VM Designer – Fashion and Beauty

Overview

The Visual Merchandising Designer role is to support the VM Lead in the creation and maintenance of merchandising standards and guidelines. Working collaboratively to ensure the delivery of the visual strategy to create commercially driven and visually inspiring store environments through the optimisation of design, buying, planning, space utilisation and cost efficiency. You will need the ability to define the Brand through innovative merchandising and be a key Brand ambassador, managing communication at all levels, providing honest, detailed and well considered feedback following projects.

Part of the role is to create, design and develop product based design solutions for all types of store experiences, departments, formats & product displays, ensuring that designs meet the brief, commercial objectives and create a great customer experience from concept through to store execution. Design recommendations are needed to optimise a high number of elements and balance the views of a wide range of stakeholders and have a fundamental impact on the Brand store environment.

Provides advice and guidance to Store Design in accordance with their industry/design specialism.

• Expected salary – The expected salary for this role is up to £53000
• Contract type – This position is a 12 month Secondment/Fixed Term contract
• Working pattern/flexible working – The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you ll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs, whilst balancing the needs of the business. Core office days are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with typically around three days a week in the office or visiting shops to allow for collaboration and attendance of key meetings.
• Location – This role is based at our London Head Office campus in Pimlico. Travel to the office is the responsibility of the successful candidate. There is also a responsibility to visit John Lewis branches when necessary and travel costs will be met in line with the travel policy.

• Create and evolve merchandising guidelines and visual refreshes throughout the season using the latest buying direction and customer profiles for all own brand and third party brands.
• Own the development of designs for permanent and semi-permanent merchandising equipment, including POS.
• Help define the John Lewis look and feel, delivering a consistent approach to the Brand look & feel of shops through merchandising, fixturing, presentation kit and layout guidelines.
• Be responsible for managing the delivery of and communicating Brand merchandising guidelines with knowledge of the market to inspire and engage with our Customers.
• Assist in the planning and delivery of seasonal changes, projects, collaborations and store-specific requests.
• Provide clear merchandising guidelines for new concepts.
• Design with cost in mind, working with our supply chain to develop affordable, effective materials and construction methods. Work with internal and external design resources including design agencies. Ensure all design solutions are in line with John Lewis brand guidelines and sustainability targets.
• Ensure all Health & Safety and DDA requirements are met and the due diligence approval level has been completed.
• Maintain continual BAU design solutions and projects to keep brand standards effective and up to date; meet commercial needs for specialist product presentation.
• Support the wider VM department with planning and implementation of own brand seasonal set-up; work closely with Retail teams on key actions and deliverables; review execution.
• Demonstrate a balanced view, focusing on both Own brand and External brands to maintain their individual strategies and Brand integrity and ensure they show up consistently across the estate. Work streams - Core Lite/CSI.
• Strategically plan movements to effectively support the goals of the VM department and business needs, remaining agile to Trade.
• Involvement and support of projects to drive the Brand forward and achieve VM department strategy through augmented resources.
• Develop and invest time in trials for new merchandising, fixture and layout ideas…