The Leather Sewist Position

Position Summary:

We are currently HIRING as part of the Canada Summer Jobs 2025 Program. Application Deadline: Saturday, June 14th at 10:0am. 

The position is is full-time (35hrs per week) on an either 8 contract. Starting roughly July 2nd and ending on August 24th. This contract has the potential of of leading to a full-time or part time position immediately following the eight weeks. We will be prioritizing applicants who can envision themselves in this position for a year or more.

As leather sewing is a rare skill, we welcome candidates with transferrable skills to apply. If you have an interest or some experience in leatherwork, sewing, repair, or making things, you’re welcome to apply. Many of the adjacent skills needed for sewing (transferring/copying patterns, completing alterations, mending and hand-sewing etc.) directly crossover. If you believe you can do this job but are lacking a few of the skills, apply anyway!

Key Responsibilities:

The leather sewist completes repair and alteration jobs on leather garments and bags using industrial sewing machinery. The majority of this job is completing repairs and alterations on customer items (bag, jacket, accessories).  The position may sometimes work on production-line assembly of wholesale items or large orders. This position also includes answering questions on the phone and handing back finished customer items.  As well as possible assistance at community market booths.

We prefer to hire individuals who are invested in sewing-based industries, and who envision themselves keeping the position for a year or more.

• Use industrial sewing machinery including patchers and walking foot machines, as well as hardware setters (manual and machine).
• Basic customer service including greeting customers at pick up and answering the phone, if willing.
• Completing hole patches, simple re-stitches, zipper replacements, sleeve shortenings, hems, body tapers, and remaking jacket liners.

Skills and Abilities:

• Be willing to ask questions and be ready to learn new ways of doing things
• Able to follow instructions
• Strong attention to detail (with leather, there’s less room for errors!)
• A sense of confidence around repair/making
• Be able to predict potential problems and address/ask about them before they arise
• Able to multi-task and switch between projects/clients well
• Be self-directed in completing tasks once training is complete
• Have good time-management skills and ability to maintain workshop rates/quotas
• Treat all fellow employees, clients, tools, and the space with respect
• Clear and direct communication
• Physically able to lift a full-body leather suit (6 kgs), be dexterous, and be ready to move lots between projects

Training:

This position comes with a three-month training period in which we will teach you how to safely operate all industrial machinery, tailoring skills, some patterning, and the basics of working with leather. Hourly rates may include a training wage for those with little direct experience.

Hours / Wages:

$18.40 per hr plus 4% vacation pay and MERCs

In general, after the three month training period, staff are entitled to a portion of controlled tips (based on hours worked), which generally raise wages $2/hr. Yearly increases are generally $1 per yr plus an inflation raise when minimum wage increases.

Full-time, permanent employees are automatically enrolled in a 50/50 co-pay health benefits plans that covers dental, vision, prescription drugs, and paramedical services (counsellors, massage, physio, etc.).

Health and Safety:

Our workshop requires all staff to wear masks when serving customers. Our Covid policy changes as Covid rates and mandates change and we consult with all employees before changing our precautions. You can view our policies in this blog post.

Proper safety equipment is available in the studio including a variety of gloves, eye protection, sounds protection, first aid supplies, anti-fatigue mats, 3M respirators (for redyes), and a contained glue/fume house.

Perks:

• Access to use our machinery/space for personal non-resale projects
• Wholesale access to our suppliers
• Open studio time (after-hours, one night a week) with one-to-one mentoring
• Seasonal team events

Inclusive Hiring:

Our workshop is currently staffed entirely by underrepresented individuals in our industry. We are the only female*-owned cobbling shop in Western Canada and the first queer-owned shop in all of Canada. We happily accept applicants from all backgrounds and encourage other under-represented individuals to apply. If you have any accessibility needs, please let us know!
*Ariss is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, but happily defaults to this for the ease of a tagline.
For our full physical accessibility audit, please go here: https://awltogetherleather.ca/accessibility/

To Apply:

Show us what you’ve made! Send your resume, a portfolio of 2-10 completed projects (anything you’ve sewn, fixed, made, or are proud of), and two references to info@awltogetherleather.ca.

Thank you
– Tess and Ariss