Product Developer, Cannabis Innovations

The Opportunity

The Product Developer, Cannabis Innovations is responsible for developing and commercializing innovative cannabis products across key growth categories, including vapes, extracts, infused pre-rolls (IPRs), and edibles. This role is the bridge between innovation strategy and product execution, transforming consumer-led opportunities into commercially viable products that deliver meaningful consumer benefits and drive portfolio growth.

Working closely with the Head of Innovation & New Product Development, Innovation Manager, Strategic Insights, and Brand & Portfolio Strategy teams, the Product Developer brings concepts to life through prototype development, product testing, formulation refinement, and commercialization support. The role combines hands-on product development with cross-functional collaboration, ensuring products are feasible, differentiated, and launch-ready.

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable working in a lab, kitchen, or development environment as they are working with manufacturing partners, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to deliver successful product launches.

Key Responsibilities

Product Development & Prototyping

• Develop and refine new cannabis products across vape, extract, infused pre-roll, and edible categories.

• Translate innovation briefs into product concepts, prototypes, and development plans.

• Conduct bench-scale product development and formulation activities to evaluate product concepts and consumer experiences.

• Design, prepare, and evaluate prototypes for internal reviews, consumer testing, and commercialization decisions.

• Optimize formulations, ingredient combinations, terpene profiles, infusion systems, and product attributes to improve product performance and consumer appeal.

• Assess emerging ingredients, cannabinoids, technologies, hardware, and delivery systems to support future innovation opportunities.

Product Testing & Validation

• Design and execute product evaluation plans to assess quality, performance, consistency, and overall consumer experience.

• Conduct sensory evaluations and product performance assessments.

• Coordinate stability testing, validation activities, and product trials.

• Analyze results and recommend product improvements or adjustments.

• Support consumer testing initiatives and integrate learning into product refinement activities.

Commercialization Support

• Partner with Manufacturing, Operations, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and Supply Chain teams to transition products from development into commercial production.

• Develop product specifications, manufacturing instructions, and technical documentation.

• Support scale-up activities and identify solutions to technical or operational challenges.

• Ensure products meet quality, regulatory, and commercial requirements prior to launch.

• Participate in launch readiness activities and post-launch performance reviews.

Innovation Execution

• Support execution of the innovation pipeline by developing products that address identified consumer needs and business opportunities.

• Partner closely with Strategic Insights to understand consumer trends, emerging needs, category dynamics, and competitive activity.

• Collaborate with Brand & Portfolio Strategy to ensure new products support brand objectives and portfolio priorities.

• Contribute technical expertise during concept evaluation, feasibility assessments, and innovation reviews.

• Stay informed on innovation trends within cannabis and adjacent consumer product categories.

Supplier & Technology Collaboration

• Work with ingredient suppliers, hardware providers, manufacturing partners, and other external vendors to support product development activities.

• Evaluate new technologies, ingredients, and product solutions.

• Coordinate sample procurement, technical evaluations, and product trials.

• Support identification of opportunities to improve quality, performance, efficiency, and consumer experience.

Stage-Gate Contributions

• Provide development, testing, formulation, and commercialization inputs to support Stage-Gate decision-making.

• Prepare technical recommendations, product assessments, and supporting documentation for gate reviews.

• Ensure assigned projects meet development milestones and required deliverables.

• Collaborate with Innovation, PMO, and cross-functional teams to support timely movement of projects through the innovation process.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build strong partnerships across Innovation, Strategic Insights, Brand & Portfolio Strategy, Product Development, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, and Commercial teams.

• Communicate technical findings and product recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Support a collaborative, consumer-centric approach to innovation and product development.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Product Development, Engineering, Cannabis Science, or a related field.

• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

• 3-7 years of experience in product development, formulation, commercialization, or innovation roles.

• Experience developing products within cannabis, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, wellness, nutraceutical, or similarly regulated industries.

• Hands-on experience with formulation development, prototype creation, and product testing.

• Experience working across multiple product categories and managing several development projects simultaneously.

• Familiarity with innovation and Stage-Gate processes is considered an asset.

Key Competencies

• Product Development Expertise

• Strong formulation and prototyping capabilities.

• Ability to balance consumer appeal, technical feasibility, quality, and manufacturability.

• Consumer-Centric Mindset

• Passion for understanding and improving the consumer experience.

• Ability to connect product features and benefits to underlying consumer needs.

• Technical Curiosity

• Interest in emerging cannabinoids, terpenes, ingredients, hardware technologies, and novel consumption formats.

• Continuously seeks opportunities to improve products and experiences.

• Execution Excellence

• Demonstrated ability to move projects from concept through commercialization.

• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.

• Collaboration & Communication

• Effective cross-functional partner capable of building strong internal and external relationships.

• Comfortable communicating technical concepts to a broad range of stakeholders.

• Problem Solving

• Practical and resourceful approach to technical and commercialization challenges.

• Ability to navigate ambiguity and identify solutions quickly.