At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead visual merchandising teams to create stunning store displays and enhance customer experiences.
- Company: Join Marks & Spencer, a dynamic retailer committed to quality and inclusivity.
- Benefits: Enjoy 20% discount, competitive holidays, bonuses, and wellbeing support.
- Why this job: Be part of a transformative retail journey while developing your skills in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in visual merchandising and a passion for fashion, home, and beauty required.
- Other info: This is a field-based role covering the Home Counties, South & South West Regions.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Being a part of M&S is exactly that – playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever-evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever and however they want to shop with us.
Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special:
- After completing your probationary period, you’ll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
- Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
- Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
- A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
- A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
- Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
- Industry-leading parental, adoption and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
- Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
- A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you’re passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.
We may close this role early if we have enough applications for the next stage. Please submit your application as soon as possible to make sure you don’t miss out.
What you’ll do:
- Inspire, coach and develop brilliant people to present great looking stores and deliver outstanding visual execution.
- Support the visual merchandising teams to deliver the highest visual standards on the high street, showcasing the product through layout, fixture placement, mannequin & styling, product handling, outfit building and windows implementation.
- Lead the coaching of visual excellence to raise the bar on execution and standards within our Fashion, Home and Beauty stores within the region.
- Plan and deliver upskilling and engagement across multiple regions to enhance the customer experience and drive consistency.
- Support regional managers and store managers to develop the knowledge and skills of their store visual managers and VM teams to deliver visual excellence.
- Ensure stores consistently deliver upper quartile visual implementation and are effective in driving regional improvements in execution.
- Maximise sales growth and profitability through the constant delivery of objectives.
- Collaborate with the central support teams and Business Units to identify opportunities to raise the bar visually and deliver first time right for colleagues and customers.
- Accelerate the ‘pace of change’ to deliver better and simpler stores as part of overall M&S transformation, through the implementation of all investment, renewals and new stores.
- Line management of a visual support manager who will partner on the regions.
Who you are:
The ideal candidate will have a background working in a similar role within Fashion, Home & Beauty. Your skills and experience will include:
- Extensive experience in visual merchandising, styling and layout planning.
- Considerable experience working in a shop environment, having managed the full cycle of fashion, home and beauty merchandising.
- Confident driving and landing new investment processes on a wider scale.
- Passionate about creating the best possible experience for the M&S customer.
Everyone’s welcome. We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.
We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.
If you feel you’d benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
Visual Lead (field based)- Home Counties, South & South West Regions employer: Marks and Spencer
Contact Detail:
Marks and Spencer Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Visual Lead (field based)- Home Counties, South & South West Regions
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in visual merchandising, especially within the Fashion, Home, and Beauty sectors. This knowledge will not only help you stand out during interviews but also demonstrate your passion for the role.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former employees of Marks and Spencer, particularly those in visual merchandising roles. They can provide valuable insights into the company culture and expectations, which can be beneficial during your application process.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully implemented visual merchandising strategies in previous roles. Highlighting measurable outcomes will showcase your ability to drive sales and enhance customer experience.
✨Tip Number 4
Stay updated on M&S's recent initiatives and transformations in retail. Being knowledgeable about their current projects will allow you to align your skills and experiences with their goals, making you a more attractive candidate.
We think you need these skills to ace Visual Lead (field based)- Home Counties, South & South West Regions
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your extensive experience in visual merchandising, styling, and layout planning. Use specific examples from your previous roles that demonstrate your ability to drive visual excellence in retail.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for creating exceptional customer experiences at M&S. Mention how your skills align with the key accountabilities of the Visual Lead role and provide examples of how you've successfully coached teams in the past.
Showcase Relevant Achievements: Include quantifiable achievements in your application, such as improvements in sales growth or visual standards you have implemented in previous positions. This will help illustrate your impact in similar roles.
Highlight Your Collaborative Skills: Emphasise your ability to collaborate with regional managers and support teams. Provide examples of how you've worked effectively with others to achieve common goals, particularly in driving visual merchandising initiatives.
How to prepare for a job interview at Marks and Spencer
✨Showcase Your Visual Merchandising Expertise
Be prepared to discuss your extensive experience in visual merchandising, styling, and layout planning. Bring examples of your previous work or projects that demonstrate your ability to create engaging displays and enhance customer experiences.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
As a Visual Lead, you'll be coaching and developing teams. Highlight your leadership experience and provide specific examples of how you've successfully trained or inspired others in a retail environment.
✨Understand M&S Values
Familiarise yourself with Marks and Spencer's values and mission. Be ready to explain how your personal values align with theirs and how you can contribute to their goal of delivering exceptional quality and service.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and ability to handle challenges in a retail setting. Think of scenarios where you've had to implement changes or improve visual standards, and be ready to discuss the outcomes.