The Opportunity: Design Manager
Location: North York – Yorkdale Area
Salary: 70 – 95K
Benefits: Standard
Experience: 5+ years of graphic design in fashion with 2+ years in senior management
Tony Curtis & Associates Inc. values the human connection, we do not use AI tools or automation during the screening, interviewing or selection processes.
Tony Curtis & Associates Inc. is actively interviewing for the position of Design Manager for one of Canada’s leading, trendsetting brands. With hundreds of locations across Canada this brand continues to expand and lead in all the major categories; clothing, footwear and accessories. The successful candidate will lead the day-to-day operations of the in-house creative team. This is a hands-on leadership role: you will design alongside the team while owning team accountability, workflow, and output quality. Reporting directly to the Design Director, you will act as the operational bridge between creative direction and production and play a key role in shaping design trends and platforms, driving exceptional outcomes for customers. This role requires leadership in design, innovation, excellent collaboration, and an ability to translate priorities into impactful, end-to-end experiences for customers.
You will be joining a creative department of 6 graphic designers across Ladies, Kids, and Accessories. The team operates with a seasonal cadence driven by open-to-buy cycles. The Design Director sets the strategic and aesthetic direction; you own the execution engine.
If this is the challenge you have been waiting for, we would love to discuss this opportunity further with you.
Tony Curtis & Associates Inc. thanks all applicants, however, only those legally authorized to work in Canada will be considered.
Responsibilities:
Team Leadership
- Act as team lead for 6 graphic designers across Ladies, Kids, and Accessories categories
- Run scrum-style standups to keep work prioritized, blockers visible, and the team moving
- Touch base regularly with each designer to understand where they are, what they need, and what is at risk
- Own daily task flow in Microsoft Planner and hold the QA gate on all design output before work reaches the Design Director or any director-level stakeholder
- Be the first point of contact for team questions and cross-department feedback before it reaches the Design Director
Design Production
- Actively contribute design work across categories, with volume calibrated to team needs
- Review and quality-check all work before it leaves the team
- Enforce file standards, naming conventions, and production specs established by the CD
- Support consistency across graphics, branding, and seasonal campaign assets
Process and Workflow
- Maintain and improve the QA process, including the ChatGPT prompt review flow for Planner submissions
- Track task status and flag capacity or timeline issues to the Design Director proactively
- Ensure design work is briefed, documented, and archived properly
- Communicate turnaround expectations clearly to buyers and internal stakeholders
Team Development
- Coach designers on craft, process, and professional output standards
- Build a culture of accountability with direct feedback and clear expectations
- Support onboarding of new team members with structured handoffs and training
Team Leadership
- Act as team lead for 6 graphic designers across Ladies, Kids, and Accessories categories
- Run scrum-style standups to keep work prioritized, blockers visible, and the team moving
- Touch base regularly with each designer to understand where they are, what they need, and what is at risk
- Own daily task flow in Microsoft Planner and hold the QA gate on all design output before work reaches the Design Director or any director-level stakeholder
- Be the first point of contact for team questions and cross-department feedback before it reaches the Design Director
Design Production
- Actively contribute design work across categories, with volume calibrated to team needs
- Review and quality-check all work before it leaves the team
- Enforce file standards, naming conventions, and production specs established by the CD
- Support consistency across graphics, branding, and seasonal campaign assets
Process and Workflow
- Maintain and improve the QA process, including the ChatGPT prompt review flow for Planner submissions
- Track task status and flag capacity or timeline issues to the Design Director proactively
- Ensure design work is briefed, documented, and archived properly
- Communicate turnaround expectations clearly to buyers and internal stakeholders
Team Development
- Coach designers on craft, process, and professional output standards
- Build a culture of accountability with direct feedback and clear expectations
- Support onboarding of new team members with structured handoffs and training
Experience:
- 5+ years of graphic design experience in fashion, retail, or consumer product
- 2+ years in a lead, senior, or management role with direct reports or formal mentorship
- Strong working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
- Experience managing creative production in a fast-paced retail or wholesale environment
- Comfort with project management tools — Microsoft Planner or equivalent
- A direct, organized communication style that earns the trust of both designers and cross-functional partners
- Fashion fluency: you understand apparel design, trend language, and production constraints
- A genuine interest in developing people, not just producing work
Nice To Have:
- Experience with licensing programs or branded apparel
- Familiarity with AI tools in a creative workflow context — image generation, prompt-based research, or workflow automation is a plus
- Background in mass-market or fast-fashion retail
- Exposure to trend reporting or seasonal direction work, including mood board creation and visual research that demonstrates process and point of view
- Strong typography skills and working knowledge of type as a design tool
Pay: $80,000.00-$95,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Application question(s):
- Are you legally entitled to work in Canada?
- Are able to commute reliably 5 DAYS per week to the in office office location?
- How many employees have you managed in a Apparel/Graphic Design department?
Education:
- AEC / DEP or Skilled Trade Certificate (required)
Work Location: In person
