Tenure-Track Position in Fashion Design Technologies
TheCreativeSchool - Fashion
| Posted: | November 20, 2025 |
| Deadline to Apply: | Thursday, January 15, 2026 |
Located in downtown Toronto, the largest and most culturally diverse city in Canada and on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples, the School of Fashion in The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor, effective July 1st, 2026, subject to final budgetary approval.
The successful candidate will engage in a combination of teaching, scholarly research and/or creative activities (SRC) and service duties while implementing inclusive, equitable, and collegial practices across all activities. Teaching duties will entail designing and delivering courses at undergraduate (BDes) and graduate (MA) levels, including large lectures, studios and seminars. Additional duties include the supervision of graduate students, along with curriculum development. The successful candidate will develop a strong and innovative research and/or creative activity agenda, pursue external funding and aim to achieve meaningful and impactful outcomes. In addition, they should demonstrate a capacity for academic leadership, collegial governance and commitment to service to the department, faculty and university.
Applicants who self-identify as women, Black, First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, people of colour, people with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ / LGBTQ2IA are particularly encouraged to apply. Those candidates are also encouraged to self-identify through our Applicant Diversity Self-ID questionnaire.
The successful candidate will teach and conduct scholarly research, creative work, and/or community-based activities in the area of Fashion Design Technologies, focusing on the intersections of inclusion, decolonization, sustainability, and accessibility. We are seeking a designer whose practice bridges traditional and emerging technologies—from garment construction, patternmaking, and material innovation to digital prototyping, 3D visualization, and AI-augmented design. The ideal candidate will understand how these varied technologies can be applied to create equitable, sustainable, and innovative futures in the fashion sector.
Candidates must hold a PhD or Master’s degree with substantial academic and professional experience in fashion or a closely related field; a PhD in hand is preferred.
Candidates must have experience teaching studio courses at the post-secondary level as an instructor. Candidates must have a minimum of 5 years of experience working with fashion design technology in a studio or laboratory setting. Experience in fashion design for adjacent fields, such as healthcare, manufacturing, smart textiles, etc., is also an asset.
Candidates should demonstrate leadership capacity within the fashion sector by showing how their academic and/or professional work has advanced responsible and inclusive practices. This leadership may include directing design teams, building sustainable production systems, or developing community-engaged or entrepreneurial initiatives that foster social, ecological, and technological innovation.
Teaching responsibilities will include core fashion design studios and skills-based courses in garment construction, patternmaking, fashion design process, and digital design technologies such as CLO3D, AR/VR, AI applications, etc. The successful candidate will also teach or develop courses in related areas, e.g., sustainable and circular design, textile innovation, design for health, accessibility, adaptive contexts, wearables, smart textiles, etc. An ability and interest in teaching design leadership courses will be considered an asset.
Teaching responsibilities may also include intermediate and advanced studio courses that build technical and conceptual expertise in fashion design. The candidate will guide students in developing cohesive collections and critical design projects that synthesize creative inquiry, technical proficiency, and professional practice.
We welcome applicants whose teaching and creative scholarship connect design, emerging technology, and community; who demonstrate a commitment to inclusive and accessible pedagogy; and who can help strengthen the School’s position as a leader in critical, sustainable, and technologically engaged fashion design futures.
Considering the School’s guiding principles of inclusion, decolonization, sustainability and accessibility, candidates should present evidence of the following:
- Current scholarly research and/or creative (SRC) activities and agenda; and/or a history of industry experience that fosters positive change aligned with the School's guiding principles, as well as a potential research agenda.
- Teaching experience compiled in a teaching dossier that includes a teaching philosophy statement; sample syllabi; peer teaching evaluations; and, if appropriate, documentation of experience with course and curriculum review and/or development, teaching awards, and other relevant achievements or skills related to teaching and pedagogy.
- Ability and willingness to contribute to the life of the School of Fashion and the university through collegial service.
- A commitment to our values of equity, diversity, and inclusion as it pertains to service, teaching, and scholarly research or creative activities, including a demonstrated ability to make learning accessible and inclusive for a diverse student population
- An ability and willingness to contribute to the life of the School of Fashion and the University through collegial service.
Our committee recognizes that scholars follow varying career paths and that career interruption can be part of an academic record. Candidates are encouraged to provide any relevant information about their non-traditional career path, experiences and/or career interruptions.
