Product Lead Engineer in Mississauga

Polar Racking Inc. is a trusted leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of innovative solar mounting solutions, proudly serving customers across North America. We are committed to delivering high-performance, site-specific solar mounting systems that empower our clients to harness clean energy with confidence.

We are looking for a Product Lead Engineer to own and drive the design, performance, and continuous improvement of our solar carport product line. This is a hands-on structural engineering leadership role for someone who wants to build the best solar carport system in the industry — from concept through structural certification to cost-optimized manufacturing.

You will be the technical owner of the solar carport product: setting the engineering direction, leading cross-functional design efforts, and applying rigorous Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE) discipline to maximize performance while driving down cost and complexity.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the engineering lead and technical owner for the solar carport product line, from concept through production release.
• Lead both ongoing projects and new project development simultaneously, prioritizing effectively across a live project portfolio.
• Define and drive the product roadmap in partnership with sales, operations, and manufacturing to keep Polar's carport offering ahead of competitors.
• Set structural design standards, tolerances, and quality benchmarks for the product family.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for customers on carport projects — reviewing requirements, answering technical questions, and presenting design solutions.
• Work closely with designers/drafters to translate structural concepts into detailed, buildable drawings and BOMs.
• Travel to project sites as needed (approximately 5-10%) to support design validation, installation support, and troubleshooting.
• Design and analyze steel/aluminum solar carport structures, including columns, beams, cantilevers, and foundations, for wind, snow, seismic, and dead/live loads per applicable codes (ASCE 7, AISC, CSA S16, NBCC, local jurisdictional requirements).
• Perform and review structural calculations, finite element analysis (FEA), and connection design.
• Oversee Professional Engineer (PE/P.Eng.) stamped drawings and coordinate with third-party engineers-of-record as needed across USA and Canada jurisdictions.
• Ensure designs are buildable, code-compliant, and optimized for real-world installation conditions.

VAVE & Cost Optimization

• Lead Value Analysis / Value Engineering initiatives to reduce material usage, simplify fabrication, and lower installed cost without compromising structural performance or durability.
• Continuously benchmark designs against competitors and identify opportunities to improve strength-to-weight ratio, part count, and manufacturability.
• Partner with procurement and manufacturing to evaluate alternative materials, coatings, and fabrication methods.

Design Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead the end-to-end design process, coordinating with drafters, manufacturing engineers, project managers, and installation teams.
• Champion Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles throughout development.
• Review and approve shop drawings, BOMs, and installation guides.
• Support sales and pre-construction teams with technical input on bids and custom site configurations.
• Drive prototyping, load testing, and field validation of new designs and revisions.
• Investigate and resolve field issues, feeding lessons learned back into the design standard.
• Stay current on industry codes, competitor products, and emerging solar mounting technology.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Structural, Civil, or Mechanical Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng.) license, or ability to obtain licensure, required.
• 5+ years of structural engineering experience, ideally including racking, canopy, carport, or similar steel structure design.
• Demonstrated, hands-on VAVE (Value Analysis / Value Engineering) experience with measurable cost or performance outcomes.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant structural codes (ASCE 7, AISC 360, CSA S16, NBCC, IBC) and wind/snow/seismic load analysis.
• Proficiency with structural analysis and design software (e.g., RISA, SAP2000, STAAD, or similar) and FEA tools.
• Experience with CAD/BIM tools (AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, or SolidWorks).
• Proven ability to lead a design effort end-to-end and take ownership of a product's success.
• Highly motivated, detail-oriented, and comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy and accountability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate technical detail for non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with solar carport, ground-mount racking, or parking structure design.
• Familiarity with galvanized/coated steel and aluminum extrusion design considerations.
• Experience working across both US and Canadian codes and jurisdictions.
• Background in DFM/DFA and lean manufacturing principles.
• Experience managing external EOR (Engineer of Record) relationships and permitting processes.

What Success Looks Like

• Polar's solar carport product is recognized in the industry for structural efficiency, ease of installation, and total installed cost.
• A steady cadence of VAVE-driven improvements measurably reduces cost and material usage year over year.
• Design issues are caught and resolved before they reach the field; field issues are rare and quickly closed out.
• Cross-functional teams look to you as the clear technical authority and driving force behind the product.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary, bonus and benefits package.
• Opportunity to lead innovative projects in the growing renewable energy industry.
• Collaborative and supportive team environment with access to cutting-edge tools and technology.
• Career growth potential within a dynamic, forward-thinking company.

Polar Racking Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.