Product Group Leader - Ontario - Optimax Systems

Description

Product Group Leader (Plano)

A-shift

Minimum 40 hrs/week; overtime as needed

A unique corporate culture combined with a dynamic work environment:

At Optimax, we build lenses that power cutting-edge technologies in aerospace, defense, and consumer electronics. Our optics help shape breakthroughs that benefit humanity and protect our freedom. We offer a dynamic and collaborative work environment where innovation and teamwork thrive. We are looking for motivated individuals who are eager to learn, grow, and contribute to impactful projects.

Job Summary and Essential Job Duties:

The Group Leader is accountable for the broad oversight of their department, ensuring alignment with site strategic goals and driving long-term success through people development, resource planning, and operational excellence. Unlike Team Leaders, who focus on daily execution, Group Leaders maintain a strategic view across the entire department, looking forward 1 weeks to 1 month to anticipate resource allocation, production schedule priorities, hiring needs, and equipment purchase requests.

Group Leaders balance technical awareness with strategic leadership, ensuring their teams meet commitments in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Productivity, and Financials while fostering collaboration, accountability, and innovation.

Through On the Job Training (OJT), the Group Leader will:

Broad Departmental Oversight

• Provide holistic leadership across the department, ensuring all teams are aligned with organizational goals.
• Maintain visibility on the production floor to stay technically aware while focusing on strategic priorities.
• Forecast and prioritize production schedules 2–4 weeks out, coordinating with Production and Manufacturing Managers.
• Lead capacity planning and resource allocation to ensure departmental readiness.
• Coordinate hiring needs, succession planning, and equipment purchase requests to support long-term departmental growth.

Issue Escalation & Troubleshooting

• Ensure technicians escalate equipment issues or difficult-to-manufacture jobs after 1 hour of troubleshooting.
• 1–2 hours: Group Leader and Team Leader troubleshoot jointly and engage support functions.
• At 2 hours: Engineering and/or Maintenance must be notified and engaged.
• Lead troubleshooting and firefighting activities, ensuring escalation protocols are followed and systemic issues are addressed.
• Oversee resolution of equipment issues (existing, new, and development/in-house), coordinating with Maintenance, Engineering, and Team Leaders to ensure timely resolution and long-term solutions.

Leadership & Team Development

• Conduct regular 1:1s with Team Leaders and Group Leads, ensuring coaching, feedback, and alignment with strategic goals.
• Facilitate team meetings and leadership development sessions.
• Support training execution in collaboration with Technical Production Coordinator, Engineering, and Manufacturing Manager.
• Approve PTO requests and oversee performance management processes.
• Partner with HR and leadership on hiring, interviewing, and succession planning.

Cross-Functional Communication & Coordination

• Ensure timely communication and updates to PPC and Project Managers.
• Participate in new job process approvals, ensuring Engineering accountability and Team Leader execution.
• Maintain handoff documents and ensure smooth communication across shifts.
• Collaborate with Engineering on SOP development and implementation.

Administrative & Continuous Improvement

• Streamline emails and routine communications, targeting a 50% reduction in time spent.
• Ensure meetings are efficient and outcome-driven.
• Lead 5S work cell activities and continuous improvement initiatives in collaboration with Engineering and CI stakeholders.
• Partner with Production and Manufacturing Managers to align labor absorption metrics with site goals.

Core Competencies

Group Leaders will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Takes Initiative – Courage, accountability, resourcefulness, decision quality.
• Maintains Flexibility and Adaptability – Resilience, situational adaptability, continuous improvement mindset.
• Builds Collaborative Relationships – Trust, collaboration, conflict management.
• Optimizes Diverse Talent – Coaching, developing people, building effective teams.
• Influences People – Communication, stakeholder management, engagement.
• Business Acumen – Translating company strategy into departmental execution.
• Complex Decision Making – Managing complexity, resourcefulness, decision quality.
• Future Orientation – Strategic mindset, global perspective, innovation.
• Manages Performance – Accountability, planning, alignment, conflict resolution.

Leadership Development Recommendations

Completion of Phases 1 & 2 and engagement in Phase 3 of the Optimax Leadership Development Learning Plan.

The Optimax Way

Group Leaders embody and model The Optimax Way, ensuring their teams uphold values of ownership, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer focus:

• The company exists for its employees.
• Every team member plays an active role in making us better.
• We take pride in our work and environment.
• We share in the good times and bad.
• We abhor bureaucracy but respect procedures.
• We are one team—no blame, only solutions.
• We value results over status.
• We always do what's right for our customers.
• We fail fast and move forward.

Position Impact

The Group Leader role is critical to sustaining operational excellence, ensuring production continuity, and developing the next generation of Optimax leaders. By balancing strategic foresight (2–4 weeks) with technical awareness and people development, Group Leaders drive both immediate results and long-term success.

If you require an accommodation to apply for this position, please contact our Human Resources team