The Role:
The Visual Brand Manager is a key role as we scale our retail presence, unify our wholesale presence and think more holistically about the world of VB across all customer touch points. This role will be responsible for creating and implementing compelling brand storytelling through visual directives and assist in developing visual strategies to drive brand awareness, meet sales objectives and maximize profitability across both Wholesale and Retail. This individual leads a field team in the execution of the visual directive, window displays and the maintenance of retail/wholesale environments ensuring visual continuity and alignment while promoting the VB brand and delivering the ultimate customer experience. This role will development, execute and manage all PK, brand, and VM training strategies for retail and wholesale partners.
The preferred candidate will live in the New York City area.
Responsibilities:
Visual Merchandising and Brand Excellence
- Participate in the development of the Global Visual Directive, crafting compelling brand storytelling and building brand alignment across all channels while supporting market differentiations, seasonal trends, visual merchandising strategies and implementing across assigned territory.
- Develop and lead field team in execution of the visual directive, promoting brand awareness, visual excellence and ROI across retail and wholesale environments.
- Support the planning, execution and follow-up of key rollouts, brand initiatives, window display; physical set-ups/installations as needed; responsible for collaborating with retail and wholesale partners on all brand and product launches, trunk shows and events effectively executing corporate guidelines, PK trainings and signage.
- Photo management/reviews and regular touch-bases with field visual team, retail and wholesale partners to include submission of weekly recap noting opportunities and success along with general budget notes.
- Support and/or oversee all of the new store opening's in territory, leveraging visual talent throughout the field as needed.
- Responsible for maintaining wholesale and retail environments to VB standards including scent, furniture, fixtures, lighting, plant life and prop layer, etc. and effectively communicating to key partners based on individual location needs.
- Responsible for developing and managing travel, budget, schedule alignment and communication with retail and wholesale partners, both individually and across field visual team direct reports, leadership; training and communication
- Develop standardized training, visual visits and Retail/Wholesale communication protocols; support the development of visual merchandising education and training tools.
- Train visual field team, retail teams and wholesale partners on key seasonal brand messages, floor set management, adaptation to space/ environment and local business.
- Develop visual field team on core skills to include communication, time & organization, partnership, brand messaging and seasonal VM strategies.
- Supervise, develop and mentor the field visual team to foster a strong, energetic, productive and creative team.
- Emulate the brand aesthetic providing dress codes and styling training to all VB retail employees and wholesale partners.
- Partner with field leaders and wholesale partners on business opportunities by location and react with on-brand visual merchandising techniques.
- Build cross-functional relationships with internal and external partners to present visual strategies and opportunities within the assigned territory.
- Conduct comp explorations, compile throughout territory and communicate competition across product categories, visual strategies, display and seasonal time cadence.
- Participate in line passes and buy reviews to provide in-depth insight into product take- aways across territory.
- Responsible for communicating product take-aways to appropriate cross functional and corporate departments, including sell-thru, assortment wins and misses and attending key meetings and line passes to impact product and business in territory.
Qualifications:
- 7 years' experience leading visual execution in a fast paced, multi-unit retail or wholesale environment.
- Experience leading a team in the field.
- Expert knowledge implementing visual merchandising strategies and standard across multiple categories.
- Experience training teams on product knowledge, brand awareness and visual exceptions.
- Ability to travel up to 70% of the time and work a flexible schedule based on visual execution needs, ability to drive is ideal.
- Experience working independently and with a team while handling multiple projects concurrently.
- Capable of independently problem solving in a timing manner.
- High level of accuracy and meticulous attention to detail, prioritization, organization and time-management skills.
Please apply to this role HERE.
