Operations Support Specialist - Remote

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.
This role is a hybrid role, where you’ll work primarily from PPO’s office in Waterloo Ontario.
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.
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
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, 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

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

Optimistic and enthusiastic, approaches projects and challenges with a “can do” style
Proven ability to manage technically complex and occasionally difficult customer conversations with empathy and patience
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
Available for on-call support (evenings/weekends) and international travel if required

Experience with industrial, embedded, or edge-computer systems
Familiarity with remote monitoring platforms, observability tooling, or log aggregation
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

The salary range for this role is $90,000-$100,000 CAD annually. Internal equity: 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.

PPO offers competitive health, dental, and vision benefits for you and your dependents, supporting every stage of life.

Depending on your role, you might work from home, our office or a mix of both.

Learning is woven into everything we do, from hands-on collaboration to formal training and education. P&P Optica is committed to supporting a culture of diversity across our organization. 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.