Divisional Visual Merchandising Manager -South East

Divisional Visual Manager

We’re looking for a field based Divisional Visual Manager to ensure our Oak Furnitureland brand look and feel is maintained consistently across our showrooms in the South East. The role is for 12 months, on a fixed term maternity cover contract. Working in a fast-paced environment our DVM understands that the customer is at the heart of everything we do. Serious about interiors & style, they have an unwavering attention to detail and deep understanding of our customer market.

In this field based role you’ll be provided with a van, fuel card and will be travelling to showrooms in the South East region. The role is Monday to Friday but there will be some overnight stays (around 1 a week). An ideal candidate will be located within these areas; South Ruislip, Thurrock, Tunbridge Wells, Dartford or Orpington but it's not essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for the visual presentation of circa 20 showrooms. Equal time must be spent at all the showrooms, with overnight stays planned in where necessary to facilitate this focus in line with business activity.
• Build strong working relationships with the Divisional Sales Manager (DSM) as well as Showroom Managers & Colleagues to ensure commercial and visual priorities are aligned.
• Regularly review the performance of each of your showrooms, make recommendations to improve the layout of the store in response to sales.
• Collaborative approach to product updates and implementation requirements with retail colleagues within the showrooms, following Health & Safety guidelines for manual handling of large and heavy products in showrooms.
• Manage display product implementation across the division, working with and feeding back proactively and efficiently with central commercial and retail teams.
• Responsible for keeping up to date with Health and Safety/Manual Handling training.
• Line manage Display Assistant on a day-to-day basis, help plan new ranges in store as well planning workload for range moves and store maintenance.
• Ensure Display Assistant maintains our in-house systems (damaged displays & replacement ordering) with accurate records kept and correct central departments informed.
• Ensure Display Assistant maintains the quality of display stock look and feel to a premium showroom standard.
• Manage budgets and costs within agreed spend.
• Responsible for visual consistency in showrooms, following brand styling guidelines and ranging principles. A creative thinker, able to interpret VM brand guidelines and adapt them to fit each showroom.
• Take the new range information from the CCM and ensure digital floor plans are accurate & always kept up to date for every showroom for all product launches. These must be sent back to CCM for final approval.
• Responsible for booking hotels with company preferred partner and within agreed budgets.
• Foster close working relationship with VM Manager, Creative Concept Manager and other DVMs being committed to improving the sales and brand perception through effective Visual Merchandising in your showrooms.
• Confident in positioning furniture, accessories, and props to reflect customer profiles.
• Continually improve the visual Merchandising standards and presentation of showrooms by understanding competitor developments within the furniture sector and beyond.