About the role
Established in 1973, Roots is a proudly Canadian lifestyle brand that celebrates authenticity, quality, and community. Inspired by the great outdoors, we create timeless, sustainable apparel and leather goods designed for comfort and everyday adventure. At Roots, we believe in fostering a culture of inclusivity, creativity, and teamwork – where every team member plays a role in shaping our brand’s legacy. If you bring passion to everything you do, lead with integrity, and believe in the power of collaboration to drive growth, we’d love to have you on our journey!
Nature & Scope → Your Role at Roots
The Junior Materials Specialist (16 Month Contract) plays an essential role within the Roots Product Development team, contributing to the innovation and execution of high-quality raw materials that define our iconic products. Reporting directly to the Senior Materials Development Manager, this position supports the full lifecycle of material development - from sourcing and testing to production - ensuring every fabric and trim meets Roots’ standards of craftsmanship, functionality, and sustainability. This is a collaborative and detail-oriented role that helps bring product concepts to life through strong vendor communication and a passion for material innovation.
Key Responsibilities → How You’ll Make an Impact
- Support the Materials Development Team regarding sourcing, development, testing, and consolidation of raw materials and trims from inception through production
- Maintain raw materials library (virtual and physical libraries)
- Assist and ensure development is flowing within calendar timelines
- Adds the approved fabric contents into Momentis for use by the designers.
- Track fabric testing report and the development testing assessment tool to level set expectations across functional areas
- Support the fabric technical review meeting with QA and the PD&S team
- Collects initial preferred material required certificates from the supplier to support items adopted from the seasonal fabric assortment
- Creates RMC for each fabric
- Support SMS s/y arrangement
- Communicate all material development progress to suppliers, keeping them updated and addressing concerns to ensure accurate delivery of the product
- Manage Material development and fabric submissions to ensure that deliverables are maintained for all Milestone meetings
- Develop and maintain strong cross-functional relationships regarding changes/discrepancies / on-time delivery, etc.
- Maintain development tracker & other relevant Excel documents
Qualifications & Experience → The Skills You Bring
- Degree or diploma holder in the fashion or textile industry
- Good written and verbal communication
- Strong computer skills and proficient use of Microsoft Office, Excel
- Minimum 2-3 years of experience in materials management, sourcing, and development
- Detail oriented, accurate, and highly organized.
- Technical knowledge of fibers, knit and woven structures, dyeing, printing, and finishing is preferred
- Understanding of garment construction is preferred
- Experience in testing, quality assurance, and sustainability best practices is preferred
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.
Please note: Roots uses technology-assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to support parts of the recruitment process. These tools may be used to help review applications, assess qualifications, and support interview documentation. All hiring decisions are reviewed and made by our Talent team and key leaders involved in the recruitment process.
The posted salary range is intended to reflect the competitive market value of this role and is provided to support transparency in our hiring process. Final compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to internal equity, relevant skills, demonstrated knowledge, experience, and overall fit for the position.
Not the right fit? Search for Materials Specialist *16 Month Contract* jobs in Toronto, ON
About Roots
Established in 1973, Roots is Canada’s leading lifestyle brand known around the world for its premium leather goods, apparel and accessories, with more than 120 retail locations in Canada and the United States, and more than 100 in Asia. Roots is not only a brand, we are a culture and lifestyle inspired by the open air. We are a team of people who share values focused on quality and integrity. We celebrate our heritage and authenticity and are proud of what we stand for. Our employees share this passion and seek opportunities to stretch their boundaries, learn new experiences and continue to grow their Roots.
Fondée en 1973, Roots la principale marque canadienne axée sur le « style de vie » et elle est reconnue dans le monde entier pour ses articles en cuir, ses vêtements sport et ses accessoires de qualité. Elle possède plus de 120 points de vente au Canada et aux États-Unis, et plus de 100 en Asie. Roots est bien plus qu’une simple marque, elle constitue une culture et un style de vie dont l’inspiration provient des grands espaces. Nous formons une équipe dont les valeurs sont fondées sur la qualité et l’intégrité. Nous rendons hommage à notre héritage et notre authenticité, et sommes fiers de ce que nous représentons. Nos employés sont animés par cette même passion et repoussent constamment leurs limites afin de vivre de nouvelles expériences et de s’épanouir.
