Senior Industrial Designer - Retail Displays at PCL Graphics

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