Senior Industrial Designer - Retail Displays
Industrial Designer (Senior)
PCL Graphics | Markham, Ontario | Full-time
PCL Graphics is a high-end print, fabrication, and visual branding company. We build real-world things: custom retail displays, branded environments, signage systems, and durable components that have to look perfect and install cleanly. Our work lives in the details, the tolerances, the materials, and the way something actually goes together on site.
We’re hiring a Senior Industrial Designer who has been doing this for years. This is not an entry-level role and not a “pure concept” position. We need someone who can take an idea from sketch to something that can be fabricated, packed, shipped, installed, and repeated consistently.
What you’ll design
Retail displays (especially cosmetics and beauty) including countertop units, floor displays, gondola features, endcaps, product presenters, testers, and branded fixtures
Sign faces and sign systems including lightboxes, push-throughs, routed faces, dimensional letters, wayfinding elements, and specialty sign constructions
Practical fabrication solutions for real constraints like:
How a sign face should be built to look clean and last
How to fold, hem, reinforce, and fasten materials like ACM, plastics, and metals
How to hide fasteners, manage access panels, and allow serviceability
How to control warping, deflection, seams, and shadow lines
How to design for installation, repeatability, and cost
What you’ll do day to day
Own design from kickoff to production-ready package
Create concepts, iterations, and final designs that are manufacturable
Produce CAD models, drawings, and specs for fabrication teams
Select materials and propose construction methods based on strength, finish quality, lead time, and budget
Collaborate closely with production, estimating, prepress, and project management to value-engineer without wrecking the design
Build clear documentation: cut files, drawings, BOMs, assembly notes, and install intent
Support prototyping and troubleshooting when real-world issues show up (they always do)
What “great” looks like here
You understand that the best design is the one that looks amazing and can be built efficiently
You think in assemblies, tolerances, and sequences, not just surfaces
You can spot problems early: fastening, access, shipping damage risk, install constraints, and finish durability
You’re comfortable making the call when something needs to change to protect quality, timeline, or cost
Requirements (non-negotiable)
Many years of industrial design experience (we’re looking for a seasoned designer, not someone fresh out of school)
A portfolio showing physical products or fixtures that were actually manufactured (retail displays, signage, architectural/fixture components, product assemblies, etc.)
Strong working knowledge of real materials and construction methods (ACM, acrylics, polycarbonate, metals, wood-based materials, laminates, adhesives, fasteners)
Proven ability to design for fabrication and installation in a production environment
Comfortable collaborating with hands-on manufacturing teams and iterating fast when needed
Software and technical skills (strongly preferred)
Solid CAD capability (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Rhino, Inventor, or equivalent)
Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator is a big plus for sign-related work)
Experience preparing production-ready files and clear shop documentation
Bonus: experience with CNC, routing, bending/folding, lighting elements, and display hardware systems
Why PCL
You’re not designing in a vacuum. You’ll be surrounded by people who build things every day.
You’ll see your designs come to life quickly, with real feedback from production and installation.
We move fast, solve problems, and take pride in doing work that looks premium in the field.
How to apply
Send your resume and portfolio (or link) and include a short note covering:
The type of work you’ve done that’s closest to retail displays and signage
A project where you solved a tough fabrication or installation constraint
The CAD tools you use most and your comfort level taking designs to production