Operations & Quality Coordinator

P&P Optica; Southwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

P&P Optica in Waterloo, Ontario is hiring an Operations and Quality Coordinator for its growing hardware team. The role focuses on coordinating daily production activities, managing quality systems, and driving continuous improvement to meet ISO 9001 standards.

You'll work with Engineering, Procurement, Production, and external partners to keep schedules on track, ensure materials availability, and maintain product quality across PPO's manufacturing operations.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in production coordination, operations, QA or manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001 and QMS.
• Experience with audits and CAPA processes.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and root cause analysis.
• Experience with ERP systems such as NetSuite and BOM management.
• Excellent organizational, planning and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily production activities and ensure alignment with schedules.
• Manage quality systems and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead audits and CAPA to resolve quality issues.
• Develop and communicate production schedules across teams and partners.
• Maintain BOM and product data management; manage EOL processes.
• Coordinate with vendors and external manufacturers for timely materials.
• Monitor inventory and optimize production flow.
• Support Lean and other improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Procurement on AI-enabled productivity.

Skills

Production coordination

Quality assurance

ISO 9001

QMS

CAPA

Auditing

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Root cause analysis

ERP systems

NetSuite

BOM management

Vendor coordination

Communication

Analytical skills

AI tools

Tools

NetSuite

Job description

About P&P Optica

P&P Optica (PPO) is using brand new technology to transform an old industry that affects everyone on the planet: the food industry. We apply a complex and highly sophisticated mix of hardware, software and huge datasets to improve both the safety and quality of the food we eat.

PPO is on a mission to become the world's leading food information company. We are moving beyond simple detection to provide real-time, actionable insights that help food processors optimize yield, reduce waste, and ensure safety at a global scale.

We're a truly diverse team in every sense of the word, and our team is incredibly smart. Our culture is respectful and caring. PPO is a well-funded, scaling company with opportunities for career growth in every part of the organization.

If you're looking for an opportunity to tackle challenging problems that affect everyone on the planet, PPO is the place for you.

Location

This role is an in-office role, where you'll work from PPO's office in Waterloo Ontario.

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $55,000 - $65,000 CAD annually. The final offer will be determined based on a combination of factors, including:

• Relevant skills and experience: We assess each candidate's background, achievements, and demonstrated capabilities.
• Internal equity: We strive to maintain consistency and fairness across roles within our organization, aligning compensation with existing team members in comparable roles.

We are committed to transparency and fairness in our hiring process and welcome conversations about compensation throughout the recruitment process.

What You'll Get To Do

This posting is for a new vacancy within our hardware team.

The Operations and Quality Coordinator plays a critical part in ensuring the efficient execution of manufacturing operations while maintaining the highest standards of quality across PPO's production environment. This role is responsible for coordinating daily production activities, managing quality systems, and driving continuous improvement initiatives that support our growing manufacturing operations.

Working closely with Engineering, Procurement, Production, and external manufacturing partners, you will help ensure production schedules stay on track, materials are available when needed, and every system produced meets PPO's quality expectations and ISO 9001 standards. Success in this role comes from being highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive, while building strong relationships across teams and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, and operational performance.

In this role, your responsibilities and duties will include:

Quality Management System (QMS) & ISO Compliance:

• Lead the ongoing development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of PPO's Quality Management System (QMS).
• Ensure compliance with ISO 9001 standards through documentation, process management, and continuous monitoring.
• Promote quality best practices throughout manufacturing operations.

Quality Assurance & CAPA:

• Plan and conduct internal quality audits and coordinate external partner audits.
• Manage the full lifecycle of Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA), ensuring issues are investigated, documented, and resolved effectively.
• Analyze quality trends and recommend improvements to strengthen processes and product quality.

Production Coordination & Scheduling

• Develop, maintain, and communicate production schedules to align manufacturing activities across internal teams and external partners.
• Coordinate production priorities to maximize efficiency, throughput, and on-time delivery.
• Monitor production progress and proactively address scheduling challenges.

BOM & Product Data Management:

• Manage Bill of Materials (BOM) creation, updates, releases, routing, and audits.
• Maintain accurate product data and oversee parts End-of-Life (EOL) management.
• Ensure engineering changes are reflected accurately within manufacturing documentation and ERP systems.

Vendor & Partner Coordination:

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with external manufacturing partners and suppliers.
• Coordinate production timelines with vendors and support pricing discussions where required.
• Work collaboratively with Procurement and Engineering to ensure timely delivery of materials and components.

Inventory & Materials Management:

• Monitor inventory levels across internal operations and manufacturing partners to support uninterrupted production.
• Coordinate inventory balancing and material availability to optimize production flow.
• Identify opportunities to improve inventory accuracy and operational efficiency.

Continuous Improvement:

• Support Lean manufacturing initiatives and process improvement activities.
• Use data and root cause analysis to identify opportunities for operational improvements.
• Contribute to a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous learning.

AI Collaboration:

• Uses AI tools responsibly to improve productivity, documentation, analysis, and workflow efficiency.
• Evaluates AI-generated output critically, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and alignment with company standards.
• Demonstrates curiosity and a willingness to continuously learn and adopt new technologies that improve how work is performed.

You at PPO

You are highly organized, detail-oriented, and thrive in environments where coordination, quality, and continuous improvement go hand in hand. You enjoy bringing structure to complex processes, building strong relationships across teams, and ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks. You take pride in delivering high-quality work, solving problems proactively, and finding ways to improve efficiency while maintaining exceptional quality standards. You are curious about emerging technologies, including AI, and are comfortable using AI tools responsibly to improve productivity, documentation, and operational effectiveness. You communicate effectively, manage competing priorities with confidence, and are motivated by helping teams deliver outstanding products to customers.

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in production coordination, operations, quality assurance, or manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001 standards, Quality Management Systems (QMS), and Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) processes.
• Experience conducting audits and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, or other operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience working with ERP systems (such as NetSuite) and managing Bills of Materials (BOMs).
• Excellent organizational, planning, and project coordination skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple departments and external partners.
• Experience working with manufacturing vendors or contract manufacturers is considered an asset.
• Comfortable learning and using AI tools to improve productivity, documentation, and decision-making while exercising sound judgment and maintaining data confidentiality.

Life at PPO

You'll love working at PPO. Here's why:

Open Culture: Our culture is built on openness and trust. We thrive together as a diverse team, celebrating what connects us and learning from what makes each of us unique.

Supportive Environment: We value collaboration and care, from celebrating birthdays and milestones to challenging one another to grow personally and professionally. Trust, honesty, and teamwork are at the heart of how we deliver value.

Work-life Balance: We move with urgency when it matters most, but we also know that life outside of work matters too. We make sure you have the time and flexibility you need with flex days and vacation time that help you recharge and show up as your best self.

Health Benefits: PPO offers very competitive benefits, including health, dental, vision and more for you and your dependents.

Hybrid Work Model: Depending on your role, you might work from home, our office or both.

Ongoing Learning: Curiosity is one of our superpowers. Learning is woven into everything we do, from hands-on collaboration to formal training and education. We lead with curiosity and imagine without limits, encouraging every team member to keep growing.

P&P Optica is committed to supporting a culture of diversity across our organization. Our hiring practices align with human rights laws, guaranteeing every person equal treatment in regard to employment and opportunity for employment, regardless of race, color, creed/religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.