Senior Visual Merchandising Executive - Travel Retail EMA (based London) | Maternity Cover

Overview

We are looking for a temporary Senior Visual Merchandising Executive to join the Estée Lauder Travel Retail EMEA team to cover a maternity leave absence. This role is key to maintaining and elevating the brand’s visual presence across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in duty-free and travel retail environments. This role is based in our London office and is a hybrid role, with the expectation to be in the office 3 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Project Execution & Management

• Lead end-to-end VM project delivery across Travel Retail EMEA, ensuring timelines, budgets, and execution quality are met.
• Manage quotes, budgets, invoices, and approvals, and ensure accurate tracking throughout each project.
• Collaborate with Store Design Project Managers to align on VM estimates and delivery timelines for new counters.
• Own all promotional (HPP/SPP) site executions, maintaining consistency and excellence in delivery.
• Act as the key contact for all VM execution partners, including suppliers, installation teams, and internal stakeholders.
• Partner with Store Designer on Category Zoning and support on Planogram development for all New Stores and Renovations.

• Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner with Retailers, Commercial teams, RBDs, Marketing, Finance, Store Design, Domestic and Global VM (TRWW) to ensure alignment on project timelines, brand guidelines, and execution needs.
• Work closely with VM Coordinator to delegate tasks, provide training, and manage workload effectively.

• Visual Merchandising Delivery

• Execute and manage regional campaigns and lightbox updates, including mock-ups, production, and installation plans.
• Develop and maintain detailed planograms tailored to individual markets and assortments.
• Maintain focus on key doors, VIP visits, and top locations to ensure the best-in-class brand representation.
• Track and archive all VM rollouts and visual updates with images and feedback.

• Meetings & Presentations

• Present VM strategies and project updates to senior stakeholders, including RBDs and brand teams.
• Lead and support VM workshops, masterclasses, and seasonal brand meetings as needed.
• Develop and present Go-to-Market decks in collaboration with marketing teams.

• Ad Hoc & Strategic Projects

• Support wider VM initiatives and cross-brand needs where required.
• Identify gaps in execution and propose creative, practical solutions tailored to the travel retail space.

About You

• Proven experience in Visual Merchandising, ideally within beauty or premium retail environments.
• Strong knowledge of Travel Retail or global retail environments is highly desirable.
• Confident managing multiple stakeholders and projects at once.
• Proactive, solution-focused, and comfortable working in fast-paced settings.
• Strong team player with excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Comfortable managing budgets and external suppliers.
• Able to travel regionally when required for brand or site meetings.

Qualifications

Skills & Competencies

• Project Management: Confident managing complex projects from concept to installation.
• Collaboration: Ability to work cross-functionally and build strong working relationships.
• Creative Thinking: Strong visual eye for design, brand aesthetics, and detail.
• Problem Solving: Resourceful and agile in identifying and solving challenges quickly.
• Organisation: Strong time management and ability to manage deadlines across multiple workstreams.
• Software Proficiency
• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
• Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience with 3D visualization tools is a plus – SketchUp (preferred)

Compensation And Benefits

• Generous Bonus Opportunity
• 25 Days Annual Leave (exc. Bank Holidays) that increases with length of service up to 29 days
• 1 additional day of Annual Leave to celebrate your birthday
• Holiday Purchase scheme that enables you to get five additional days
• Summer Fridays for four months of the year
• Market leading Family Leave provisions
• Generous Staff Discount & Credit
• Benefits platform with exclusive discounts and offers
• Mental Health Wellbeing Provisions (Employee Assistant Programme).