VP Product Development

GlassRatner Canada; Richmond Hill; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Performance bonus

Long-term incentive program

Job summary

A rapidly growing consumer goods company in York Region is seeking a Vice President of Product Development. This role involves partnering with the CEO to define product strategy and leading the product development pipeline. Ideal candidates will have experience in product commercialization and strong project management skills. The company offers competitive compensation, performance bonuses, and a fast-paced work environment.

Qualifications

• Experience developing products from concept through commercialization across multiple channels.
• Exposure to plastics, molded materials, or manufacturing processes is an asset.
• Ability to balance creativity with technical feasibility and commercial discipline.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the CEO and leadership team to determine product strategy.
• Lead ideation for new product categories and improvements.
• Conduct market, trend, and consumer insight work.

Skills

Strong project management capabilities

Ability to influence internal teams and external buyers

Excellent communication and presentation skills

Strong design sensibility and trend awareness

Entrepreneurial mindset

Job description

Vice President of Product Development

Glass Ratner’s Private Equity Practice partnered with a rapidly growing, design‑forward Canadian owned consumer goods company to hire a Vice President of Product Development.

What You Will Do

Upstream Strategy & Market Fit – Essential

• Partner with the CEO and leadership team to determine the product strategy and priority initiatives ("What shots are we going to take?").
• Lead ideation for new product categories, extensions, and improvements to existing items (sizes, textures, colours, materials).
• Build business cases including BOE assessments, size‑of‑prize analysis, and share targets.
• Conduct market, trend, and consumer insight work to determine brand fit and channel fit across e‑commerce and retail.
• Bring strong design intuition and trend awareness.
• Build and manage the full product development pipeline.
• Oversee design direction including form, function, and aesthetics.
• Work closely with Engineering to define specifications, validate feasibility, and ensure manufacturability.
• Collaborate with external partners to expand manufacturing capabilities.
• Lead costing, value engineering, sourcing assessments, and tariff considerations.
• Oversee QA, QC, and compliance.

Go‑to‑Market (GTM) Execution – would be of added value but not essential

• Collaborate with all functional areas (Operations, Marketing/Creative, Finance, E‑commerce) to execute product launches.
• Lead forecasting and initial order planning.
• Manage production planning and vendor alignment.

What You Bring

Experience

• Experience developing products from concept through commercialization across multiple channels.
• Exposure to plastics, molded materials, or manufacturing processes (injection molding, blow molding, roto molding) is an asset.
• Strong project management capabilities.

Leadership & Personal Attributes

• Strong design sensibility, taste, and trend awareness.
• Enjoy working with people and solving complex problems.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to influence internal teams and external buyers.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort in a fast‑paced, founder‑led environment.
• Ability to balance creativity with technical feasibility and commercial discipline.
• Strength in introducing structure while maintaining speed and flexibility.

Who You Are

• A creative and strategic product thinker.
• A connector who thrives at the intersection of design, engineering, and market needs.
• A leader who can elevate the product function and coach cross‑functional partners.
• A hands‑on collaborator who drives clarity, prioritization, and execution.

Why This Role

• Lead the full product innovation engine at a high‑growth consumer brand.
• Work directly with the CEO to define long‑term product strategy.
• Shape products for both fast‑paced e‑commerce and large‑scale retail channels.
• Join a company with significant momentum and strong investor support.
• Competitive compensation, performance bonus, and long‑term incentive program.

If this sounds interesting, please apply or reach out to Benish Khan ([e-mail]) or Marty O'Doherty ([e-mail]).