Visual Merchandising Operations Executive - UKI & EMEA

Connected by creativity and driven by purpose. Hourglass Cosmetics is a vegan and cruelty‑free beauty brand, redefining luxury cosmetics with high‑performance products, innovative formulas, and award‑winning franchises. Recognized by Forbes, Fast Company and Time Magazine as one of the most inventive beauty companies, Hourglass leads the industry with its breakthrough products and its commitment to animal welfare. Founded in 2004, Hourglass is globally available in 32 markets and over 4,600 doors including Sephora, Ulta, Neiman Marcus, Selfridges, Space NK and more. Hourglass became part of the Unilever Prestige division in 2017.

The Visual Merchandising Operations Executive plays a key role in supporting the Visual Merchandising and Store Design team, ensuring seamless coordination and best‑in‑class execution and maintenance of projects across the UKI & EMEA (UK, Ireland, Europe and Middle East). This role is responsible for tracking timelines, managing project documentation, coordinating product tester orders, and supporting store, vendor and field team communications. Working closely with the Visual Merchandising and Store Design team and cross‑functional partners, the Visual Merchandising Operations Executive supports seasonal updates, budgeting and repair/maintenance logistics across all retailers in UKI & EMEA. This role is essential in ensuring projects are accurately executed, well‑organized, and delivered on time and within budget.

This position is ideally suited to someone with experience in visual merchandising, retail operations, or project administration who is highly organized, detail‑focused, and looking to build operational expertise within a visual merchandising function.

What You Do

• Project Dates and Timeline Coordination: Upload and track all projects into project management tool (Asana), coordinate status check‑ins with the Visual Merchandising and Store Design Operations team, and communicate real‑time updates, including calendar and timeline adjustments. Manage project trackers, vendor timelines and internal workflows for secondary projects and gondola seasonal reset with internal and external teams. Own critical path planning for select shop‑in‑shop seasonal updates. Maintain accurate project status updates across all trackers and proactively communicate risks or delays. Manage the regional UKI & EMEA project tracker, covering seasonal updates, shop‑in‑shop, repair and maintenance, gondola installs, merchandising dates, and ad‑hoc brand projects.
• Seasonal Updates: Open Sell and Shop‑in‑Shop Locations: Manage tester orders, kitting and factice deliveries with vendors and complete quality control prior to dispatch. Monitor departmental budget; review quotes, raise purchase orders, monitor spend, and flag under/overspend against budget. Maintain vendor and store distribution lists, vendor pricing grid, instruction libraries, timelines and block library. Distribute instruction packs, digital assets, assortments, and installation schedules to retailers and field teams. Conduct post‑launch store visits, review regional store photos and installation reports; manage snagging and resolution tracking with vendors and field teams. Review installation reports, ensure planogram compliance, and maintain seasonal photo archives. Produce post‑launch reports covering execution, learnings, and competitor insights for global and cross‑functional teams.
• Shop‑in‑Shop New Door Opening, Gondola Expansions and Overhauls: Manage project setup, documentation (guidelines, briefs, assortments), and milestone tracking, working closely with global and regional teams to gather key information. Collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure projects remain aligned, on track, and well communicated. Create and manage central project folders and timelines. Raise capex POs; track and maintain budget trackers. Manage tester/hygiene/factice coordination. Create and distribute final installation reports. Conduct site visits and travel as needed to oversee installations and merchandising execution. Produce snagging reports and manage resolution through to completion.
• Secondary Retail Displays and Trade Marketing Activations: Review new secondary project requests, ensuring all assets, timelines, budgets, guidelines, assortments, and on‑counter dates are confirmed prior to kick‑off. Manage project setup, documentation, and milestone tracking in close partnership with global and regional teams to keep projects aligned, on track, and clearly communicated. Create and distribute final installation reports. Coordinate on‑site visits, installation and merchandising execution as needed. Produce snagging reports and manage resolution through to completion.
• Repair and Maintenance: Manage the full repair and maintenance lifecycle from request through delivery across all retailers in UKI & EMEA. Order replacement factices and fixture components. Own the maintenance briefing process with retailers and counter teams, ensuring Asana compliance. Coordinate vendors and provide regular status reporting. Maintain and distribute maintenance guidelines and onboarding packs. Conduct quarterly store audits to ensure safety compliance and fixture standards. Maintain comprehensive maintenance and contact trackers for all shop‑in‑shop doors.
• Compliance, Standards and Visual Merchandising and Store Design Excellence: Ensure all Visual Merchandising and Store Design executions align with brand guidelines and quality standards. Conduct ongoing store audits, photo reporting, and consistency checks. Propose fixture improvements or upgrades in collaboration with leadership.
• Store Database Management: Maintain accurate store distribution and in/out lists across UKI & EMEA. Attend new store openings to oversee merchandising, installation quality, and snagging. Complete monthly store visits and engage with in‑store teams on Visual Merchandising and Store Design and maintenance needs. Maintain digital screen, lightbox, and bespoke fixture databases.
• Finance and Budget Management: Raise all POs and maintain accurate budget tracking for departmental projects. Monitor budgeted versus actual spend and report variances to leadership. Ensure financial transparency across all projects. Provide timely, proactive updates on any budget overages or savings.

You’ll Love This Job If

• you are extremely ORGANIZED: you are not overwhelmed by the thought of tackling multiple tasks at a time.
• you are DETAIL ORIENTED: you appreciate the importance of having detailed and precise information.
• you are a strong COMMUNICATOR: you are a people person, natural leader and collaborate well with others.
• you are highly STRATEGIC: you are able to develop creative concepts and vision that support brand and business goals.
• you are AGILE: you adapt well to changing needs and priorities and are able to pivot easily to achieve goals and deadlines.
• you are PASSIONATE about beauty: you are eager to learn and absorb all things related to beauty, brand and creative strategy.
• you are CREATIVE: you are innovative and forward‑thinking in your approach and mindset.

Qualifications

• Strong organizational and project coordination skills, with experience managing multiple workstreams and timelines.
• Highly detail‑oriented, confident maintaining trackers, documentation, store lists, and instruction packs.
• Clear and professional communicator, comfortable liaising with internal teams, retailers, field teams, and vendors.
• Operational understanding of Visual Merchandising and Store Design execution, including seasonal updates, shop‑in‑shop activity, installations, and maintenance support.
• Budget‑conscious, with experience raising POs, tracking spends, and flagging variances.
• Proactive, adaptable team player with a practical approach to problem‑solving in a fast‑paced retail environment.
• Willingness to travel.