Product Development Engineering Manager

North York, ON

Overall Function:

In accordance with the company’s growth objectives, the Product Engineering Manager is responsible for the team of engineers and technical staff entrusted with the engineering of new products, major and minor product changes to meet quality, cost and manufacturability objectives.

Job Responsibilities:

People Management:

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineers and technical specialists to achieve departmental and organizational goals.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Manage performance, conduct evaluations, and support career development and succession planning.
• Recruit and onboard skilled engineering professionals to maintain a technically strong and adaptable team.

Project Management:

• Develop, manage, and monitor project timelines, deliverables, and budgets to ensure successful and timely completion.
• Allocate and balance resources across multiple projects.
• Track progress and expenses while ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Lead project meetings and communicate effectively with stakeholders to ensure visibility and accountability.

Engineering Management:

• Oversee the full product development lifecycle including design, prototyping, modeling, testing, and validation.
• Ensure final product quality meets or exceeds performance, safety, and durability requirements.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation, drawings, and technical data compliant with ISO and internal standards.
• Proactively identify and resolve design or performance issues post-launch.

Product Development Engineering:

• Apply advanced engineering principles to create innovative, cost-effective, and high-quality products.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external suppliers to optimize manufacturability and reduce cycle times.
• Establish and verify product specifications, certifications, and regulatory compliance (UL, CSA, BIFMA, etc.).
• Support product launch readiness through testing, validation, and collaboration with manufacturing and sales teams.

Workflow Management:

• Implement and continuously improve engineering workflows and development processes to enhance efficiency and quality.
• Leverage digital tools and modeling technologies to accelerate development cycles and reduce design errors.
• Manage and enhance the ECR/ECO process to ensure proper control of product changes.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration to ensure smooth handoff between engineering, production, and quality.

Product Improvement:

• Partner with manufacturing and quality teams to identify and execute product cost reduction and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support root cause analysis and implement design changes to improve product reliability and performance.

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Product Design Engineering (Master’s Degree preferred).
• Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation or eligibility is an asset.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in product design and development within a manufacturing environment.
• 3+ years of leadership or managerial experience leading engineering or product development teams.
• Experience managing new product introduction, prototyping, and launch activities.
• Strong knowledge of:
  • Plastic injection molded products
  • Fabricated metal tubing and sheet metal assemblies
  • Welded structures and polyurethane foam molded components
  • Sewn or upholstered goods

• Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with CAD systems, modeling software, and ERP systems preferred.

Core Competencies

• Leadership & Team Development: Builds, mentors, and motivates high-performing teams.
• Technical Expertise: Deep understanding of product design, engineering processes, and manufacturing principles.
• Project Management: Strong ability to plan, organize, and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Innovation & Problem Solving: Identifies creative, data-driven solutions to engineering and design challenges.
• Collaboration & Communication: Works effectively across functions, fostering clear communication and teamwork.
• Strategic Thinking: Balances short-term project delivery with long-term innovation and organizational goals.
• Quality & Process Orientation: Ensures adherence to standards, documentation, and process improvement practices.

Physical Job Demands

• Sitting / Standing/ Walking: Frequent sitting, standing, and walking between office, lab, and manufacturing areas. Lifting/Carrying Pushing/Pulling: Occasional lifting of components, prototypes, or test equipment (up to 25 lbs).
• Reaching/Bending: Occasional
• Manual Dexterity: Regular use of computers, testing instruments, and measurement tools.
• Chemical Exposure
• Environmental Exposure: Primarily an office and engineering lab setting within a manufacturing facility. Regular interaction with production areas may be required to support product development, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Use of PPE: Appropriate PPE (safety shoes, glasses, hearing protection) when on the production floor.
• Restrictions Related to Medications (Specify)
  • Must be free from all recreational substances including alcohol.
  • Any medication hindering the ability to perform any one task restricted.