Senior Quality Assurance Specialist

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 Senior Quality Assurance (QA) Specialist to oversee the quality programs for Cannabis and verify that products meet regulatory and OCS requirements. In this role you will drive the Standardization of Processes (SOPs) and support continuous improvement initiatives to promote quality excellence and reliable execution. You will also leverage strong vendor management, relationship building and clear communication skills to ensure that products are safe and compliant to base requirements before release. You’ll leverage your knowledge of regulatory guidelines, corporate standards, and industry best practices to conduct risk assessments and inspections, review technical documentation, and analyze risk-based trends. You’ll also play a key role in establishing and maintaining quality standards and procedures that support the success of OCS, vendors, and private retailers. About Your Day Vendor Engagement & Compliance Engage with OCS vendors to increase awareness and maintain conformance of quality and safety requirements through complaints investigation and supplier corrective actions response management. Ensure timely closures of customer complaints and supplier corrective actions reports to meet departmental timeline objectives. Participate in root cause investigations (5-Whys, Fishbone) and help drive Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) to closure. Conduct structured vendor and internal team performance reviews to evaluate adherence to quality KPIs, operational effectiveness, and continuous improvement goals. Use data-driven dashboards and quality scorecards to track trends, identify high-risk vendors, and prioritize corrective actions. Facilitate performance feedback sessions with vendors, offering guidance and training to enhance their compliance and quality capabilities. Provide recommendations to management on vendor retention, development, or de-risking strategies based on performance outcomes. Monitor risk management activities and elevate as required. Coordinate with cross-functional teams for supplier onboarding processes. Review and maintain records of reported quality incidents and investigation reports. Lead SCAR projects with cross‑functional team. Quality Assurance Process & Procedure Track quality metrics & performance data to identify trends and gaps and provide recommendations for improvement. Prepare reports to communicate outcomes of quality activities. Perform data analysis to identify trends and gaps and recommend updates/changes to quality standards and procedures as needed. Gather insights from data such as regulatory compliance, quality operations, and consumer complaints to drive improvement opportunities. Analyze complaints data to identify trends and generate Quality Performance Reports. Manage CRM Share Point and various other repositories utilized for data. Ensure that all technical documents in use are current and all master documents are controlled and secured in accordance with Good Documentation Practices (GDP). Support and draft Quality Assurance policies and procedures. Coordinate and support vendor performance reviews both externally and internally. Quality Inspections Identify, communicate, and investigate with suppliers on non‑conformance observations as part of quality inspection and follow up on action items until completion. Review Certificate of Analysis (COA) and applicable records for compliance to cannabis testing requirements for all classes of cannabis. Where required, initiate product HOLDS, and work with supplier for resolution. Design and implementation of inbound quality control processes to ensure all products received from vendors meet defined specifications, regulatory requirements, and internal standards. Develop and refine inspection protocols, sampling plans, and acceptance criteria, and align them with industry’s best practices and market regulations. Collaborate with cross‑functional teams (supply chain, category, logistics) to analyze incoming defect trends, address systemic issues, and implement preventive actions with vendors to reduce future non‑conformances. Regulatory Compliance Perform label/packaging review of product call submissions in compliance with Cannabis Act, Cannabis Regulations, and related regulations. Communicate to suppliers of non‑conformance observations as part of label/packaging review and work with suppliers for resolution. Assist in handling recalls and work with stakeholders to ensure containment of impacted products, reconciliation of inventory, root cause analysis investigation, CAPA, and closure. About You Bachelor’s Degree in a Science or Engineering field (ex. Industrial, food Microbiology, etc.); Post Graduate Certification in Cannabis Quality Control/Assurance or Regulatory Affairs, SQF or GMP is preferred. 4+ years of experience in Quality Assurance / Quality Control within a food or pharmaceutical and/or Cannabis manufacturing environment. Training, experience and technical knowledge related to the requirements of the Cannabis Regulations and related Regulations for all classes of cannabis. Experience working in a warehouse/distribution center environment is preferred. Experience in a regulated industry, manufacturing operations, cross‑functional such as category. management, retail supply chain, customer care, project management and government agencies. Quality Management System Certification is an asset. QA work experience in a GMP environment is an asset. Excellent interpersonal, technical and communication skills with the ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with a focus on attention to detail, while working in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment with rapidly changing priorities. Intermediate MS Office tools, ERP system and Logistics applications. About the Job Location: Toronto, ON near York Mills and Yonge Street Hours of Work: 36.25 a week Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent (Bargaining Unit Role; Represented by OPSEU) Flexibility to work at the Guelph Warehouse location when required Required Travel: Occasional Travel - Ability to travel throughout the province for LP site visits as required by business needs (up to 2 times per quarter). Locations can be outside of GTA in rural areas, as such reliable transportation is required. Application Deadline: November 18, 2025 Compensation The target hiring range for this position is $84,835-$90,000. This is a pay grade 8 Bargaining Unit role, with a salary range of $84,835-$103,687. 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr