Sr Manager - Brand Experience, Visual Merchandising

Kohler Co.•Kohler, WI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Sr. Manager – Brand Experience, Visual Merchandising is responsible for bringing Kohler’s brand to life through innovative, high-impact physical experiences that inspire, educate, and convert customers. This leader acts as a brand evangelist and creative strategist, driving the visual merchandising strategy and execution across the Professional Channel. This includes creating differentiated, design-led environments that express Kohler’s brand promise and strengthen consumer and trade engagement across Kohler Stores, showrooms, builder, retail, and counter environments. The role focuses on driving innovation, brand differentiation, and measurable business outcomes by blending storytelling, spatial design, and technology to enhance the customer and trade professional experience. The Sr. Manager leads a multidisciplinary team of Interior Designers, Visual Merchandising specialists, and Project Management personnel, ensuring the delivery of on-brand, on-budget, and on-time showroom buildouts, display activations, and visual merchandising programs that elevate Kohler’s leadership in design and craftsmanship, ultimately driving brand preference and sales.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Design, Visual Merchandising, or related field
8+ years of experience in visual merchandising, brand experience, or retail design
Strong understanding of end-to-end merchandising process—from concept to rollout
Proven experience driving innovation in brand design, scalable and efficient execution, and financial management
Proven ability to design and execute brand experiences across multiple store formats
Experience with 3D design or interior design software
Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
Confident navigating ambiguity and driving clarity in complex, cross-functional initiatives
Strategic thinker with strong executional discipline; able to translate vision into action
Exceptional communicator and collaborator across creative, product, and business teams
Customer-obsessed, detail-oriented, and relentlessly focused on delivering brand-defining experiences
Demonstrates integrity, initiative, and commitment to continuous improvement

Responsibilities

Lead Kohler’s visual merchandising strategy for the Professional Channel, ensuring brand differentiation, innovation, and brand positioning with product benefits into inspiring physical display and customer touchpoints.
Champion design thinking and creative experimentation to evolve how Kohler products and stories are experienced in physical environments.
Translate brand and product strategy into immersive visual storytelling and differentiated physical experiences that reflect Kohler’s innovation and design leadership.
Partner with Brand, Product, and Channel Marketing to ensure visual merchandising amplifies key initiatives, launches, and category growth priorities.
Create display and graphic solutions that deliver cohesive brand storytelling, enhance product discovery, and drive conversion.
Ensure consistent execution of Kohler’s brand identity and design standards across all professional touchpoints.
Lead concept development and rollout of new displays, product launches, and in-store brand experiences in partnership with Brand, Product, and Channel Marketing teams.
Lead the design and activation of differentiated showroom environments that express Kohler’s design, craftsmanship, and innovation leadership.
Translate consumer and designer insights into physical experiences that enhance product discovery, education, and loyalty.
Translate consumer and design insights into high-impact visual narratives that elevate category leadership and product desirability.
Oversee project management from concept through installation—ensuring on-time, on-budget, and on-brand delivery.
Champion experience innovation through design thinking, experimentation, and use of new technologies such as AR/VR visualization, interactive displays, and digital storytelling tools.
Build an innovation pipeline that pilots, evaluates, and scales emerging merchandising concepts and technologies across Kohler showrooms and partner locations.
Establish and track experience performance metrics—traffic, engagement, dwell time, conversion, and satisfaction—to quantify the impact of visual merchandising on business results.
Partner with Analytics, Sales, and Channel Marketing teams to integrate field data, customer insights, and ROI analysis into continuous improvement cycles.
Translate performance insights into future design decisions, optimizing layouts, messaging, and product presentation for maximum impact.
Own the creation and maintenance of Visual Merchandising Guides to ensure consistent execution across showrooms, builder, and counter locations.
Manage Storefront, Kohler’s internal display and graphics ordering portal—maintaining SKUs, navigation, and user training.
Partner with vendors, designers, and contractors to ensure execution quality, cost control, and adherence to Kohler’s brand standards for display & showroom buildouts.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of Interior Designers, Visual Merchandising and Project Management to deliver creative excellence, operational efficiency, and strong collaboration.
Oversee all showroom buildouts and renovations, ensuring alignment to design standards, assortments, and project timelines.
Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, continuous learning, and cross-functional partnership that encouraging bold thinking and data-informed creativity.