Product Development Engineer

Our client is a well-established Canadian manufacturer specializing in furniture solutions for healthcare environments. With a strong reputation for quality and innovation, the organization designs and produces a wide range of products including patient room furniture, overbed tables, lounge seating, and sofa beds.

With operations in Ontario and Quebec and a growing engineering team, the company is entering a new phase of product expansion—particularly within the private patient room category—and is seeking a Product Development Manager to play a central role in this evolution.

The Role

This is a newly created position offering a high degree of autonomy and visibility. The Product Development Manager will lead new product initiatives from concept through commercialization, while also driving improvements across the existing product portfolio.

This is not a traditional people management role. Instead, it requires a hands-on leader who can operate at both a strategic and execution level—owning the product lifecycle, influencing cross-functional teams, and solving complex engineering and manufacturing challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end product development, from concept generation through design, validation, and production launch
  


• Own the full product lifecycle, including enhancements, cost optimization, and end-of-life decisions
  


• Drive the development of new product categories, with an immediate focus on private patient room solutions
  


• Collaborate closely with engineering, operations, quality, and product teams to ensure seamless execution
  


• Champion design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA) principles
  


• Investigate and resolve product performance issues, including warranty-related concerns, and implement corrective actions
  


• Contribute to process improvements across product development and engineering workflows
  


• Translate customer and market needs into practical, scalable product solutions
  

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 6+ years of experience in product development, with a strong engineering or technical manufacturing foundation
  


• Proven track record of owning products through the full lifecycle
  


• Hands-on experience working with a range of materials such as metal (including tube steel), wood, foam, plastics, and upholstery systems
  


• Background in furniture, healthcare products, or related manufacturing environments is preferred
  


• Comfortable operating in smaller, collaborative teams with high ownership and accountability
  


• Strong cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence without formal authority
  


• Practical, solutions-oriented mindset with a bias toward execution
  

Why This Role

• Opportunity to shape and launch a new product category within a growing organization
  


• Strong, experienced engineering team with a collaborative culture and high tenure
  


• Stable company with a solid market position and clear growth trajectory