Systems Specialist

OCS; Toronto; On-site; CAD 78,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ontario Cannabis Store is seeking a Systems Specialist to act as the primary business administrator and SME for Customer Care systems, supporting AI-enabled innovation and automation. Based in Toronto, this permanent role partners with IT, vendors, and business stakeholders to optimize customer and employee experiences across CRM, IVR, and related platforms.

You will own end-to-end UAT, testing strategy, and governance, while ensuring privacy, security, and operational readiness.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience supporting business systems and customer service technologies.
• Experience leading or coordinating User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
• Proven ability to translate operational needs into technology solutions.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration with IT teams, vendors and stakeholders.
• Experience with CRM, telephony, IVR, and workforce management systems is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and improve all Customer Care systems including CRM, telephony, IVR, and WFM.
• Lead UAT and ensure operational readiness for system enhancements.
• Collaborate with IT, vendors, and stakeholders on requirements and deployments.
• Monitor system performance and coordinate incident resolution.

Skills

CRM systems

UAT leadership

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Power BI

AI-enabled solutions

Education

Information Systems / Business Technology degree

Tools

CRM platforms

Jira

Confluence

ServiceNow

Dynamics 365

Job description

About Us

The Ontario Cannabis Store provides safe, responsible access to recreational cannabis for adults 19 and older. We operate the sole legal online store for recreational cannabis in Ontario and are the provincial wholesaler of cannabis for private retail stores.

Working at the OCS is a unique opportunity to be part of an agile start-up in a ground-breaking new industry. We’re a diverse team passionate about delivering a great customer experience, working together with mutual respect and building value out of our differences. We’re an inclusive organization that understands that delivering great results comes out of ensuring every voice is heard.

About the Role

We're looking for a Systems Specialist.

As the Systems Specialist, you will serve as the primary business administrator and subject matter expert for all Customer Care systems, ensuring stable operations while supporting continuous improvement, automation, and AI-enabled innovation.

This role serves as the primary liaison between Customer Care, Information Technology, vendors, and project teams, leading system enhancements, user acceptance testing (UAT), operational readiness, and strategic improvement initiatives. The position plays a critical role in optimizing the customer and employee experience across all customer-facing and support technologies.

About Your Day

• Maintain the business administration, operational performance, and continuous improvement of all systems utilized by OMNI Customer Care
• Act as the primary Customer Care Subject Matter Expert (SME) for customer service technologies, including CRM, telephony and IVR platforms, workforce management systems, portals, reporting tools, knowledge management systems, and order management applications
• Serve as the primary liaison between Customer Care, IT teams, vendors, and business stakeholders regarding system functionality, incidents, enhancements, and operational impacts
• Monitor system performance and coordinate issue resolution to minimize disruption to customers and frontline employees
• Identify operational risks and coordinate mitigation actions with the appropriate decision-makers
• Participate in governance, prioritization, and release planning discussions to ensure Customer Care requirements are represented
• Maintain system documentation, support procedures, escalation processes, and operational controls
• Represent Customer Care in all technology projects, implementations, upgrades, fixes, and system enhancements
• Gather, document, and validate business requirements and operational impacts for Customer Care initiatives
• Lead End-to-End User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for all Customer Care-related projects, enhancements, releases, and defect corrections
• Develop testing strategies, test cases, scenarios, acceptance criteria, and testing documentation.
• Coordinate test participants, test environments, defect management, retesting activities, and business sign-offs
• Assess operational readiness and provide recommendations to customer care leadership regarding implementation risks and deployment readiness
• Conduct post-implementation validation to ensure solutions meet business requirements and operational expectations
• Track project milestones, dependencies, risks, and deliverables impacting Customer Care operations
• Partner with IT Business Relationship Managers (BRMs), technology teams, vendors, and Customer Care leadership to identify and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Maintain a structured backlog of enhancements, process improvements, and innovation initiatives.
• Analyze customer feedback, operational data, system issues, and employee insights to identify opportunities for efficiency and experience improvements.
• Lead and support initiatives focused on automation, digital transformation, self-service capabilities, and operational optimization.
• Identify, evaluate, and champion Artificial Intelligence (AI) opportunities that improve customer experiences, employee productivity, service quality, and operational efficiency.
• Support proof-of-concept initiatives and pilot programs involving automation and AI technologies.
• Ensure all proposed solutions align with organizational privacy, security, accessibility, and governance requirements.
• Measure and communicate the effectiveness and business value of implemented improvements.
• Administer the Automated Reconciliation Tool (ART) and associated operational processes.
• Monitor order flow, payments, refunds, exceptions, and transaction failures across integrated systems.
• Investigate trends and recurring issues, coordinating corrective actions with appropriate stakeholders.

About You

• Post-secondary diploma or degree in Information Systems, Business Technology, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related discipline.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered
• Minimum 3 years of experience supporting business systems, contact center operations, customer service technologies, or digital customer experience environments.
• Experience leading or coordinating User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
• Experience gathering business requirements and translating operational needs into technology solutions.
• Experience working cross-functionally with IT teams, vendors, and business stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience delivering process improvement initiatives.
• Experience within retail, eCommerce, omnichannel, or customer service environments is an asset.
• Experience supporting order management, refund, payment, or fulfillment-related systems is preferred.
• Experience evaluating or implementing AI-enabled solutions is an asset.
• Strong knowledge of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.
• Experience working with telephony, IVR, workforce management, or customer service platforms.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Advanced communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 experience is an asset.
• Power BI experience is preferred.
• Experience with project management, testing, or service management tools i.e., Jira, Confluence, Service Now is preferred.
• Knowledge of automation technologies and AI-enabled business solutions, i.e., Microsoft Co Pilot is an asset.

About the Job

• Location: Toronto, ON near York Mills and Yonge Street
• Hours of Work: 36.25 a week
• Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time (Bargaining Unit Role; Represented by OPSEU)
• Required Travel: Rare, usually within the GTA
• Application Deadline: October 8, 2026

Compensation

The target hiring range for this position is $78,000 - $82,000. This is a pay grade 7BU role, with a salary range of $76,814 - $93,884. Placement in the salary range will be based on factors such as market conditions, internal equity, and candidate experience, skills, and qualifications relevant to the role.

We are committed to providing an accessible, equitable and inclusive candidate and employee experience. We provide reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process and in employment. If you require an accommodation, please let us know, we will work with you to meet your needs.