The Opportunity

The Product Developer, Cannabis Innovations is responsible for developing and commercializing innovative cannabis products across key growth categories, including vapes, extracts, infused pre-rolls (IPRs), and edibles. This role is the bridge between innovation strategy and product execution, transforming consumer-led opportunities into commercially viable products that deliver meaningful consumer benefits and drive portfolio growth.

Working closely with the Head of Innovation & New Product Development, Innovation Manager, Strategic Insights, and Brand & Portfolio Strategy teams, the Product Developer brings concepts to life through prototype development, product testing, formulation refinement, and commercialization support. The role combines hands-on product development with cross-functional collaboration, ensuring products are feasible, differentiated, and launch-ready.

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable working in a lab, kitchen, or development environment as they are working with manufacturing partners, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to deliver successful product launches.

Key Responsibilities

Product Development & Prototyping

• Develop and refine new cannabis products across vape, extract, infused pre-roll, and edible categories.
• Translate innovation briefs into product concepts, prototypes, and development plans.
• Conduct bench-scale product development and formulation activities to evaluate product concepts and consumer experiences.
• Design, prepare, and evaluate prototypes for internal reviews, consumer testing, and commercialization decisions.
• Optimize formulations, ingredient combinations, terpene profiles, infusion systems, and product attributes to improve product performance and consumer appeal.
• Assess emerging ingredients, cannabinoids, technologies, hardware, and delivery systems to support future innovation opportunities.

Product Testing & Validation

• Design and execute product evaluation plans to assess quality, performance, consistency, and overall consumer experience.
• Conduct sensory evaluations and product performance assessments.
• Coordinate stability testing, validation activities, and product trials.
• Analyze results and recommend product improvements or adjustments.
• Support consumer testing initiatives and integrate learning into product refinement activities.

Commercialization Support

• Partner with Manufacturing, Operations, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and Supply Chain teams to transition products from development into commercial production.
• Develop product specifications, manufacturing instructions, and technical documentation.
• Support scale-up activities and identify solutions to technical or operational challenges.
• Ensure products meet quality, regulatory, and commercial requirements prior to launch.
• Participate in launch readiness activities and post-launch performance reviews.

Innovation Execution

• Support execution of the innovation pipeline by developing products that address identified consumer needs and business opportunities.
• Partner closely with Strategic Insights to understand consumer trends, emerging needs, category dynamics, and competitive activity.
• Collaborate with Brand & Portfolio Strategy to ensure new products support brand objectives and portfolio priorities.
• Contribute technical expertise during concept evaluation, feasibility assessments, and innovation reviews.
• Stay informed on innovation trends within cannabis and adjacent consumer product categories.

Supplier & Technology Collaboration

• Work with ingredient suppliers, hardware providers, manufacturing partners, and other external vendors to support product development activities.
• Evaluate new technologies, ingredients, and product solutions.
• Coordinate sample procurement, technical evaluations, and product trials.
• Support identification of opportunities to improve quality, performance, efficiency, and consumer experience.

Stage-Gate Contributions

• Provide development, testing, formulation, and commercialization inputs to support Stage-Gate decision-making.
• Prepare technical recommendations, product assessments, and supporting documentation for gate reviews.
• Ensure assigned projects meet development milestones and required deliverables.
• Collaborate with Innovation, PMO, and cross-functional teams to support timely movement of projects through the innovation process.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build strong partnerships across Innovation, Strategic Insights, Brand & Portfolio Strategy, Product Development, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, and Commercial teams.
• Communicate technical findings and product recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Support a collaborative, consumer-centric approach to innovation and product development.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Product Development, Engineering, Cannabis Science, or a related field.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• 3-7 years of experience in product development, formulation, commercialization, or innovation roles.
• Experience developing products within cannabis, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, wellness, nutraceutical, or similarly regulated industries.
• Hands-on experience with formulation development, prototype creation, and product testing.
• Experience working across multiple product categories and managing several development projects simultaneously.
• Familiarity with innovation and Stage-Gate processes is considered an asset.

Key Competencies

• Product Development Expertise
• Strong formulation and prototyping capabilities.
• Ability to balance consumer appeal, technical feasibility, quality, and manufacturability.
• Consumer-Centric Mindset
• Passion for understanding and improving the consumer experience.
• Ability to connect product features and benefits to underlying consumer needs.
• Technical Curiosity
• Interest in emerging cannabinoids, terpenes, ingredients, hardware technologies, and novel consumption formats.
• Continuously seeks opportunities to improve products and experiences.
• Execution Excellence
• Demonstrated ability to move projects from concept through commercialization.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Collaboration & Communication
• Effective cross-functional partner capable of building strong internal and external relationships.
• Comfortable communicating technical concepts to a broad range of stakeholders.
• Problem Solving
• Practical and resourceful approach to technical and commercialization challenges.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and identify solutions quickly.

Other Details

This is a full-time, on-site position based out of Pointe-Claire, QC or Smiths Falls, ON.

Salary range - $80,000 - $105,000

Benefits - extended health and dental coverage, paid vacation, and participation in our employer-supported retirement savings program

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.