Product Development Manager – Edible Cannabis Products
Location: On-site in Stayner, ON
Contract Type: 14-Month Term
Salary Range: $90,000 – $120,000/year
Benefits: Immediate access to full benefits + vacation entitlement
Travel Requirement: North America & EU (valid passport required)
Role Overview
As the Product Development Manager, you will lead the Edible Product Development Team, managing internal and external projects from concept to commercialization. This role is ideal for candidates with experience in food, beverage, cannabis, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical / adhesive or health care products manufacturing, and a strong understanding of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG).
You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams, drive innovation, and ensure compliance across all stages of product development. Success in this role requires excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills in a fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities
Product Development & Innovation
• Lead development of edible cannabis formats: gummies/soft-chews, chocolates, oils, and novel formats.
• Design, review, and approve experiments, reports, and formal documentation.
• Develop and communicate new products, cost-saving initiatives, and quality improvements.
• Conduct competitive landscape analysis and share insights with business units.
Team & Project Management
• Supervise Product Development technicians and scientists.
• Manage day-to-day wet-lab workload and priorities.
• Ensure projects are completed on-task, on-schedule, and within budget.
• Implement formal frameworks for reporting, capacity planning, and resource management.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Represent R&D in commercialization processes and facilitate two-way communication with business units.
• Work with marketing and finance on P&L models, cannabinoid ratios, formulations, and cost-of-goods sold.
• Collaborate with procurement and marketing on raw materials and packaging selection.
External Engagement
• Travel to global facilities, contract manufacturers, and remote locations for scale-up and technical consultations.
• Act as lead technical contact for contract manufacturing partners, research partners, consultants, and vendors.
Compliance & Quality Systems
• Ensure traceability and documentation of cannabis inventory for development and tech-transfer.
• Oversee R&D stability testing for durable dates, shipping conditions, and accelerated conditions.
• Work with Regulatory Affairs to ensure compliance with cannabis laws and product format regulations.
• Oversee Change Controls, CAPAs, and Deviations within the Quality Management System.
Work Environment
• Frequent lab work: standing, bending, crouching.
• Office work requiring manual dexterity and presentation skills.
• Exposure to varying temperatures and occasional overtime.
• Fast-paced, dynamic setting with frequent disruptions.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in science or related discipline (graduate degree preferred).
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in product development within CPG (cannabis experience an asset).
• Minimum 4 years’ experience directly managing teams.
• Experience in food, beverage, cosmetic, cannabis, pharma, chemical or health care manufacturing is strongly preferred.
• Valid passport and ability to travel within North America and EU.
• Strong working knowledge of regulatory requirements for CPG and derivative products.
• Experience with LIMS or ERP systems (SAP and Salesforce are assets).
• Experience with QMS: Change Controls, CAPAs, DMS (Salesforce is an asset).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Projects).
• Highly independent and collaborative team player with excellent interpersonal skills.
What We Offer
• Competitive salary: $90,000 – $120,000/year
• Immediate access to full benefits
• Vacation entitlement
• 14-month contract
• Collaboration with top industry professionals
• On-site work at a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Stayner, ON
Apply now to be part of a team driving innovation in cannabis edibles!
* The salary benchmark is based on the target salaries of market leaders in their relevant sectors. It is intended to serve as a guide to help Premium Members assess open positions and to help in salary negotiations. The salary benchmark is not provided directly by the company, which could be significantly higher or lower.