The Opportunity
Reporting to the President of Canada Adult Use, the Head of Innovation & New Product Development is responsible for leading Canopy Growth's innovation strategy and pipeline, driving the development of meaningful, consumer-led products, experiences, and platform technologies that accelerate growth and strengthen competitive advantage.
This role sits at the intersection of consumer understanding, portfolio strategy, product development, and commercialization. Partnering closely with the Director of Strategic Insights and the Head of Brand & Portfolio Strategy, the Head of Innovation & New Product Development translates consumer needs, category trends, market opportunities, and business priorities into a robust pipeline of innovations that drive relevance, differentiation, and growth.
The role leads the organization's Stage-Gate process and innovation governance framework, ensuring a disciplined approach to innovation prioritization, resource allocation, and execution. In addition, this leader is responsible for building and developing a high-performing team and fostering a culture of consumer-centric innovation, agility, and accountability.
Key Responsibilities
Innovation Strategy & Portfolio Development
Develop and execute the innovation strategy aligned with Canopy Growth's growth ambitions and portfolio priorities.
Build and manage a multi-year innovation pipeline across core, adjacent, and transformational opportunities.
Identify new product, format, occasion, and category opportunities that drive sustainable growth.
Partner with Brand and Portfolio Strategy to ensure innovation investments support portfolio objectives and long-term brand growth.
Balance short-term commercial opportunities with longer-term strategic growth platforms.
Consumer-Led Innovation
Champion a consumer-first approach to innovation across the organization.
Partner closely with Strategic Insights to identify unmet consumer needs, emerging trends, changing behaviors, and white space opportunities.
Ensure innovation concepts are grounded in consumer validation and supported by robust insights and analytics.
Translate insights into actionable innovation strategies, concepts, and growth platforms.
Embed consumer learning throughout the innovation lifecycle from ideation through commercialization.
New Product Development & Commercialization
Lead the end-to-end new product development process from concept creation through market launch.
Oversee concept screening, feasibility assessment, business case development, product development, and launch readiness.
Collaborate with Product Development, Operations, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Marketing teams to deliver successful innovation launches.
Ensure innovations provide meaningful consumer benefits and create sustainable competitive differentiation.
Monitor post-launch performance and drive continuous improvement of innovation outcomes.
Platform Technologies & Future Growth Opportunities
Identify and develop scalable platform technologies and innovation capabilities that can be leveraged across brands, product categories, and business units.
Evaluate emerging technologies, formulations, delivery systems, ingredients, and product formats that enhance consumer experiences and create competitive advantage.
Lead assessments of external partnerships, licensing opportunities, and innovation ecosystems that expand organizational capabilities.
Develop future-focused innovation roadmaps that support long-term growth and category leadership.
Drive exploration of adjacent opportunities informed by evolving consumer needs and market trends.
Stage-Gate Leadership & Innovation Governance
Own and lead Canopy Growth's Stage-Gate innovation process.
Establish clear governance, milestones, decision criteria, and accountability across all innovation initiatives.
Lead cross-functional innovation reviews and portfolio prioritization discussions.
Ensure innovation resources are allocated to the highest-value opportunities.
Continuously improve innovation processes, tools, and ways of working to increase effectiveness and speed-to-market.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Align stakeholders around innovation priorities and growth opportunities.
Influence executive decision-making through fact-based recommendations and compelling business cases.
Foster collaboration across functions to accelerate innovation and improve execution.
Team Leadership & Capability Building
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Innovation & New Product Development team.
Create a culture of curiosity, experimentation, accountability, and consumer obsession.
Coach and develop team members to strengthen innovation, commercialization, and strategic thinking capabilities.
Establish clear objectives, performance expectations, and development plans.
Elevate innovation capabilities across the broader organization through best practices, education, and cross-functional engagement.
Qualifications
Education
Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Science, Engineering, Product Development, or a related field.
MBA or advanced degree considered an asset.
Experience
10+ years of progressive experience in innovation, new product development, brand management, portfolio strategy, commercialization, or related disciplines.
Proven track record of identifying, developing, and launching successful consumer products.
Experience leading innovation pipelines and managing cross-functional commercialization efforts.
Demonstrated success operating within a Stage-Gate or similar innovation framework.
Experience building and leading high-performing teams.
Experience in cannabis, consumer packaged goods, beverage alcohol, food and beverage, wellness, or similarly regulated consumer industries preferred.
Key Competencies
Consumer-Centric Innovation
Strategic & Growth-Oriented Thinking
Portfolio & Pipeline Management
Stage-Gate Leadership
Insights-Driven Decision Making
Commercial Acumen
White Space Identification
Cross-Functional Influence
Executive Communication & Storytelling
Team Leadership & Talent Development
Change Leadership & Organizational Agility
Other Details
This is a full-time, remote-first position based out of Ontario.
Benefits – extended health and dental coverage, paid vacation, and participation in our employer-supported retirement savings program
#LI-Remote
We appreciate your interest, and promise to review all applications, but we will only be contacting those who best fit the requirements.
Recruitment Process: All applications for this role are reviewed manually; no AI-based screening or ranking tools are used.
This post is for an existing vacancy.
