System Operations Support Specialist
P&P Optica
Operations, Customer Service
Waterloo, ON, Canada
CAD 90k-100k / year
Posted on Mar 28, 2026
System Operations Support Specialist
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 a hybrid role, where you’ll work primarily from PPO’s office in Waterloo Ontario.
The Opportunity
This posting is for a current vacancy within our Customer Success team.
As a System Operations Support Specialist at PPO, you are a technically skilled individual with a passion for solving complex problems. P&P Optica is seeking a dedicated System Operations Support Specialist to join our growing support and success team.
In this customer-facing role, you will leverage your expertise in Linux, networking, and programming to provide exceptional support, troubleshoot technical issues, and ensure our customers' success with our innovative software solutions. You will be a trusted advisor for our new and existing customers, resolving customer service issues, and supporting the internal teams and customers as we add features and additional services. You'll also work proactively to prevent support issues, develop reports, dashboards and software to monitor key metrics and customer health.
Along with sales and marketing, you’ll be a voice of the customer within PPO, offering insights about how our customers are using our system and where opportunities might be to expand or enhance PPO’s product and service offerings.
If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are eager to make a positive impact, we encourage you to apply! You will be part of a diverse and incredibly smart team that values a respectful and caring culture, and work-life balance. PPO is a well-funded, scaling company with huge opportunities for career growth.
What You’ll Do
Customer Support:
- Customer Onboarding & Technical Integration: Lead the technical onboarding process for new customers, integrating PPO systems into complex production environments by navigating unique enterprise IT practices, including firewalls, VPNs, and network segmentation, and designing bespoke integration approaches when necessary
- Tier 2 Escalation & Troubleshooting: Serve as the critical escalation layer between customers and engineering, investigating field problems, and troubleshooting technical issues using Linux command-line tools (grep, journalctl, systemd) and analyzing application/system logs to identify root causes and package findings into actionable briefs
- Customer Communication: Own all customer communication throughout the lifecycle of an issue
Field System Management
- Plan and execute software updates, OS patches, and AI model deployments across onboard rackmount image-processing servers at customer sites
- Maintain update procedures that minimize disruption to active production lines
- Manage hardware components, including PCIE, SSDs, and BIOS configurations as needed
Linux & Networking:
- Proficiency with Linux command line (grep, journalctl, systemd), filesystem navigation, and system management (installing, upgrading, patching software)
- Comfortable with computer hardware installation (PCIE, SSDs) and BIOS configuration
- Strong understanding of networking concepts (TCP/IP, NAT, DNS, DHCP, VLAN) and experience with router/switch setup
- Skilled in using network utilities (ping, traceroute, netstat, ifconfig) for diagnosis
- Experience configuring remote management (VPNs, SSH, VNC, HTTPS proxies) and collaborating with customer IT on network requirements
Proactive Support & Tooling
- Act as the internal product voice for PPO's troubleshooting and remote monitoring capabilities, working with the Systems Team to prioritize and improve the tools that support our systems in the field
- Push for a shift from reactive to proactive support — championing monitoring and alerting features that surface issues before customers experience them
- Define requirements, validate new diagnostic tooling, and measure whether our support capabilities are actually improving over time
AI-Driven Problem Solving
- Embrace AI tools — including vibe coding approaches — to accelerate diagnosis, automate repetitive tasks, and find creative solutions to one-off customer problems
- Drive adoption of new AI-assisted behaviours within the Customer Success function and share what works with the broader team
What You Bring
- Optimistic and enthusiastic, approaches projects and challenges with a “can do” style
- Communication: Proven ability to manage technically complex and occasionally difficult customer conversations with empathy and patience
- Mindset: Naturally inquisitive, detail-oriented, and able to stay calm under pressure in a fast-paced environment
- Experience: 3–5+ years in technical customer success, field applications, solutions engineering, or technical support
- Technical Breadth: Strong knowledge of networking (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLAN, Firewalls, and Network Segmentation)
- Technical Analysis: Demonstrated ability to read and interpret system logs and translate technical findings into clear communication for both engineering and customer audiences
- Linux Proficiency: Comfort with Linux operating systems and command-line diagnostics
- Field Deployment: Experience managing software deployments or updates in field or production environments
- Code Literacy: Ability to read code (Python/Bash) and use AI coding tools to solve one-off problems
- Flexibility: Available for on-call support (evenings/weekends) and international travel if required
Nice to Have
- Experience with industrial, embedded, or edge-computer systems
- Familiarity with remote monitoring platforms, observability tooling, or log aggregation
- Exposure to machine learning or AI-powered products
- Experience in the food industry or industrial equipment manufacturing
- Intermediate Python, familiarity with PLCs, Git (inspecting history, comparing versions, checking out branches), issue-tracking systems (JIRA), technical writing, database queries, AWS services, web application development
Compensation
The salary range for this role is $90,000-$100,000 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.
Life at PPO
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: We care deeply about the well-being of our team. PPO offers competitive health, dental, and vision benefits for you and your dependents, supporting every stage of life.
Hybrid Work Model: Depending on your role, you might work from home, our office or a mix of 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, colour, creed/religion, sex, sexual orientation, or 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.
Compensation
$90,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
