Director, Global Visual Merchandising (Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare)

Shiseido•New York, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The position is responsible for leading the design, development, and implementation of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Visual Merchandising and Events across all retail channels globally in alignment with brand’s strategic goals. The role will help to drive business by partnering with cross functional global and regional teams (Marketing, Creative, Procurement, Product Development & International Development) to develop and implement VM programs and events that are innovative, optimize consistency, leverage brand messaging, seize locally relevant marketing opportunities, and utilize principles of both sustainability and efficiency.

Requirements

BS or BA in Design and/or Industrial Design.
Minimum 10 years of experience in Visual Merchandising. Relevant experience in prestige beauty is required. International experience a plus.
Highly driven, energetic, flexible and team spirited.
Must be strategic, operationally savvy, analytical and detail oriented. Strong knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes and costs.
Strong project management skills. Ability to prioritize and effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
Experience in developing technical drawings for VM elements in partnership with vendors
Ability to understand architectural drawings to extract key information.
Experience managing a team including full-time & freelancer staff.
Strong communication skills and ability to work with cross-functional teams.
Ability to stay current with relevant trends across regions. Awareness and experience with AI platforms.
Ability to effectively convey ideas through 2D drawings and 3D renderings
Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, In-Design, Photoshop), MS Office (Powerpoint, Excel), Sketchup.

Responsibilities

Partner with ED of Creative, Global and Regional Marketing teams to define and influence merchandising strategies to support new launches, product distortions and locally relevant initiatives.
Partner with ED of Creative, Global and Regional Marketing teams, International Marketing, and Education to create compelling, exciting, best in class consumer events that leverage brand codes and support key product launches in alignment with key performance indicators including budget.
Lead the design and development of new merchandising concepts.
Drive evolution of merchandising in open sell channels to increase engagement, improve navigation, salability and storytelling.
Lead the design and development of seasonal updates for all distribution channels. Oversee production of globally produced components.
Partner with ED Creative to drive the process for collaboration between global, regional teams, and international marketing partners to implement visual merchandising programs.
Work closely with VM operations, project management, procurement and display vendors to identify opportunities for cost savings and sustainability.
Effectively manage, mentor and train direct reports and consultants.
Manage US visual merchandising, including updates, launches, and key initiatives.
Manage vendors and consultants in the US, UK, select Asian markets for key visual merchandising updates.
Manage US and UK events, including vendor and project management.
Participate in all merchandising development & launch tracker meetings to review marketing calendar, 360 launch plans and assortments for international and domestic distribution channels.
Develop business knowledge of domestic and international retail landscape and partner with ED Creative, marketing, and global development teams on opportunities for future growth.
Build strong knowledge of global 2D creative assets, marketing strategies, and product messaging for each season.
Lead design and oversee implementation of merchandising quarterly updates in assisted sale and open sell channels. Initiate planograms and design sketches as required, review technical drawings, color matching, prototype approval etc. Develop value engineering strategies as required to ensure budget targets are met and ensure adherence to brand’s sustainability standards in VM.
Collaborate with the creative team partners to understand fixturing systems and distribution strategies. Initiate design of new, innovative merchandising concepts to support product launches and distortions optimizing Brand storytelling, artistry, and local relevancy.
Oversee seasonal guidelines for global visual merchandising. Share global VM and creative concepts with regional partners. Promptly review any local adaptations that may be required. Offer support on areas such as detailing, fabrication, material sourcing etc.
Evaluate current global merchandising systems and collaborate with global and regional teams to develop new systems as required.
Support DDG digital initiatives including but not limited to merchandising for virtual events, virtual stores, and hybrid activations.
Contribute to budget planning and cost review.
Work with ED Creative, Project Management and partners to optimize efficient workflow and partnerships with the regions.
Foster a productive work environment through leadership, collaboration, and communication. Lead, inspire and motivate direct reports: manage performance reviews, goal setting and establish professional development plans.
Hire and manage freelancers as needed.
Maintain awareness of company consumer insights studies and keep abreast of new merchandising trends to drive innovation.