Visual Merchandiser Manager I Marks & Spencer - #1118950

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is ready to push boundaries to lead the retail industry into a greener, speedier, more inspiring digital era. That’s why we’re revolutionising how we work and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. There’s never been a better time to be part of our team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure that the Store VM Teams deliver all company Visual Merchandising/ Brand policies to an excellent standard

• Plan and execute seasonal store layouts effectively, lead & support the VM Team(s) to deliver layout grid.

• Use commercial information as the basis for decision making e.g. proportionality, space management & sales

• Access key business information e.g. sales information, store & company best sellers, weekly Selling & Marketing news & identify potential sales opportunities

• Have a good understanding of the brand customer profile & how it may differ slightly between stores in order to draw traffic, maximize selling opportunities and in-line with market trend

• Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of equipment & ensure its correct usage

• Understand & manage the décor process including its ordering, printing & correct implementation

• Regularly review the competition, feedback & take action on the results to drive sales

• Ensure corporate initiatives are implemented by VM Team effectively

• Identify & recruit required VM resources to deliver objectives

• Identify development needs & coach VM Supervisors to deliver a high level of visual merchandising “on brand”

• Proficient in the fast-paced environment of retail operations and VM Team collaborations to maintain a high visual standard and adapt to the business's requirements

• Confident on people development and maximize the talent and skills to leverage the Visual standard and business driven environment

• Communicate effectively and to foster good relationship with store team and support office team.

• Develop annual VM plan which in line with corporate direction and meeting local business objectives e.g. plan & manage new store openings & modernizations

• Manage 3rd Party Contractors & know when/how to escalate when necessary

• Manage resources effectively including budget planning and expenses on VM budget

• All other responsibilities as assigned by line manager and/or Management

Job Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Fashion Merchandising, or a related field.

• 8+ years’ work experience with 2-3 years in managerial positions in in-house Visual Merchandising, preferably in international fashion retailer

• Motivated, organised and detail-oriented; able to work independently

• Strong understanding of visual merchandising concepts and the retail environment

• Strong decision-making to balance visual merchandising and commercial requirements to achieve business goals

• Job-specific skills: creative with strong artistic and fashion sense, sound knowledge of graphic design and familiar with MAC (Corel draw, Photoshop, Illustrator) applications, strong communication and interpersonal skills, planning and organization for managing process and resources, prioritization in delivering team objectives under tight deadline