Fractional Principal Product Designer

Gofractional; Toronto; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Gofractional seeks an experienced Principal Product Designer to lead strategic initiatives in sustainability and environmental impact. You will define product vision, roadmap, and delivery plans across complex, data-rich ecosystems to embed sustainability at the core of strategy and execution.

You will mentor design teams, establish design systems, and collaborate with executives, engineers, and sustainability leads to deliver responsible, scalable digital products and services with measurable

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of product design/leadership experience in sustainability-focused domains.
• Experience shaping product strategy and roadmaps for complex, data-rich ecosystems.
• Proven ability to translate sustainability frameworks into actionable design initiatives.
• Strong communication and facilitation skills, with experience influencing senior stakeholders.
• Experience working with agile design methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive product and experience strategy across large, ambiguous problem spaces with a focus on transforming complex ecosystems into simple, scalable experiences.
• Provide strategic leadership to align product strategy with sustainability goals and measurable impact outcomes.
• Translate sustainability frameworks (ESG, circular economy, carbon reduction) into actionable product initiatives.
• Collaborate with sustainability leads, business stakeholders, and technical teams to define and prioritize sustainable product opportunities.
• Lead the design and delivery of digital products and services that support responsible business practices and long-term resilience.
• Identify emerging sustainability trends and technologies and integrate them into product discovery and development processes.
• Establish and scale design systems, frameworks, and patterns while guiding extensions beyond existing systems as needed.
• Tackle system-level challenges – including AI-powered and data-intensive experiences – using systems thinking.
• Mentor and elevate design teams, championing design excellence and strategic impact with senior stakeholders.

Skills

Product strategy

Stakeholder engagement

Design leadership

Sustainability framing

Agile design

Job description

Principal / Lead Product Designer

Location: Toronto, Canada

Duration: 6 to 12 months contract, with potential for extension

Experience Level: 10-15 years

Role Description

We are seeking an experienced Principal Product Designer to lead strategic product initiatives in the sustainability and environmental impact space. This role will shape and deliver innovative products and services that help organizations achieve their ESG, net-zero, and sustainable growth objectives.

You will work across cross-functional teams and client stakeholders to define the product vision, roadmap, and delivery plans that embed sustainability at the core of strategy and execution.

What you will be doing

• Define and drive product and experience strategy across large, ambiguous problem spaces, with a strong focus on transforming complex, data-rich ecosystems into simple, scalable, and user-friendly experiences.
• Strategic Leadership: Define and drive product strategy that aligns with sustainability goals and measurable impact outcomes.
• Sustainability Expertise: Translate sustainability frameworks (e.g., ESG reporting, circular economy, carbon reduction) into actionable product initiatives.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with sustainability leads, business stakeholders, and technical teams to define and prioritize sustainable product opportunities.
• Product Vision & Delivery: Lead the design and delivery of digital products and services that support responsible business practices and long-term resilience.
• Innovation & Research: Identify emerging sustainability trends and technologies and integrate them into product discovery and development processes.
• Establish and scale design systems, frameworks, and patterns while guiding when and how teams should extend beyond existing systems to meet evolving product and business needs.
• Tackle system-level challenges - including AI-powered and data-intensive experiences - using systems thinking and a forward-looking perspective on how emerging technologies shape user interactions.
• Mentor, coach, and elevate design teams while championing design excellence, setting a high bar for modern, high-quality design craft, and advocating for design's strategic impact with senior and executive stakeholders.

What you must have

• 10-15 years of product management experience, including senior or principal-level roles.
• Experience with products in sustainability-focused domains, such as energy, mobility, supply chain, circular economy, or ESG data and reporting.
• Deep understanding of sustainability frameworks, including SDGs, net-zero strategies, carbon accounting, or ESG principles.
• Ability to bridge the gap between business strategy, environmental objectives, and user experience.
• Strong communication and facilitation skills, with experience influencing senior stakeholders.
• Experience working with agile design methodologies.

Nice to Have

• Experience consulting with Fortune 500 or global enterprise clients on sustainability or ESG transformation.
• Knowledge of sustainability reporting standards such as GRI, SASB, TCFD, or GHG Protocol.
• Familiarity with impact measurement tools, lifecycle analysis, or sustainable innovation frameworks.
• Background in digital transformation or service design projects with environmental or social impact.