating issues as needed to ensure long-term customer success.

Stakeholder Coordination:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including engineering, product management, QA, sales, and customer support to align on customer delivery objectives and priorities.
• Communicate delivery status, risks, and customer insights regularly to senior management and internal stakeholders.

Development Oversight:

• Oversee the software delivery lifecycle from initial planning through deployment and post-launch support.
• Ensure adherence to best practices and industry standards in software delivery, particularly within the CATV and broadband industry.
• Ensure adherence to contractual terms (e.g. SLA, SOW).

Process Improvement:

• Evaluate and enhance existing delivery and customer onboarding processes to improve efficiency, scalability, and customer satisfaction.
• Implement Agile/Scrum methodologies where applicable to streamline delivery workflows.

Quality Assurance:

• Work closely with QA teams to ensure software solutions meet customer requirements and quality standards prior to delivery.
• Identify and address integration defects and performance issues in collaboration with engineering teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• 5–15 years of experience in program management, customer delivery, or customer success roles. Experience in the telco or cable industry required.
• Proven track record of managing complex software delivery programs and driving successful customer outcomes.
• Strong knowledge of cable TV technologies, including HFC networks, firmware, DOCSIS, and related systems a plus.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies and project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Trello, Asana).
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with customers, build strong relationships, and drive software adoption and best practices.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• PMP, Scrum Master, or similar project management certification is a plus.