Senior Product Developer - Mississauga, Ontario

The Senior Product Developer · (NPD & Commercialization) is a senior technical role responsible for owning the execution of product development and commercialization activities from concept through launch. This position serves as the operational lead for new products within R&D, ...

Job description

The Senior Product Developer
(NPD & Commercialization) is a senior technical role responsible for owning the execution of product development and commercialization activities from concept through launch. This position serves as the operational lead for new products within R&D, ensuring that products are designed for manufacturability, packaging, compliance, and scale-up, and are fully ready for production at the time of launch.

Reporting to the Director of R&D, this role acts as a key bridge between R&D, Operations, QA, Supply Chain, Packaging, Sales, and Finance. The position is accountable for translating innovation and customer requirements into commercially viable, scalable, and production-ready products, while enforcing disciplined stage-gate execution, robust documentation, and strong cross-functional alignment.

This role is suited for a highly organized, hands-on product development professional with strong commercialization experience and demonstrated leadership capability, who can support and guide others while remaining deeply involved in technical execution.

Product Development & Commercialization Leadership

• Own the execution of product development and commercialization projects, ensuring clear scope, timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables from concept through launch.
• Lead products through all development stages, including bench-top development, feasibility trials, plant trials, and first production.
• Ensure products are technically and operationally ready for launch, with validated formulations, processes, packaging, specifications, and documentation.
• Review and validate formulations, ingredients, and nutritional information to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, clean label standards, and customer and market expectations.
• Partner with QA, Regulatory, and Supply Chain to ensure ingredient selections meet functional, nutritional, labeling, and cost targets throughout development and commercialization.
• Proactively identify technical, operational, packaging, supply, and compliance risks and drive mitigation plans early in the development cycle.

Scale-Up, Launch Readiness & Stage-Gate Discipline

• Lead and enforce stage-gate discipline, ensuring projects meet defined readiness criteria before progressing.
• Partner with Operations to ensure products are designed for manufacturability on existing and new production lines.
• Plan, coordinate, and lead production trials, and support first productions, ensuring structured execution, clear ownership, and documented outcomes.
• Ensure learnings from trials are captured, documented, and incorporated into final product designs, formulations, and specifications.

Packaging Design & Commercial Integration

• Own R&D input into packaging design and commercialization, ensuring packaging solutions are fit for product performance, shelf life, food safety, line efficiency, and customer requirements.
• Lead packaging selection and development in collaboration with Operations, QA, Supply Chain, and external packaging suppliers.
• Ensure packaging solutions are compatible with line capabilities, automation, case packing, palletization, and distribution requirements.
• Support development and validation of packaging specifications, packaging BOMs, and packaging-related SOPs.
• Identify packaging-related risks early and ensure testing and validation during feasibility trials, plant trials, and first productions.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary R&D interface for Operations, QA, Supply Chain, Packaging, Finance, and Sales on commercialization projects.
• Ensure cross-functional alignment on timelines, costs, capacity, and launch readiness.
• Support customer-facing initiatives by providing technical input, feasibility assessments, and execution plans.
• Partner with Finance and Supply Chain to support accurate costing, BOM integrity, and margin targets.

Documentation, Systems & R&D Execution Excellence

• Ensure accurate, complete, and timely R&D documentation, including formulations, BOMs, specifications, SOPs, trial reports, and packaging documentation.
• Drive consistent and effective use of ERP, formulation, and documentation systems to support scalable R&D execution.
• Work in close collaboration with R&D Continuous Improvement to identify gaps in processes, tools, and communication and implement practical improvements.
• Support SR&ED and internal reporting requirements through disciplined documentation and traceability.

Leadership, Coaching & Team Development

• Provide technical guidance, direction, and day-to-day support to R&D team members as needed.
• Act as a mentor and coach, supporting the development of less experienced team members and reinforcing R&D best practices.
• Contribute to building R&D capability, structure, and discipline as the team and organization continue to grow.
• Support the Director of R&D as an operational backup and escalation point when required.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or a related scientific discipline, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in food product development, preferably within baked goods or commercial food manufacturing.
• Proven experience leading product commercialization and scale-up in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience integrating packaging design into product development and launch execution.
• Strong understanding of ingredient functionality, formulation development, nutrition, regulatory compliance, and clean label considerations.
• Solid knowledge of food manufacturing processes, equipment, and production constraints.
• Demonstrated leadership capability, including experience coaching, mentoring, or guiding others in a technical environment.
• Highly organized, structured, and disciplined in project execution and documentation.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office, ERP systems, and formulation/nutrition software (e.g., Genesis or similar).
• Ability to work in a food allergen environment (wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, etc.).
• Willingness to support plant trials, line commissioning, and travel as required.

Benefits

• Vision care
• Dental care
• Life insurance
• Extended health care
• Company events
• Staff discounts
• On-site parking

Pay

$80k-$100k

Job Type

Full Time - 100% work on site