Director, Visual Merchandise

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa

3d

About The Position

The Director of Retail Marketing & Visual Merchandising leads the development and execution of retail marketing, visual merchandising, and field communications across the omni-channel retail business. The role creates customer experiences through in-store signage, window displays, promotional campaigns, product storytelling, and visual merchandising programs intended to drive sales, brand engagement, and operational excellence.

Working cross-functionally with merchandising, brand marketing, social media, cafe marketing, e-commerce, operations, and other enterprise teams, the Director integrates retail initiatives across customer touchpoints. The position is the primary liaison to franchisee partners, leading product and marketing line reviews, securing buy-in, and providing the information, tools, and support needed for successful execution. It also drives retail communications, enterprise sell-in, and cross-divisional partnerships to support consistent brand presentation and retail product initiatives across company-owned and franchise locations.

The Director develops annual strategies, manages visual merchandising and creative production budgets, establishes performance measures, and uses consumer, sales, and market insights to improve programs and execution. The role provides strategic leadership and partnership across merchandising, marketing, operations, and executive teams, fostering collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Retail Merchandising, Business, Communications, Design, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in retail marketing, visual merchandising, brand marketing, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing cross-functional programs and teams.
• Proven experience developing and executing large-scale retail marketing and visual merchandising initiatives.
• Strong understanding of store operations and omni-channel retail environments.
• Experience managing creative agencies, photo shoots, and production processes.
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills.
• Strong presentation, communication, and stakeholder management capabilities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting franchise business models.
• Experience within lifestyle, entertainment, hospitality, apparel, consumer products, or specialty retail industries.
• Strong analytical capabilities and the ability to connect creative initiatives to business performance.
• Experience working within complex, multi-channel organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of visual merchandising programs across retail channels, including window displays, feature presentations, seasonal campaigns, merchandising installations, product storytelling, point-of-sale materials, and in-store signage.
• Own the visual merchandising calendar and develop visual standards and execution guidelines for store teams and franchisees.
• Partner with retail operations to ensure visual concepts are operationally achievable; conduct store reviews and audits and identify opportunities to improve execution.
• Develop creative briefs and provide creative direction from concept through final execution, including work with agencies, creative partners, designers, photographers, and production vendors.
• Lead product and lifestyle photo shoots; approve creative assets, production materials, and campaign execution plans; maintain brand consistency in customer-facing materials.
• Plan and execute retail marketing campaigns for product launches, seasonal programs, key initiatives, and promotional events.
• Coordinate with brand marketing, social media, cafe marketing, e-commerce, merchandising, licensing, operations, and corporate communications to integrate retail initiatives into the broader marketing ecosystem.
• Create launch plans and align campaign messaging and execution across physical and digital touchpoints.
• Own communications to retail field teams and franchise partners, including product information, launch guides, visual merchandising directives, marketing toolkits, pricing and promotional information, timelines, execution updates, and training materials.
• Establish communication standards and feedback mechanisms to support consistent execution across locations.
• Serve as the primary marketing and merchandising partner for franchise operators; lead franchise line reviews approximately nine months before launch and present product assortments, marketing plans, visual merchandising programs, and customer engagement opportunities.
• Provide franchisees with product information and performance insights, build partnerships while supporting brand standards, and support implementation throughout the product lifecycle.
• Support enterprise-wide product placement across business divisions and channels; develop presentations and marketing materials and partner with stakeholders to identify sales and visibility opportunities.
• Influence internal decision-makers through storytelling, data-driven recommendations, and strategic partnerships, aligning retail initiatives with broader company objectives.
• Develop annual retail marketing and visual merchandising strategies that support revenue and brand objectives.
• Manage budgets for visual merchandising, creative production, marketing assets, and agency partnerships.
• Establish KPIs and success measures, analyze program performance and customer engagement, and use consumer, sales, and market insights to optimize future efforts.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner and build cross-functional alignment while fostering creativity, accountability, execution excellence, and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• The posting describes a comprehensive benefits package intended to support team members' health, future planning, and work-life balance; benefits may vary with employment status. It directs applicants to the company career site for the full benefits list.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director