Canadian Tire

Principal Product Developer (Backyard Living, Style & Home)

Canadian Tire$64K — $106K *
Retail & Consumer Goods
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Undergraduate degree in Industrial Design or related field
  • 5+ years in a product development role
  • Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and 3D modeling (SolidWorks)
  • Strong commercial thinking alongside creativity
  • Passion for outdoor living products and design trends
  • Strong teamwork and influencing skills across teams
  • Expertise in product development processes and materials

Responsibilities

  • Develop design-led product assortments for Backyard Living categories
  • Translate customer insights into cohesive product collections
  • Create product concepts using sketches and technical packages
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams for timely product launches
  • Communicate with manufacturing partners to maintain design intent
  • Contribute to the entire product lifecycle from concept to execution
  • Conduct market research to identify opportunities and improvements

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefits and retirement programs
  • Performance incentives
  • Continuing Education Programs
  • Career growth opportunities
  • Product discounts
  • Additional perks to support well-being
Full Job Description
What You'll Do:
The Principal Product Developer is part of a highly motivated team of designers and product developers. You will support the development of design-led assortments across Backyard Living-including patio furniture, gazebos/pergolas, outdoor lighting, tabletop, décor, and textiles. You are recognized for translating customer insights and category strategy into cohesive, trend-forward collections that deliver strong visual impact, commercial performance, and speed-to-market.

In this role, you will play a critical part in shaping the product vision-from early concept through to final execution. Guided by consumer-centric insights and strong cross-functional collaboration, you will help inform assortment strategies and contribute across the full development process-from stakeholder storytelling and concept creation to technical package development and sample review.

You thrive at the intersection of creativity and execution, balancing style, performance, quality, and value to create products that resonate with customers and support strong business results.
  • Support the development of trend-driven, design-forward assortments across multiple categories within Backyard Living.
  • Translate category strategy and customer insights into cohesive product collections with strong storytelling.
  • Communicate product concepts through sketches, photorealistic renderings, and technical specification packages, ensuring products deliver on-brand.
  • Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Category Business Manager (Buyer), Brand, Quality, and our Pacific Rim Office, to ensure timely and successful product launches.
  • Communicate with manufacturing partners and ensure they deliver on the design intent and quality expectations set forth in your technical specifications.
  • Contribute across the full product lifecycle-from concept creation and technical package development to sample review and final execution.
  • Help elevate product quality, aesthetics, and innovation while maintaining a strong focus on cost and speed-to-market.
  • Conduct market research to identify new opportunities and improvements for existing products suitable for our target customers across multiple banners.
  • Proactively ensure that the entire product lifecycle from planning to execution and post-launch analysis runs smoothly.
  • Ensure your projects are engineered to meet or exceed cost targets and financial objectives.
  • Gather post-launch feedback for continuous improvement.
  • Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations with the support of Quality counterparts.


What You Bring:
  • Undergraduate degree in Industrial Design or a related field.
  • Minimum 5 years of experience in a product development role.
  • Strong expertise in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop), with additional experience in 3D modeling (SolidWorks).
  • Proven ability to balance creativity with commercial thinking and executional excellence.
  • A passion for furniture design, décor, and outdoor living design, with a strong point of view on trends, colour, materials, and finishes.
  • Strong collaboration and influencing skills across cross-functional teams.
  • Expertise in product development processes, materials, and construction.
  • A customer-first mindset, with the ability to translate insights into impactful product solutions
  • Familiarity with common manufacturing techniques, including injection and compression molding, high-frequency welding, cut-and-sew, screen printing, embroidery, etc.
  • Willingness and capability for hands-on work, such as assembling, disassembling, moving, and lifting furniture and gazebos for the purpose of product review, benchmarking, and sample management.
  • Proactive and passionate approach to driving fresh, innovative thinking from product concept to final execution.
  • The ability to keep ego in check, while collaborating with our dynamic cross-functional teams to achieve business goals.
  • Strong presentation and speaking skills-able to present and sell to all levels of the organization, as well as to the customer, while communicating a clear and inspiring vision.
  • The ability to precisely communicate and negotiate time frames verbally and in writing.
  • Demonstrated collaboration, interpersonal influence, and teamwork skills (maintains effective communication and working relationships).
  • Results-oriented while exhibiting great energy and resourcefulness.
  • Self-starter who brings passion, enthusiasm and focus to each project.
  • Exceptional project planning, organizational, and time management skills, with a high level of initiative and attention to detail.
  • Strong analytical skills and data-driven thinking.
  • Team player - you like working with people and people like working with you; you do what needs to be done to strive for a common goal.
  • Able to manage deadlines, be flexible with change, and drive timely resolution.
  • Ability to travel domestically and internationally to trade shows for market research and to various manufacturing partners to participate in on-site engineering builds.


We're always looking for great talent! In addition to competitive pay, we offer:
  • Comprehensive benefits and retirement programs
  • Performance incentives, Continuing Education Programs
  • Other perks to support your well-being
  • Career growth opportunities and product discounts


Broadband Salary Range: $64,000 - $106,000 CAD.
Our typical hiring range is between $64,000 and $85,000 CAD. Salary decisions are also dependent on other factors such as your experience, industry benchmarks, internal equity and other role-specific requirements. For critical roles, the compensation offering will be reviewed to ensure alignment with market rate and conditions and the unique value you bring to the role.

#LI-AK1

This posting represents an existing vacancy within our organization.

We may use artificial intelligence tools as part of our recruitment process to assist in the initial screening of resumes. All hiring decisions, including candidate evaluation, selection, and disposition, are made by human recruiters.

About Canadian Tire

Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited is a Canadian retail company which sells a wide range of automotive, hardware, sports and leisure, and home products. Some stores also sell toys and food products. It operates through a network of more than 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets across Canada. The company was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.
Learn more about Canadian Tire
Size
13,435 employees
Industry
Founded
1922
NASDAQ

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