This position falls under the jurisdiction of the Toronto Metropolitan Faculty Association (TFA) [www.tfanet.ca]. Visit us at www.torontomu.ca/faculty-affairs to view the TFA collective agreement and a summary of TFA benefits. The minimum salary for the Assistant Professor rank is $103,916.30 per annum. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications.
Working at TMU
Serving a highly diverse student population of over 45,000, TMU offers over 100+ undergraduate and graduate programs built on the integration of theoretical and practical learning. Distinguished by a professionally focused curriculum and a strong emphasis on excellence in teaching, research and creative activities, TMU is a vibrant, urban university known for its culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, community engagement and city building, reflected in its award-winning architecture.
At the intersection of mind and action, TMU is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Our new academic plan, Transformative Futures, offers an exciting roadmap towards our ongoing pursuit of academic excellence and to addressing the complex and evolving challenges of our time.
At the heart of TMU’s remarkable achievements and its ambitious aspirations are its students, faculty and staff. Committed to a people first culture, the university prides itself on offering exceptional benefits and perks, celebrating the achievements of its faculty and staff and maintaining its unwavering commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, including its ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, confronting Anti-Black Racism and accessibility for persons with disabilities. Among its many recognitions include being ranked number one on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity. We invite you to explore employment at TMU as well as our community of diverse faculty and staff networks.
Connect with us on LinkedIn for the latest news and opportunities at TMU.
The Creative School
The Creative School is a dynamic Faculty at Toronto Metropolitan University that is a national leader in educational programs in media, communication, design and cultural industries. Nearly 6,000 students are enrolled in The Creative School across ten professional schools/departments including Journalism, Image Arts, RTA School of Media, Performance, Fashion, Interior Design, Professional Communication, Graphic Communications Management, New Media and Creative Industries. The Creative School offers graduate programs in Media & Design Innovation,? Film and Photography Preservation & Collections Management,? Digital Media, Documentary Media, Fashion, Journalism, ?Interior Design, Scriptwriting and Story Design, Media Production, and Professional Communication, as well as the joint York University/TMU program in Communication and Culture.
The School of Fashion
The School of Fashion at The Creative School offers undergraduate (BDes) and graduate (MA) programs to students of diverse backgrounds. Our faculty prides itself on the excellence of its scholarly, research, and creative activities, as well as the quality of its teaching and community engagement. We are interested in candidates who will contribute to our existing strengths in research/creative activity and teaching through academic, professional and diverse lived experiences and perspectives.
How to Apply
Applicants must submit their application online via the Faculty Recruitment Portal [https://hr.cf.torontomu.ca/ams/faculty/] by clicking on “Start Application Process” to begin. Applications, consisting of the following, must be received by January 15, 2026:
- a letter of application including a statement of the candidate’s approach to equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and accessibility, demonstrating how these principles have been incorporated in their teaching, SRC and service;
- a curriculum vitae;
- a statement of research interests;
- a teaching dossier; and
- names and contact information of three individuals who may be contacted for references.
Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority, in accordance with Canadian immigration regulations.
At Toronto Metropolitan University, we believe that diversity of knowledge, worldviews and experiences that come from membership in different groups, is fundamental to innovation, teaching and scholarship and that our students are best served by faculty who reflect the diversity of TMU’s student body and the community in which TMU is situated. To ensure representation of the excellent talent in Canada, we are particularly interested in applications from members of historically disadvantaged and marginalized groups including: First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, Black-identified persons, other racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
Contacts
Any confidential inquiries about the opportunity can be directed to the Departmental Hiring Committee Chair, Joseph Medaglia at jmedaglia@torontomu.ca.
Candidates who belong to one or more of the equity-deserving groups recognized at TMU are welcome to connect with Debbie Thompson [debbie.thompson@torontomu.ca], Executive Director, Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion [www.torontomu.ca/equity].
Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about working at Toronto Metropolitan University are welcome to contact James McKay, Indigenous Human Resources Lead at indigenous@torontomu.ca.
For any confidential accommodation needs in order to participate in the recruitment and selection process and/or inquiries regarding accessing the Recruitment Portal, please contact vpfa@torontomu.ca.
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