Principal Product Developer (Backyard Living) – Canadian Tire – Toronto, ON

Canadian Tire Corporation is looking for a Principal Product Developer to join their creative team in Toronto, Ontario. This is a hybrid role — in-office four days a week — focused on the Backyard Living, Style & Home categories, covering everything from patio furniture and gazebos to outdoor lighting, tabletop, décor, and textiles. If you have a sharp eye for trend-forward design and a knack for bringing products from concept to shelf, this one’s worth a close look.

Working at the intersection of creativity and commercial strategy, you’ll collaborate with buyers, brand teams, quality counterparts, and Pacific Rim manufacturing partners to develop design-led assortments that resonate with Canadian customers. The role calls for someone who can sketch an idea in the morning, dig into a technical specification package by afternoon, and communicate a compelling product vision to leadership by day’s end.

About the Role: Principal Product Developer

As a Principal Product Developer at Canadian Tire, you’ll shape the product vision across the full Backyard Living assortment — from early concept creation right through to final execution and post-launch review. You’ll translate consumer insights and category strategy into cohesive, trend-forward collections, using tools like Adobe Creative Suite and SolidWorks 3D modelling to bring ideas to life in sketches, renderings, and detailed technical packages.

Success in this role depends on your ability to balance aesthetics with commercial performance, keep projects on schedule, and communicate clearly with both internal teams and external manufacturing partners. You’ll also be expected to conduct market research, attend trade shows domestically and internationally, and actively contribute to driving quality, innovation, and speed-to-market across multiple product categories.

Benefits and Salary

Canadian Tire offers a broadband salary range of $64,000 to $106,000 CAD, with a typical hiring range between $64,000 and $85,000 CAD, depending on experience, internal equity, and market conditions. Beyond compensation, employees receive comprehensive benefits and retirement programs, performance incentives, continuing education support, product discounts, and access to mental health benefits of $5,000 per year. Canadian Tire Profit Sharing and career growth opportunities are also part of the package.

Responsibilities

This role spans the entire product development lifecycle — from early-stage concept and storytelling through to technical specifications, sample review, and post-launch analysis. You’ll be working across multiple product categories simultaneously, so staying organized, proactive, and closely connected to both creative and commercial goals is essential.

• Develop trend-driven assortments across Backyard Living categories including patio furniture, gazebos, outdoor lighting, tabletop, décor, and textiles
• Translate customer insights and category strategy into cohesive product collections with strong visual storytelling
• Create technical packages including sketches, photorealistic renderings, and detailed specifications to communicate design intent clearly
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Category Business Managers, Brand, Quality, and the Pacific Rim Office to ensure timely, on-brand product launches
• Manage manufacturing partner relationships to ensure products are delivered to design intent and quality standards
• Conduct market research to identify new product opportunities and improvements across multiple Canadian Tire banners
• Monitor project execution end-to-end, ensuring cost targets, financial objectives, and timelines are met
• Gather post-launch feedback and apply learnings to drive continuous product improvement
• Ensure regulatory compliance across all product categories in collaboration with Quality counterparts

Requirements / Skills

The ideal candidate brings a strong blend of design sensibility and commercial pragmatism, with hands-on product development experience and confidence working across complex cross-functional teams. Canadian Tire values candidates who lead with a customer-first mindset, bring genuine passion for furniture, décor, and outdoor living, and can communicate a compelling product vision at every level of the organization.

• Undergraduate degree in Industrial Design or a closely related field
• Minimum 5 years of product development experience, with demonstrated ability to take products from concept to market
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop) and 3D modelling via SolidWorks
• Familiarity with manufacturing techniques such as injection/compression moulding, high-frequency welding, cut-and-sew, screen printing, and embroidery
• Strong presentation and communication skills — able to sell a product vision to executives and customers alike
• Exceptional organizational and time management abilities, with capacity to manage multiple deadlines and shifting priorities
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally for trade shows and on-site manufacturing builds
• Physical capability for hands-on product work including assembling, disassembling, and moving furniture and gazebos for benchmarking and sample review

How to Apply

To apply, visit the official job posting using the link below. Make sure your resume is up to date and reflects relevant product development experience before submitting.

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