Senior Visual Merchandising Manager, Partners

(12-month Maternity Cover – Fixed Term Contract)

We’re seeking an experienced and passionate Senior Visual Merchandising Manager to lead product and campaign launches across our partner environments globally. In this pivotal role, you will shape and implement visual merchandising strategies that elevate the customer experience, support retail performance, and bring our brand purpose to life.

Working cross-functionally with marketing, retail, store design, and international teams, you’ll develop, communicate, and oversee the execution of best-in-class visual merchandising tools and guidelines. You will champion consistency in brand expression while supporting localisation needs, ensuring our environments inspire customers and deliver commercial impact.

This is a highly collaborative and strategic role, requiring creativity, precision, and strong leadership. You’ll manage a small team, guide partners with clarity, and continually evolve visual standards in line with global campaigns, product innovation, and store concepts.

Key Requirements:

• NPD – Develop visual merchandising strategies to support the launch of new ranges and products, drive profitable growth of core categories, and address underperforming categories in all partner environments. This will involve working closely with marketing colleagues, the retail teams, and customer experience to ensure effective communication and implementation of the agreed tactics.
• Campaigns – Develop strategies for, create, and deliver effective VM tools (VM Guides, planograms, props, graphics) to support the global marketing campaign calendar to enable partners to successfully implement marketing campaigns. Own platinum, gold (including props), and silver campaigns for partner locations.
• International – Work with the International Teams to adapt and communicate VM tools (VM Guides, planograms, props, graphics) to support the opening of new partner locations and the maintenance of existing locations.
• Evergreen – Create and update evergreen planograms in line with the change calendar. Provide execution feedback to local teams. Measure success through data analysis in collaboration with Merchandising. Develop and roll out generic toolkits.
• New Global Store-in-Store Concept – Support the Store Design team in developing the customer journey within our new store-in-store concept. Ensure effective service messaging, product presentation, and storytelling to aid navigation, encourage interaction, and drive an exceptional customer experience. Support the store-in-store refit programme and new openings.
• Budget, Admin & Team – Support, coach, and develop the VM team. Maintain and track the global VM budget for partners, working closely with the commercial team, including raising POs. Research and share competitor activity.
• Partner Communication & Support – Carry out partner environment visits to strengthen communication between head office and stand-alone stores. Gather feedback from internal and external stakeholders. Provide constructive input to partners to improve execution and develop their capabilities. Manage the VM inbox for partner support.

What You Will Bring:

• Minimum of five years’ experience within a brand-led luxury retailer (experience in beauty, cosmetics, fragrance or lifestyle sectors is advantageous). Experience working in a retail environment in a Visual Merchandising role. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and planogram software.
• People management experience preferred; this role includes one direct report.
• A strong understanding of Molton Brown’s product portfolio and brand positioning, with a demonstrated ability to drive sales through effective visual merchandising and a clear customer and commercial focus.
• Proven experience in creating VM tools (VM Guides, props, graphics) from concept to production, with a track record of delivering high-quality projects on time and within budget.
• A global perspective with sensitivity to regional and cultural nuances in retail environments.
• Highly organised, proactive and goal-oriented, with a strong sense of initiative and a results-driven mindset.
• Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders across various functions and seniority levels. Strong verbal, written and presentation skills.
• Budget management experience. Proficiency in Photoshop and InDesign is essential.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel extensively, primarily within the UK.

Molton Brown is part of Kao, founded in Japan in 1887. Kao is passionate about making a difference in people\’s lives with our high-quality products and services to create a Kirei Life for all — a beautiful life that respects the needs of our consumers and customers as well as the planet. Our corporate philosophy, the Kao Way, guides us in everything we do — acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation, and treating each other with trust and respect.

How we work: Having been selected among the World\’s Most Ethical Companies for 19 consecutive years, we are a company with a purpose and strong corporate values. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment. At Kao, each employee can actively shape their job and their career. We work collaboratively to achieve our common goals, always aiming to deliver the best for our customers.

Hiring Process: Kao embraces the diversity and the individual personalities of its people because we believe it is diversity that makes us strong. This is why we welcome applications from all areas of the global community.

Want to learn more? If you feel you are as unique as our products and want to find out why 33,000 people across the globe opted for a career with us, please visit https://www.kao.com/emea/en/

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