Job Description

THE ROLE

A confidential, highly respected, multi-billion-dollar global retailer is seeking a Manager, Retail Visual Merchandising – Footwear to help shape the in-store footwear experience across its North American fleet.

This highly visible role will translate seasonal priorities, key product moments, marketing campaigns, and commercial objectives into compelling visual merchandising strategies that bring product stories to life in stores. Partnering across Merchandising, Marketing, Store Design, Retail Operations, and external brand partners, this leader will create clear, scalable visual directives that elevate the customer experience while helping drive product performance and sell-through.

The ideal candidate brings a strong combination of visual creativity, commercial thinking, and operational execution. This person understands how to create inspiring footwear presentations while keeping the realities of store execution in mind—developing concepts, standards, and tools that are visually impactful, easy for field teams to execute, and scalable across a large retail organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop visual merchandising strategies and directives that bring seasonal campaigns, footwear launches, and key commercial moments to life in stores
• Translate merchandising and marketing priorities into clear, compelling, and executable visual direction for field and store teams
• Partner cross-functionally to develop merchandising briefs and storytelling concepts that support product priorities, customer engagement, and sell-through
• Influence fixture, signage, graphic, and presentation requirements to strengthen product storytelling and the overall in-store experience
• Develop bespoke merchandising solutions for key footwear launches, promotional moments, local initiatives, and vendor-supported campaigns
• Partner with external brands and internal teams to ensure vendor campaigns integrate seamlessly into the broader store experience
• Support visual merchandising needs for new store openings, remodels, closings, capital projects, and other strategic retail initiatives
• Develop and maintain visual merchandising standards, playbooks, tools, and resources that make execution easier and more consistent across the fleet
• Create and test new merchandising concepts that respond to evolving customer expectations, product strategies, and business priorities
• Oversee print, digital, signage, and fixture requirements for in-store campaigns, including specifications, quantities, distribution, and budget considerations
• Build strong cross-functional processes that keep teams aligned and ensure visual direction reaches stores accurately and on schedule
• Manage multiple campaigns, product moments, and projects simultaneously while maintaining strong attention to detail and execution

IDEAL BACKGROUND

• 5+ years of experience in retail visual merchandising, ideally within footwear, athletic, fashion, apparel, or another product-driven retail environment
• Deep understanding of visual merchandising principles, product presentation, storytelling, and the realities of executing concepts across stores
• Demonstrated ability to translate creative concepts and commercial priorities into clear, scalable visual merchandising directives
• Experience partnering across Merchandising, Marketing, Store Design, Retail Operations, and external brand or vendor teams
• Strong understanding of fixtures, signage, graphics, print production, and in-store campaign execution
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Acrobat
• Experience with 3D rendering tools such as SketchUp
• Strong Microsoft Office 365 skills, including PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Word, and Teams
• Design and print production knowledge strongly preferred
• Basic photography knowledge is a plus
• Strong project management skills with the ability to balance multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-moving retail environment
• Bachelor's degree preferred
• Ability to travel a minimum of 25% and lift 30–40 pounds as needed

WHY THIS ROLE

This is an opportunity to have a direct influence on how customers experience some of the most exciting footwear brands and product stories in retail.

The successful candidate will help shape the visual expression of footwear across a large North American store fleet, working at the intersection of creativity, product, marketing, and commercial performance. For someone who loves great retail, understands what makes product come alive in a physical space, and enjoys seeing ideas move from concept to execution at scale, this role offers tremendous visibility and impact.