Merchandising & Brand Manager

Dufry Careers•Cleveland, OH

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Merchandising & Brand Manager at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport focuses on financial performance, commercial excellence, and brand standard compliance for specialty retail operations with sales up to $3M. This role ensures stores maintain exceptional brand standards, visual merchandising, and product presentation while serving as the primary liaison with brand partners and supporting operational teams in delivering brand-compliant customer experiences.

Requirements

Requires 3 years of experience in brand management, visual merchandising, or commercial operations within retail environment
Requires 5 years of experience supporting retail operations with focus on brand standards, merchandising, or commercial excellence
A bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, merchandising, or related program can count for 3 of the 5-year requirement
Knowledge of retail or consumer goods industry and travel retail concepts
Understanding of brand standards, visual merchandising principles, and commercial compliance requirements
Experience managing the type of category/concept/brand to which the role is assigned
Familiarity with retail systems and reporting tools
Strong commercial acumen with understanding of brand performance drivers; ability to analyze sales data and brand metrics to identify opportunities and recommend improvements
Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills with ability to manage multiple brand relationships and apply critical thinking to resolve brand compliance challenges
Exceptional communication and presentation skills with ability to effectively interface with brand partners, vendors, and internal teams at various organizational levels
Demonstrated expertise in visual merchandising, product presentation, and brand standard execution with proven ability to train and coach these standards
Strong project management capabilities with ability to coordinate multiple brand initiatives, seasonal resets, and promotional programs while ensuring timely execution

Responsibilities

Collaborates with operational leadership to support sales growth through brand standard execution, product knowledge training, and visual merchandising excellence while monitoring brand compliance metrics
Partners with operational management to establish and maintain brand-specific customer service standards; provides targeted coaching and brand expertise to enhance customer experiences while supporting the full talent lifecycle including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and developing specialty staff to ensure consistent brand representation
Oversees and executes inventory management processes related to brand requirements, working collaboratively with operational teams on strategic stock selection, seasonal transitions, and promotional merchandise planning; ensures full compliance with promotional guidelines and brand partner requirements while maintaining optimal inventory levels that support sales objectives and brand standards
Conducts regular brand standard audits and store assessments to ensure visual merchandising, product presentation, and brand guideline compliance; makes decisions on corrective actions and provides strategic recommendations to operational teams
Serves as primary liaison with Commercial team, brand partners and vendors, communicating brand initiatives, seasonal requirements, and promotional needs while ensuring timely execution of brand-directed programs and merchandising resets
Develops and delivers brand-specific training programs for store associates, focusing on product knowledge, brand storytelling, and customer engagement techniques that align with brand standards and expectations
Monitors and analyzes brand performance metrics, customer feedback, and sales data related to brand compliance; provides insights and recommendations to operational leadership for performance optimization
Oversees visual merchandising execution, ensuring displays meet brand guidelines and seasonal requirements; coordinates with merchandising teams on corporate and local brand initiatives while maintaining visual consistency
Maintains expert-level product knowledge across assigned brands and categories; stays current with brand launches, promotions, and industry trends while communicating updates to operational teams
Reports regularly to brand partners on performance metrics, compliance status, visual merchandising execution, and market insights while maintaining strong vendor relationships