Senior Product Developer

Makeship; Toronto; Remote; CAD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental benefits from day 1

Remote work anywhere in Canada

4 weeks paid vacation

Annual volunteer day off

RRSP matching up to 3%

Home office setup allowance

Job summary

Makeship is seeking a Senior Product Developer to shepherd physical product concepts from ideation through research, design, and development to a successful launch across apparel, plush, vinyl, and more.

You will work hands-on with cross-functional teams and manufacturing partners to solve production challenges, translate briefs into specs, and manage timelines for multiple product initiatives, ensuring quality and cost targets are met.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of product development experience across physical goods (apparel, plush, vinyl, or similar)
• Strong technical skills in tech packs, bills of materials, and manufacturing documentation
• Proven project management ability — juggle multiple product lines with timelines and stakeholders
• Experience working directly with manufacturing partners to develop, test, and approve samples

Responsibilities

• Own development of physical products from concept through R&D, prototyping, sampling, to bulk production across diverse categories
• Research materials, construction methods, and manufacturing techniques for each concept
• Translate briefs into detailed technical specs, including tech packs and BOMs
• Identify feasibility, balance creativity with cost targets and timelines
• Manage multiple development initiatives with strong organization and follow-through
• Maintain clear documentation for specs, samples, approvals, and revisions
• Partner with cross-functional teams to meet timelines and improve processes
• Troubleshoot production issues while preserving quality and cost targets

Job description

About the Company

Makeship empowers influencers, creators, and brands of all sizes to develop and launch limited-edition products that matter to their fans. Leveraging our design, manufacturing, and marketing expertise, we work with our partners to bring their products to life through our community-powered crowdfunding platform. Each product is given a window of 21 days to be funded by the community before we produce and ship to fans worldwide. We put our brand behind every product and guarantee quality and ethical sourcing.

We're profitable; we have a three-year revenue growth of over 200%, ranking us 97th in 2024 and 86th on The Globe and Mail’s Canada’s Top Growing Companies of 2025 list. We are also excited to announce that Makeship has officially been Great Place to Work-Certified™ for 3 years in a row! Learn more about us at Makeship.com.

About the Role

During this exciting phase of our growth, you’ll play a huge role in shaping our culture, our process, and the future of Makeship. Every day, you’ll collaborate, learn more about the content creation space, and watch your work impact the company and the community!

We want this to be the best work experience of your life, so we’ll pay you well, offer great benefits, invest deeply in your growth, and welcome you with our branded swag. You will also be joining one of Canada's fastest-growing start-ups!

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for a Senior Product Developer who’ll take physical product concepts from initial ideas through research, design, and development to a successful launch — working across a wide variety of product categories. We are looking for a highly organized, collaborative product development professional with strong project management skills who thrives owning multiple product initiatives at once, from concept through production. As a Senior Product Developer, you'll work hands‑on with cross‑functional teams and manufacturing partners, solve real production challenges, and bring a wide range of product ideas across Makeship's product categories to life.

Your Key Responsibilities

Product Ideation & Design Partnership

• Partner with Design from the earliest ideation, bringing material, construction, and factory knowledge to the table and contributing to brainstorming to ensure concepts are both creatively strong and production feasible.


• Champion design intent throughout development, protecting the integrity of materials, construction, and finish as a product moves from concept to sample to production.

Product Development & Research

• Own the development of physical products from concept through R&D, prototyping, and sampling to final production, across the wide variety of product categories Makeship offers, including apparel, plush, vinyls, and more.


• Research materials, construction methods, and manufacturing techniques to identify the best approach for each product concept.


• Translate creative concepts and briefs into detailed technical specifications, including tech packs, bills of materials, and construction details.


• Evaluate design feasibility early, balancing creative vision with manufacturing capability, cost targets, and timelines.

Project & Process Management

• Take full ownership of assigned product lines, managing multiple development initiatives simultaneously with strong organization and follow-through.


• Own project timelines end-to-end, proactively identifying risks and blockers and adjusting plans to keep products on track for launch.


• Maintain clear, organized documentation across projects (specs, samples, approvals, revisions) so status is easy to track at any point.


• Continuously look for ways to streamline and improve the product development process.

Manufacturing & Quality

• Collaborate with manufacturing partners and vendors to develop, test, and approve samples through to bulk production


• Ensure all products meets Makeship’s quality, safety, and cost standards at the appropriate checkpoints.


• Troubleshoot production issues, and quality concerns, recommending solutions that protect both product integrity and timelines

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Partner with Design, Sales, Marketing, Tech & Manufacturing teams to identify trade-offs and adherence to timelines.


• Build and maintain strong relationships with manufacturing partners, balancing innovation with production feasibility.


• Support cross-functional post-mortems to identify and act on process improvement opportunities.

Communication

• Communicate project status, risks, and trade-offs clearly and proactively to stakeholders and leadership.


• Present product options and recommendations with confidence, grounded in cost, feasibility, and brand fit.

Innovation

• Stay current on materials, trends, and manufacturing techniques across Makeship's product categories to bring fresh ideas to the product line.


• Identify opportunities to expand or improve product categories based on market and manufacturing insight.

What You Bring

• 5-7 years of product development experience across physical goods (apparel, plush, vinyl, or similar categories), from concept through sampling to bulk production


• Strong technical skills in tech packs, bills of materials, and translating creative briefs into manufacturing documents


• Proven project management ability — able to juggle multiple product lines simultaneously, each on its own R&D and production timeline, while staying organized and keeping stakeholders informed


• Experience working directly with manufacturing partners and vendors to develop, test, and approve samples, troubleshoot production issues, and protect quality and cost standards
  

Bonus

• Familiarity with the creator economy and merch/fandom culture, and what drives fans to connect with and purchase branded products


• Experience working with creators, licensors, or IP/brand partners to bring co-branded or licensed products to life


• An interest in sustainability, with an eye toward more responsible materials, construction methods, or manufacturing practices
  

Benefits & Perks

• Work remotely anywhere in Canada and/or access any of our hubs


• Health and dental benefits from day 1


• 4 weeks of paid vacation (including paid time off on your birthday)


• An additional 1 week of paid time off during the winter holidays


• Virtual & In-Person Social Events


• Annual Paid Volunteer Day Off


• 1:1 RRSP Matching Program Up to 3%


• $500 Pre-Tax Annual Health & Wellness Allowance


• $400 Pre-Tax Home Office Setup Allowance


• $65 Pre-Tax Monthly Phone Allowance


• Maternity and Parental Leave Top-Up Program


• Education Assistance Program


• Employee Referral Program


• Tenured Rewards Program

Salary Band: $85-95k CAD per annum. Individual salaries will be dependent on unique skills, experience, and qualifications.

Vacancy Status: Existing vacancy

AI Use Disclosure: As part of our hiring process, we may use AI-powered tools to support tasks such as application screening and note-taking. These tools are used to assist our team, and all hiring decisions are made by humans.

We are committed to fair and unbiased hiring practices. If you require accommodations or have questions about how your application is assessed, please let us know.

At Makeship we are committed to fostering an environment that welcomes people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities. We are passionate about building an equitable and inclusive culture for our unique and diverse team of employees which makes us Makeship. As an equal-opportunity employer, we value and embrace everyone's opinions and differences, and actively seek new Makeshippers who will work respectfully with our team, propelling our company and the community forward. If there are any accommodations we can provide to make your interview experience more accessible and inclusive, please let us know in your application.