Art Director, Apparel & Branding Graphic Design

Art Director, Apparel & Branding Graphic Design

1400 Castlefield Ave, Toronto, ON M6B 4C4, Canada Req #1922

Roots is more than just an iconic Canadian retailer; we are a group of passionate employees who act with integrity, trust each other, and do what is right. We work in a space where people can grow and develop, with a team of people who own results and are dedicated to seeing Roots win. We seek to build longstanding relationships with partners who share our commitment to maintaining high ethical standards of operation.

Roots is seeking an experienced Art Director, Apparel & Branding Graphic Design to collaborate with the Senior Designer Director and cross-departmental leaders to drive the creative vision of the brand.

This position will be responsible for managing a team of talented graphic designers, having a strong understanding of the Roots brand DNA, and bringing a clear point of view while leading, mentoring, and inspiring their team and partners across the business.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with cross-departmental designers, partners, and leaders each season to drive the direction, development, and execution of graphic concepts, logos, branding, and packaging.
• Strong international market awareness to help inform cohesive global collections that incorporate the needs of our international partners and to avoid duplication for SMU collections.
• Structure and encourage the team to regularly conduct thorough online research and attend market comparative shopping to evaluate the competitor landscape and to enhance our inspirational design inputs.
• Manage calendar, workload, and budget for the Graphics team to deliver excellence on time.
• Develop strategic assortment planning throughout the design process, ensuring the team fully considers line plans, price points, and attributes the most effective graphic techniques and applications to reflect consumer needs for each particular collection or program.
• Collaborate on seasonal concepts and translate them into clear graphic direction and trend-relevant designs for all departments, including Apparel (Adults & Kids), Accessories, Leather, and General Store product, whilst seeking to maintain a cohesive brand voice across all commodities.
• Evaluate, define, and evolve clear processes for artwork commenting and communication with both internal and external teams. Ensure the reference library is well maintained throughout.
• Work closely with Print and Packaging designers to develop seasonal branding, trims, and packaging across all commodities.
• Lead and support a team of Senior Designers, Designers, and Associate Graphic Designers to ensure projects are successfully completed in a timely manner and adhere to the Seasonal Product calendar deadlines.
• Work closely with the Art Director and creative team in Marketing to ensure consistent brand expression across product and customer communication.
• Travel to domestic and international trade shows and vendors, as required.

Qualifications and Skills:

• 10+ years of experience in Graphic Design and/or related roles such as Apparel Design, Branding/Art direction, including 4+ years in a leadership or managerial role.
• Strong knowledge and experience of various graphic production processes (print techniques, applique, embroidery, washes, etc.).
• Packaging or Apparel production knowledge is considered a strong asset.
• Extensive knowledge in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop).
• Functional working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel).
• Experience in 3D software is an additional asset.
• Willingness to work in a fast-paced, dynamic, and highly collaborative environment, as required to manage multiple seasons at a time, whilst maintaining product calendar deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills in both presentation and teamwork environments.

Founded in 1973, Roots Canada is a publicly held Canadian lifestyle brand that sells apparel, leather bags, small leather goods, footwear, and active athletic wear with over 100 retail stores in North America and Asia.

At Roots, we appreciate that skills and expertise are cultivated through a range of experiences. We are committed to reflecting Canada's diverse landscape in our products, team, and workplace culture. We value your unique perspective and encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet every listed requirement. Accommodations are available for applicants throughout the recruitment process.