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About the role
Established in 1973, Roots is a proudly Canadian lifestyle brand that celebrates authenticity, quality, and community. Inspired by the great outdoors, we create timeless, sustainable apparel and leather goods designed for comfort and everyday adventure. At Roots, we believe in fostering a culture of inclusivity, creativity, and teamwork – where every team member plays a role in shaping our brand’s legacy. If you bring passion to everything you do, lead with integrity, and believe in the power of collaboration to drive growth, we’d love to have you on our journey!
Nature & Scope → Your Role at Roots
The Junior Materials Specialist (16 Month Contract) plays an essential role within the Roots Product Development team, contributing to the innovation and execution of high-quality raw materials that define our iconic products. Reporting directly to the Senior Materials Development Manager, this position supports the full lifecycle of material development - from sourcing and testing to production - ensuring every fabric and trim meets Roots’ standards of craftsmanship, functionality, and sustainability. This is a collaborative and detail-oriented role that helps bring product concepts to life through strong vendor communication and a passion for material innovation.
Key Responsibilities → How You’ll Make an Impact
- Support the Materials Development Team regarding sourcing, development, testing, and consolidation of raw materials and trims from inception through production
- Maintain raw materials library (virtual and physical libraries)
- Assist and ensure development is flowing within calendar timelines
- Adds the approved fabric contents into Momentis for use by the designers.
- Track fabric testing report and the development testing assessment tool to level set expectations across functional areas
- Support the fabric technical review meeting with QA and the PD&S team
- Collects initial preferred material required certificates from the supplier to support items adopted from the seasonal fabric assortment
- Creates RMC for each fabric
- Support SMS s/y arrangement
- Communicate all material development progress to suppliers, keeping them updated and addressing concerns to ensure accurate delivery of the product
- Manage Material development and fabric submissions to ensure that deliverables are maintained for all Milestone meetings
- Develop and maintain strong cross-functional relationships regarding changes/discrepancies / on-time delivery, etc.
- Maintain development tracker & other relevant Excel documents
Qualifications & Experience → The Skills You Bring
- Degree or diploma holder in the fashion or textile industry
- Good written and verbal communication
- Strong computer skills and proficient use of Microsoft Office, Excel
- Minimum 2-3 years of experience in materials management, sourcing, and development
- Detail oriented, accurate, and highly organized.
- Technical knowledge of fibers, knit and woven structures, dyeing, printing, and finishing is preferred
- Understanding of garment construction is preferred
- Experience in testing, quality assurance, and sustainability best practices is preferred
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.
Please note: Roots uses technology-assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to support parts of the recruitment process. These tools may be used to help review applications, assess qualifications, and support interview documentation. All hiring decisions are reviewed and made by our Talent team and key leaders involved in the recruitment process.
The posted salary range is intended to reflect the competitive market value of this role and is provided to support transparency in our hiring process. Final compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to internal equity, relevant skills, demonstrated knowledge, experience, and overall fit for the position.
Not the right fit? Search for Materials Specialist *16 Month Contract* jobs in Toronto, ON
About Roots
Established in 1973, Roots is Canada’s leading lifestyle brand known around the world for its premium leather goods, apparel and accessories, with more than 120 retail locations in Canada and the United States, and more than 100 in Asia. Roots is not only a brand, we are a culture and lifestyle inspired by the open air. We are a team of people who share values focused on quality and integrity. We celebrate our heritage and authenticity and are proud of what we stand for. Our employees share this passion and seek opportunities to stretch their boundaries, learn new experiences and continue to grow their Roots.
Fondée en 1973, Roots la principale marque canadienne axée sur le « style de vie » et elle est reconnue dans le monde entier pour ses articles en cuir, ses vêtements sport et ses accessoires de qualité. Elle possède plus de 120 points de vente au Canada et aux États-Unis, et plus de 100 en Asie. Roots est bien plus qu’une simple marque, elle constitue une culture et un style de vie dont l’inspiration provient des grands espaces. Nous formons une équipe dont les valeurs sont fondées sur la qualité et l’intégrité. Nous rendons hommage à notre héritage et notre authenticité, et sommes fiers de ce que nous représentons. Nos employés sont animés par cette même passion et repoussent constamment leurs limites afin de vivre de nouvelles expériences et de s’épanouir.