Director - Visual Merchandising
Reports to: VP Creative, Store Design & Visual Merchandising
Objective: Director - of Visual Merchandising will lead and manage the overall VM communications calendar, logistics, and process. This Sr. Manager will be a part of a dynamic, creative environment where you will interact with cross-functional partners to ensure that BRAND visual standards are continuously elevated. The position will create Visual Merchandising directives and guidelines including visual expression of the brand in-store, with strong adherence to Global VM directives. They would be responsible for operational deliverables in the merchandising timeline, streamlining communication and processes throughout the development process. This would include, but would not be limited to, the following roles and responsibilities:
Key Accountabilities:
- Secure perfect Visual merchandising execution in the following Distribution: DS, Specialty, Open sell environments
- Create Merchandising Directives and Planograms, work cross functionally US and Global Brand. This includes: Store Design, Visual, Creative, Sales Admin, Marketing, creative operation and purchasing.
- Develop understanding of brand direction to ensure in-store execution is on brand.
- Permanent Counter VM guidelines: Design and produce Planogram decks, and floor plans to be shared with store and internal teams.
- New Launch / seasonal or Holidays Counter guideline: Create and Develop Planograms for all distribution mentioned.
- Instore transparency: Manage data base and roll out of New Launch / seasonal or Holidays.
- In case VM program and environment: Partner with Store design to develop VM concepts.
- Permanent display data base to update and maintain.
- Intl POS order preparation and stock management.
- VM training guidelines and best practices: for execution excellence & elevated merchandising.
- Support Sales training & education – ongoing field training and store visits
- Weekly Flagship store visit: lead new planograms, maintain display and visual lightbox and updates.
- Budget responsibility, FLU update + transparency balancing brand and business initiatives.
Required Competancies and interpersonal Skills
- Understand retail design fundamentals; decodes brand identity, master products and market insights; follows trends and understands competition
- Strives to deliver operational excellence; aligned with market specificities to ensure high standard of quality in POS material
- Ability to communicate clearly, and effectively across multiple departments; ability to accept creative input / feedback.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a strong team environment; contribute ideas, be persuasive/defend design solutions whilst remaining flexible and open to others points of view
- Confidently interact with customers, peers, and cross functional teams, DMI / global partners
- Superior organizational skills; handle multiple projects, and ability to adjust to pressing priorities
- Strong technical and visual merchandising background
Ideal Candidates Should Possess:
Associates or Bachelor degree preferred, Visual Design, Merchandising, Fine Arts, Interior Design
7 - 10 years of Visual Merchandising experience: Specialty and Department store retailer experience preferred.
Skills/Requirements Computer Skills - Proficient in Illustrator, Photoshop, Sketch up, InDesign, Excel and Microsoft office/ PowerPoint.
High level of Creativity and presentation skills(must be able to communicate ideas through sketch, models etc.)