YM Inc. was founded on the strength of a single retail store in the heart of downtown Toronto in 1975, under the name Stitches. Today we are one of North America’s leading apparel retailers operating over 700 stores across Canada and the United States under the following banners: Stitches, Urban Planet, Urban Behavior, Sirens, Forever 21, Urban Kids, Suzy Shier, Bluenotes, West 49, Amnesia, Charlotte Russe, Rue 21 and Mandee.
Our goal is to sustain performance that exceeds expectations. We are committed to creating a culture where people feel valued and inspired to achieve results. We give our people the appropriate tools, freedom and authority to make decisions. They are accountable for their actions and we recognize their efforts and reward their results. We attract and nurture the best people by providing leadership opportunities, career development and continuous learning. We are committed to leading by example and with integrity. We treat people with respect and dignity, promote the benefits of diversity and address challenges in a direct and compassionate manner. We engage people in our goals and objectives; we listen and act on new ideas where possible. That is our Philosophy.
How you will make a difference:
The Compliance & Technical Quality Controller is responsible for overseeing product safety, regulatory compliance, technical specifications, and quality assurance for our children’s and family apparel lines. This role manages the compliance and quality process from development through production, ensuring all garments meet safety, labeling, quality, and market-specific regulatory requirements. The position also evaluates pre-production samples, maintains product specifications and quality standards, and works closely with the Product and Technical Development teams to implement effective quality and compliance controls throughout the product development process..
What You’ll Do:
Compliance
· Regulatory ownership: Manage children’s apparel compliance for the U.S. (CPSIA / CPSC) and Canada (Canada Consumer Product Safety Act / Health Canada); track regulations, recalls and enforcement trends
· Children’s safety standards: Apply drawstring (16 CFR 1120 / ASTM F1816), sleepwear flammability (16 CFR 1615/1616; Canada’s Children’s Sleepwear Regulations), general flammability (16 CFR 1610), lead/phthalate limits, small-parts, and tracking-label requirements
· Testing & certification: Maintain test protocols with accredited labs, review reports, manage failures and corrective actions, and issue Children’s Product Certificates (CPCs)
· Labeling: Ensure compliant fiber content, care, and country-of-origin labeling per U.S. FTC rules and Canada’s Textile Labelling Act, including mandatory bilingual (English/French) labeling and CA Identification numbers
· Vendor & social compliance: Manage factory onboarding, audits, scorecards, and ethical-sourcing programs; drive corrective action plans and communicate requirements to overseas suppliers
· Import & documentation: Support U.S. (CBP) and Canada (CBSA) import compliance and forced-labour due diligence (UFLPA); keep audit-ready records of certificates, test reports, and approvals
· Cross-functional partnership: Serve as the compliance lead for Design, Sourcing, and Production; advise on “design for compliance” early in development; lead the response to any safety concern or recall
Quality Control
· Implement working strategies and flow processes
· Standardize rules and formats for both internal and external communication
· Issue and raise non-conformities related to approved standards
· Approve the fit of samples prior to production
· Correct fit issues as needed
· Provide merchandising system support to the buyer
· Follow-up with vendors on pre-production/production samples as required
· Approve lab dips in Buyer’s absence
· Liaise with store operations team on quality control issues
· Review final exit audits conducted on outbound shipments to ensure all products are in compliance with established specifications
· Prepare inspection documentation of requirements for new product to the external third party
· Review and execute the requests for monthly inspections overseas and at the third-party warehouse
· Prepare quality metrics of monthly inspection results
What You’ll Need:
· Bachelor’s degree in Textiles, Apparel, Supply Chain, or related field (or equivalent experience)
· 5+ years of apparel compliance/quality experience, including direct children’s apparel experience
· Working knowledge of CPSIA, CPSC, and Health Canada / CCPSA requirements, plus U.S. and Canadian textile labeling rules (including bilingual labeling)
· Factory audit and social-compliance experience; RSL/chemical management knowledge; customs/import familiarity (CBP, CBSA, UFLPA) preferred
· Experience with accredited testing labs and interpreting test reports
· Strong organization, communication, and project-management skills
· Cantonese, Mandarin, or Indian dialects an asset
· Knowledge of the retail industry an asset
· Pattern making experience an asset
· Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
· Experience with PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) systems
· Proficient in use of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and CorelDraw
What we offer:
· Competitive Compensation Package
· Health and Dental Benefits Plan
· Paid Sick Days
· Employee Discount
· Tuition Reimbursement
· Ongoing Training and Development
· Career Advancement Opportunities
· Being part of an amazing, supportive and collaborative team
YM Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. If chosen to participate in the selection process, accommodations are available upon request. We will consult with the applicant to provide or arrange suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs.
This posting is for an open vacancy.
We use AI in our hiring process.
Pay: $60,000.00-$70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Discounted or free food
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Store discount
- Vision care
Ability to commute/relocate:
- North York, ON M6A 2W1: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- apparel compliance/quality : 5 years (required)
- children’s apparel : 2 years (required)
- • Factory audit and social-compliance : 3 years (required)
Work Location: In person
