Director, Hardware Engineering and Design - Waterloo

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 ...

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 $140,000 - $180,000 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 current vacancy within our hardware team.

The Director of Hardware Engineering and Design leads the hardware engineering department, serving as a key executive driver for strategic growth, innovation, and operational excellence.

This role encompasses the full product lifecycle, from partnering with customers and stakeholders to define the product strategy and technical roadmaps, to directing the engineering of new hardware solutions from conception through production.

The Director is responsible for designing, building, and managing operational processes, policies, and resources, ensuring products meet the highest standards of functionality and design, and that PPO delivers its hardware solutions safely, on time, and on budget.

Furthermore, this role requires leading and developing a high-performance engineering team, proactively engaging with AI technologies to coach team members and enhance productivity, and maintaining a culture of continuous improvement and customer success.

Success relies on strategic planning and close cross-functional collaboration with other leadership and functional teams (such as Product Management, Operations, Sales, and Finance) to align hardware initiatives with overall business objectives

Strategic Leadership

In this role, your responsibilities and duties will include:

Develop and implement strategic plans to advance the company's mission and objectives and to promote revenue, profitability, and growth as an organization.

Oversee company operations to ensure production safety, efficiency, quality, service, and cost-effective management of resources.

AI Leadership

Proactively leads and engages with AI technologies, rapidly acquires and applies new skills, and demonstrates adaptability in a fast-changing environment.

Coaches team members on effective AI tool usage, identifies opportunities for AI integration within team workflows, and fosters a culture of AI adoption and continuous learning.

Recommends AI-driven initiatives to enhance productivity and innovation within functional areas.

Product Strategy And Roadmap

Partner with key stakeholders at PPO and learn from customers to define product opportunities, prioritize features, and translate product requirements into technical roadmaps.

Customer-focused Feature Analysis

Gather and analyze feedback from customers and end-users to identify pain points, feature requests and areas for improvement. Build a thorough understanding of meat-processing plant operations to identify key areas for improvements.

Team Management And Development

Lead, motivate, and develop a high-performance engineering team; hire and retain top talent.
Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality.

Engineering Leadership

Direct the engineering of new products, from conception through production.
Ensure that design and development projects meet appropriate technical standards and fit with the company's technology and product roadmap.
Ensure the full documentation of all designs, BOM's and costs associated with all Hardware solutions

Cross-functional Collaboration

Collaborate with other departments (such as Product Management, Marketing, and Operations) to oversee the delivery of fully integrated hardware solutions to market.

Work closely with Sales and Support to define and deliver new products and enhancements.
Work Closely with finance to ensure integrated financial tracking and reporting

Budget Management

Prepare and manage the budget for the hardware engineering department to maximize productivity and minimize costs.
Ensure financial targets and other agreed targets are met in all departments.

Innovation And Research

Stay abreast of emerging technology trends and their potential application to the product offerings.
Encourage innovation, new product ideation, and various research and development activities.
Create and maintain a culture of customer success and continuous improvement

You at PPO

You are a thoughtful and hands-on leader who enjoys building strong teams and delivering complex hardware solutions that create real impact for customers.

You bring both strategic perspective and operational discipline, and you are comfortable guiding products from early concept through production and continuous improvement.

You collaborate naturally across functions, communicate clearly, and take ownership of outcomes.

You are curious about new technologies including AI and are motivated to help teams work smarter while maintaining high standards for safety, quality, and performance.

You care about building a culture where people grow, ideas are welcomed, and customers succeed.

Skills & Experience

Proven experience in a senior hardware engineering role, managing multifunctional engineering teams.
Strong understanding of complex hardware systems (mechanical, electrical 7 PLC automation), product design, and development.
Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Experience in strategic planning and execution.
Knowledge of contracting, negotiating, and change management.
Experience in formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures.
Ability to develop financial plans and manage resources.
Analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering; an MBA is advantageous.

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.