Sample Manager Jobs in Ontario (NOW HIRING)

Toronto, ON
Full time
JR
What You'll Do: The Principal Product Developer is part of a highly motivated team of designers and product developers. You will support the development of design-led assortments across Backyard Living—including patio furniture, gazebos/pergolas, outdoor lighting, tabletop, décor, and textiles. You are recognized for translating customer insights and category strategy into cohesive, trend-forward collections that deliver strong visual impact, commercial performance, and speed-to-market.
In this role, you will play a critical part in shaping the product vision—from early concept through to final execution. Guided by consumer-centric insights and strong cross-functional collaboration, you will help inform assortment strategies and contribute across the full development process—from stakeholder storytelling and concept creation to technical package development and sample review.
You thrive at the intersection of creativity and execution, balancing style, performance, quality, and value to create products that resonate with customers and support strong business results.
Support the development of trend-driven, design-forward assortments across multiple categories within Backyard Living.
Translate category strategy and customer insights into cohesive product collections with strong storytelling.
Communicate product concepts through sketches, photorealistic renderings, and technical specification packages, ensuring products deliver on-brand.
Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Category Business Manager (Buyer), Brand, Quality, and our Pacific Rim Office, to ensure timely and successful product launches.
Communicate with manufacturing partners and ensure they deliver on the design intent and quality expectations set forth in your technical specifications.
Contribute across the full product lifecycle—from concept creation and technical package development to sample review and final execution.
Help elevate product quality, aesthetics, and innovation while maintaining a strong focus on cost and speed-to-market.
Conduct market research to identify new opportunities and improvements for existing products suitable for our target customers across multiple banners.
Proactively ensure that the entire product lifecycle from planning to execution and post-launch analysis runs smoothly.
Ensure your projects are engineered to meet or exceed cost targets and financial objectives.
Gather post-launch feedback for continuous improvement.
Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations with the support of Quality counterparts.
What You Bring:
Undergraduate degree in Industrial Design or a related field.
Minimum 5 years of experience in a product development role.
Strong expertise in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop), with additional experience in 3D modeling (SolidWorks).
Proven ability to balance creativity with commercial thinking and executional excellence.
A passion for furniture design, décor, and outdoor living design, with a strong point of view on trends, colour, materials, and finishes.
Strong collaboration and influencing skills across cross-functional teams.
Expertise in product development processes, materials, and construction.
A customer-first mindset, with the ability to translate insights into impactful product solutions
Familiarity with common manufacturing techniques, including injection and compression molding, high-frequency welding, cut-and-sew, screen printing, embroidery, etc.
Willingness and capability for hands-on work, such as assembling, disassembling, moving, and lifting furniture and gazebos for the purpose of product review, benchmarking, and sample management.
Proactive and passionate approach to driving fresh, innovative thinking from product concept to final execution.
The ability to keep ego in check, while collaborating with our dynamic cross-functional teams to achieve business goals.
Strong presentation and speaking skills—able to present and sell to all levels of the organization, as well as to the customer, while communicating a clear and inspiring vision.
The ability to precisely communicate and negotiate time frames verbally and in writing.
Demonstrated collaboration, interpersonal influence, and teamwork skills (maintains effective communication and working relationships).
Results-oriented while exhibiting great energy and resourcefulness.
Self-starter who brings passion, enthusiasm and focus to each project.
Exceptional project planning, organizational, and time management skills, with a high level of initiative and attention to detail.
Strong analytical skills and data-driven thinking.
Team player – you like working with people and people like working with you; you do what needs to be done to strive for a common goal.
Able to manage deadlines, be flexible with change, and drive timely resolution.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally to trade shows for market research and to various manufacturing partners to participate in on-site engineering builds.
Location: Toronto, Ontario (Hybrid: In-office 4 days a week)
We're always looking for great talent! In addition to competitive pay, we offer:
Comprehensive benefits and retirement programs
Performance incentives, Continuing Education Programs
Other perks to support your well-being
Career growth opportunities and product discounts
Broadband Salary Range: $64,000 – $106,000 CAD.Our typical hiring range is between $64,000 and $85,000 CAD. Salary decisions are also dependent on other factors such as your experience, industry benchmarks, internal equity and other role-specific requirements. For critical roles, the compensation offering will be reviewed to ensure alignment with market rate and conditions and the unique value you bring to the role.
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This posting represents an existing vacancy within our organization.
We may use artificial intelligence tools as part of our recruitment process to assist in the initial screening of resumes. All hiring decisions, including candidate evaluation, selection, and disposition, are made by human recruiters.
About Us
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (“CTC”) is one of Canada's most admired and trusted companies. With more than 90 Owned Brands, over 1,600 retail locations, financial services, exemplary e-commerce capabilities, and exciting market-leading merchandising strategies. We dream big and work as one to innovate with purpose for our customers at every level of our business, investing in new technologies and products, and doubling down on top talent to drive the company forward. We offer competitive salaries and wages to CTC employees, as well as store discounts, supported learning through our Triangle Learning Academy, Canadian Tire Profit Sharing, and retirement and savings programs for eligible employees. As part of our enhanced flex benefits program, we offer mental health benefits in the amount of $5,000 per year for benefits-eligible employees and their families, including total well-being, and mental health tools and resources for all employees. Join us in helping to make life in Canada better through living and working our Core Values: we are innovators and entrepreneurs at our core, outcomes drive us, inclusion is a must, we are stronger together and we take personal responsibility. It is an especially exciting time to join CTC and its family of companies where career opportunities are wide-ranging! Join us, where there's a place for you here.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
We are committed to fostering an environment where belonging thrives, and diversity, inclusion and equity are infused into everything we do. We believe in building an organizational culture where people are consistently treated with dignity while respecting individual religion, nationality, gender, race, age, perceived ability, spoken language, sexual orientation, and identification. We are united in our purpose of being here to help make life in Canada better.
Accommodations
We stand firm in our Core Value that inclusion is a must. We welcome and encourage candidates from equity-seeking groups such as people who identify as racialized, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, women, people with disabilities, and beyond. Should you require any accommodation in applying for this role, or throughout the interview process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to help meet your needs.
We are one of Canada's most admired and trusted companies. With world-class owned brands and exciting market-leading merchandising strategies, we are continually innovating with purpose: to excite and serve Canadian customers from coast-to-coast. We are connected to communities, big and small, from coast-to-coast, offering products and services that reflect the diverse nature of every one of them. From sports to outdoors, automobiles to homes, we know and understand life in Canada like no other retailer can.
We are always on the lookout for curious, creative people who are able to navigate and excel in a rapidly evolving retail environment. If you're ready to take on new challenges – be it in digital, IT, marketing, data & analytics, merchandising, or one of the many other roles we have – there is a place for you here, so apply today.