ventureLAB INNOVATION CENTRE

o/a ventureLAB

Manager, New Products — Job ID 202431

Position Profile

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About ventureLAB

ventureLAB is a not-for-profit leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada. Our organization is led by seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders with decades of industry experience in building IP-rich start-ups, scale-ups, and global multinationals to help businesses scale. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in Canada. Since 2011, ventureLAB has enabled over 4,000 tech ventures to create over 6,800 jobs and raise more than $420 million in investment capital through our initiatives focused on raising capital, talent retention, technology and IP commercialization, and customer acquisition. Together with our community of entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and partners, we enable technology startups to accelerate the commercialization of transformational products on a global scale. ventureLAB is home to the Hardware Catalyst Initiative — Canada’s only lab and incubator for hardware and semiconductor-focused companies. 

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Our Mission

Powering hardtech founders to build and scale globally competitive ventures that advance Canada's knowledge-based economy.

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Our Vision

Born Global. Built to Scale. Inclusive by Design. Inspire a new generation of global founders who choose Canada to scale IP-rich tech titans creating innovative hardware and scale-ready enterprise software solutions that transform communities and establish a blueprint for a more sustainable, inclusive tech ecosystem.

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Our Values — Team RIVIR

• Relentless: We are tenacious and resilient. We follow through and remove roadblocks so together we succeed and go further.
• Inclusive: We are empathetic, open-minded and collaborate respectfully so that we build trust with each other and value diverse opinions, ideas and perspectives to learn and make better decisions.
• Visionary: We inspire bold futures with our founders, team, partners and community by challenging each other respectfully and thinking differently.
• Innovative: We celebrate ingenuity and empower the team to create new ideas, processes and strategies. We are curious and resourceful by asking questions for clarity.
• Results: We are proactive and plan. We are accountable and focused. We are direct and transparent through fact-based discussions.

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ventureLAB is made up of passionate, driven individuals, and is growing quickly. It is a fast-paced, flexible environment where individual contributors make a big difference and work collaboratively to achieve shared goals. We are proud to be one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures and a Great Place to Work®.

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Position Profile

Reporting to the Chief Growth officer, we are seeking a creative and commercially-driven New Products, Manager with strong leadership skills, to join our team. This role is essential in identifying, building, testing, and leading the commercialization of revenue-generating new products and services to support and expand our private-sector revenue pipeline. This is a hybrid working opportunity, and we’re looking for a candidate who thrives on ideation, customer insights, analytics,  and operationalizing concepts into real, market-ready products that add value for our ecosystem.

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Responsibilities

The Manager, New Products will:

• Lead the identification and conceptualization of innovative products and services, ensuring alignment with ventureLAB’s mission, sectors of interest and market trends.
• Conduct market research and engage with potential customers to validate ideas and assess demand for new products.
• Drive the end-to-end product development process, from initial ideation to go-to-market strategy, ensuring that each product is built to address specific customer pain points.
• Develop strategies to successfully launch and monetize products, achieve revenue targets, and build sustainable revenue streams.
• Collaborate closely with entrepreneurs, partners, and cross-functional teams within ventureLAB to foster a culture of innovation and ensure product-market fit.
• Create actionable plans to implement and operationalize new products and services, managing resources and timelines effectively to drive successful launches.
• Stay informed on hardware and deep tech industry trends.

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Qualifications

• Experience: Preferred post-secondary education in business, entrepreneurship, or a related field, with 2 - 5 years of past experience in product management, development, commercialization, or other similar roles. Experience in the innovation ecosystem is an asset.
• Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of product commercialization and experience driving revenue generation through new product lines or services.
• Leadership Skills: Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to inspire cross-functional teams, drive collaboration, and effectively manage resources to achieve product development milestones and organizational goals.
• Creativity & Innovation: Demonstrated ability to think outside the box, generate ideas, and bring innovative products to market.

• Customer Focus: Proven experience in customer-driven development, including user research and engagement to validate ideas and solutions.
• Operational Skills: Comfortable with taking an idea from concept through to operationalization, including setting goals, managing resources, and overseeing execution.
• Industry Passion: Strong interest in innovation, hardware, and deep tech, with a passion for helping entrepreneurs and partners succeed in competitive markets.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to articulate ideas effectively and build relationships with stakeholders.

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Our Hybrid Work Structure

At ventureLAB, we have a hybrid work model that balances flexibility for employees with opportunities for in-office collaboration. This position is eligible for remote work. All ventureLAB team members, regardless of hybrid status, are required on-site each Thursday and for events, meetings and other in-person activities.

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How to Apply

Apply by Friday December 6th  to hr@venturelab.ca quoting “Manager, New Products – Job ID 202431” in the subject line. Include your resume, salary expectations, and a brief note telling us why you’d be a great addition to the ventureLAB team. Early submissions are encouraged as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

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In addition to salary, ventureLAB offers a comprehensive benefits package, learning and development opportunities, 4 weeks vacation, and 2 weeks holiday time in December.

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At ventureLAB, we value diversity, inclusion, and respect. Diverse experience, perspectives, and backgrounds bring great ideas and create stronger teams — we embrace it, because we know that by including everyone, we all thrive. Accommodations are available on request for candidates with disabilities taking part in the recruitment process.

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We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only qualified candidates will be contacted.

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Response to COVID-19

Effective December 1, 2021, all newly hired employees will be required to provide proof of full vaccination (first and second dose) against COVID-19 of a vaccine currently approved by Health Canada or provide documentation to support an exemption based on grounds covered by the Ontario Human Rights Act (i.e. medical exemption).

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