Head of Innovation & New Product Development

Ontario, Canada
Remote
Posted Sep 12, 2026
1 position

Opens an external site

Employment type: Full-time
Experience level: Lead · 10+ years
Minimum education: Bachelor’s degree
Posting language: English
Working hours: 40 hours per week

Job summary

The Head of Innovation & New Product Development leads the innovation strategy and pipeline to drive consumer-led product growth and competitive advantage. This role manages the end-to-end Stage-Gate process while fostering a high-performing, cross-functional team culture.

Job details

The Company At Canopy Growth, our mission is clear: improve lives, end cannabis prohibition, and strengthen communities. We believe that cannabis can be a force for good. We’re building a consumer-centric organization that is focused on sharing the transformational potential of cannabis with the world. We will achieve this through an innovative and disruptive portfolio of cannabis and hemp-derived products. Canopy Growth is the world's leading cannabis and hemp company. We recognize that employees are at the core of our success, and we take pride in a corporate culture that emphasizes inclusiveness, collaboration, and diversity. Our employees come from a wide range of backgrounds, each bringing their own unique skills and talents to the table, working together to continue our incredible momentum of growth. If you are interested in building global challenger brands, scaling a business, and working in a values-driven environment, we want to hear from you! The Opportunity Reporting to the President of Canada Adult Use, the Head of Innovation & New Product Development is responsible for leading Canopy Growth's innovation strategy and pipeline, driving the development of meaningful, consumer-led products, experiences, and platform technologies that accelerate growth and strengthen competitive advantage. This role sits at the intersection of consumer understanding, portfolio strategy, product development, and commercialization. Partnering closely with the Director of Strategic Insights and the Head of Brand & Portfolio Strategy, the Head of Innovation & New Product Development translates consumer needs, category trends, market opportunities, and business priorities into a robust pipeline of innovations that drive relevance, differentiation, and growth. The role leads the organization's Stage-Gate process and innovation governance framework, ensuring a disciplined approach to innovation prioritization, resource allocation, and execution. In addition, this leader is responsible for building and developing a high-performing team and fostering a culture of consumer-centric innovation, agility, and accountability. Key Responsibilities Innovation Strategy & Portfolio Development Develop and execute the innovation strategy aligned with Canopy Growth's growth ambitions and portfolio priorities. Build and manage a multi-year innovation pipeline across core, adjacent, and transformational opportunities. Identify new product, format, occasion, and category opportunities that drive sustainable growth. Partner with Brand and Portfolio Strategy to ensure innovation investments support portfolio objectives and long-term brand growth. Balance short-term commercial opportunities with longer-term strategic growth platforms. Consumer-Led Innovation Champion a consumer-first approach to innovation across the organization. Partner closely with Strategic Insights to identify unmet consumer needs, emerging trends, changing behaviors, and white space opportunities. Ensure innovation concepts are grounded in consumer validation and supported by robust insights and analytics. Translate insights into actionable innovation strategies, concepts, and growth platforms. Embed consumer learning throughout the innovation lifecycle from ideation through commercialization. New Product Development & Commercialization Lead the end-to-end new product development process from concept creation through market launch. Oversee concept screening, feasibility assessment, business case development, product development, and launch readiness. Collaborate with Product Development, Operations, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Marketing teams to deliver successful innovation launches. Ensure innovations provide meaningful consumer benefits and create sustainable competitive differentiation. Monitor post-launch performance and drive continuous improvement of innovation outcomes. Platform Technologies & Future Growth Opportunities Identify and develop scalable platform technologies and innovation capabilities that can be leveraged across brands, product categories, and business units. Evaluate emerging technologies, formulations, delivery systems, ingredients, and product formats that enhance consumer experiences and create competitive advantage. Lead assessments of external partnerships, licensing opportunities, and innovation ecosystems that expand organizational capabilities. Develop future-focused innovation roadmaps that support long-term growth and category leadership. Drive exploration of adjacent opportunities informed by evolving consumer needs and market trends. Stage-Gate Leadership & Innovation Governance Own and lead Canopy Growth's Stage-Gate innovation process. Establish clear governance, milestones, decision criteria, and accountability across all innovation initiatives. Lead cross-functional innovation reviews and portfolio prioritization discussions. Ensure innovation resources are allocated to the highest-value opportunities. Continuously improve innovation processes, tools, and ways of working to increase effectiveness and speed-to-market. Cross-Functional Leadership Align stakeholders around innovation priorities and growth opportunities. Influence executive decision-making through fact-based recommendations and compelling business cases. Foster collaboration across functions to accelerate innovation and improve execution. Team Leadership & Capability Building Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Innovation & New Product Development team. Create a culture of curiosity, experimentation, accountability, and consumer obsession. Coach and develop team members to strengthen innovation, commercialization, and strategic thinking capabilities. Establish clear objectives, performance expectations, and development plans. Elevate innovation capabilities across the broader organization through best practices, education, and cross-functional engagement. Qualifications Education Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Science, Engineering, Product Development, or a related field. MBA or advanced degree considered an asset. Experience 10+ years of progressive experience in innovation, new product development, brand management, portfolio strategy, commercialization, or related disciplines. Proven track record of identifying, developing, and launching successful consumer products. Experience leading innovation pipelines and managing cross-functional commercialization efforts. Demonstrated success operating within a Stage-Gate or similar innovation framework. Experience building and leading high-performing teams. Experience in cannabis, consumer packaged goods, beverage alcohol, food and beverage, wellness, or similarly regulated consumer industries preferred. Key Competencies Consumer-Centric Innovation Strategic & Growth-Oriented Thinking Portfolio & Pipeline Management Stage-Gate Leadership Insights-Driven Decision Making Commercial Acumen White Space Identification Cross-Functional Influence Executive Communication & Storytelling Team Leadership & Talent Development Change Leadership & Organizational Agility Other Details This is a full-time, remote-first position based out of Ontario. Benefits – extended health and dental coverage, paid vacation, and participation in our employer-supported retirement savings program #LI-Remote We appreciate your interest, and promise to review all applications, but we will only be contacting those who best fit the requirements. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require accommodation, please notify your Talent Acquisition Partner. Please note, the chosen applicant will be required to successfully complete background and reference checks. Recruitment Process: All applications for this role are reviewed manually; no AI-based screening or ranking tools are used. This post is for an existing vacancy.

What you’ll do

Requirements

Candidates must have 10+ years of progressive experience in innovation, product development, or brand management within consumer-facing industries. A bachelor's degree is required, with an MBA or advanced degree considered a strong asset.