Visual Merch - Store

About the Team

You will be part of the Visual Merchandising team responsible for the visual interpretation and direction with cross-functional partners and teammates to deliver an exceptional customer experience in our global businesses and partners. The role supports the execution of visual strategies across the brand by creating visual tools and resources that allow home office and stores to plan and execute flawlessly to drive sales.

Responsibilities

• Partner with merchants, planners, allocations, and visual teams to create cohesive and elevated visual merchandising strategy for global stores.
• Act as a business partner to merchant, allocation, and country teams during and after seasonal floor sets.
• Identify merchandising updates based on business results and assortment strategies.
• Partner with Director of Visual Merchandising on elevated and advanced in-store displays and windows.
• Create distinct and differentiated visual merchandising strategies in our franchise, company-owned, and wholesale businesses.
• Develop market- and culturally-relevant merchandising and training strategies to drive sales and introduce and expand the brand globally.
• Assist in the mapping and planning of product placement and merchandising of retail presentations and visual floor sets.
• Assess and impact each shop structure and allocation of space to maximize business focus on selected store locations.
• Develop and manage visual merchandising standards and training topics, including quarterly updates, tools, and training for global partners to ensure brand integrity globally.
• Identify and develop training opportunities to build visual merchandising skills and train and develop country brand managers from the corporate office, as well as travel to markets to execute workshops.
• Manage the global calendar to ensure all VM guidelines get published and communicated on time.
• Assist with the development of the corporate visual merchandising presentation for all categories, from conceptual through execution phases (including post-floor set execution, in-season updates, and ongoing sell-through strategies).
• Participate in seasonal presentation workshops, meetings, and conference calls with corporate and global teams.
• Contribute to visual team training and seasonal feedback to support the development of teams.
• Solicit feedback from field visual teams to provide insight for merchant, planning, and allocation teams.
• Facilitate the sharing of inspiration and idea generation.
• Partner with all functions of the visual merchandising department to support a cohesive visual strategy.
• Provide thoughtful and educational feedback to field visual teams.
• Partner with Director of Visual Merchandising and Store Design to ensure new store build-outs are flexible in design, functional for markets, and cost-efficient for corporate and global partners.
• Support the visual team budget and be fiscally responsible.

Requirements

• Ability to balance creativity with business acumen.
• Influencing, problem analysis, and decision-making skills, with the ability to inspire.
• Acts in service to our field global organizations and as a brand ambassador reflective of the company values and aesthetic.
• Strong understanding of trend and style that is reflective of the brand.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong proficiency in InDesign, Photoshop, and Photography.
• Knowledge of visual merchandising techniques, standards, and practices, and how this translates to global field teams.
• Strong understanding of merchandising and its direct impact on sales.
• Ability to provide significant feedback, ideas, and hindsight on current and future floor-sets, windows, marketing tools, and seasonal strategies through field partnership and assessment processes, as well as seasonal hindsight recaps.
• Proven creativity with strong aesthetic sensibility and excellent visual merchandising skills.
• Strong understanding of product position strategies, promotions, and inventory across multi-channel store designs.
• Competition and industry awareness with a strong knowledge of country markets.
• Ability to act as a resource, trainer, and communicator of information to manage and elevate visual consistency.
• International travel required.

Qualifications

• Ensures the merchandising processes are collaborative, supported, and well-planned.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift and mobilize medium to large items, up to 75 lbs., while utilizing appropriate equipment and safety techniques.
• Ability to be mobile on the sales floor for extended periods of time.

Benefits

• A generous discount on all Williams Sonoma Inc. brands through multiple shopping channels.
• A 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities.
• Paid vacations, holidays, and other time-off programs.
• Health benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance; health and dependent care tax-free spending accounts; medical, family, and bereavement leave; same-sex domestic partner benefits; short- and long-term disability programs; life and travel insurance; an employee assistance program.
• Tax-free commuter benefits.
• A wellness program that supports your physical, financial, and emotional health.
• In-person and online learning opportunities through WSI University.
• Cross-brand and cross-function career opportunities.
• Location-specific sample sales.
• A business casual work environment.
• San Francisco-based bike share program.
• Time off to volunteer.
• Matching donations to qualifying nonprofit organizations.
• Company-sponsored community involvement.
• Various discounts on local businesses.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will not commence an immigration case or sponsor an individual for this position (e.g., H-1B or other employment-based immigration). This role is not eligible for relocation assistance.