We are looking for a Retail Design and Merchandising Project Manager to support our luxury beauty client. As a Retail Design and Merchandising Project Manager, you will be instrumental in overseeing the planning, execution, and strategic alignment of all retail design and merchandising initiatives. This role demands a blend of meticulous project management, creative problem-solving, and exceptional communication skills to enhance our brand image, drive customer engagement, and ensure a cohesive customer experience across all touchpoints. You will be the central pivot ensuring timely delivery, strategic alignment with brand goals, and seamless collaboration with diverse teams. This role is operating in a hybrid capacity with several days per week onsite at our client in midtown Manhattan.
Key Responsibilities:
End-to-End Project Management:
- Manage the full lifecycle of retail design and merchandising projects, from initial briefing and concept development through to final execution and approval.
- Develop, track, and maintain comprehensive project timelines, milestones, and deliverables, ensuring adherence to schedules and budgets.
- Oversee the design and execution of various design elements in retail, consistently ensuring projects meet all required deadlines.
- Manage vendor relationships end-to-end for prototypes and specific global-managed projects, ensuring external partners meet deadlines and quality standards.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication:
- Act as the primary representative for the Retail Design and Merchandising teams in all meetings with creative project managers, marketing, creative operations, and other cross-functional stakeholders.
- Facilitate clear and consistent communication channels across all teams, proactively providing visibility into project status, potential issues, and upcoming needs.
- Collaborate closely with internal and external partners to align design and merchandising initiatives with broader brand goals and ensure consistent messaging.
Briefing, Approval & Workflow Management:
- Vet all incoming project briefings from marketing and other teams, ensuring completeness, clarity, and the capture of all necessary information for the Retail Design and Merchandising teams.
- Streamline and manage the approval process and agenda for all design and merchandising projects, coordinating with relevant teams to secure timely sign-offs.
- Connect workflow processes, identify, and eliminate duplicative work, and implement clear systems for project initiation and tracking.
Process Optimization & Database Integrity:
- Maintain and update the Retail Design and Merchandising project database with all project-related information, assets, and approvals.
- Organize and manage folders of working files to ensure efficient collaboration and easy access for designers and team members.
- Oversee the tracking of creative assets progress, ensuring the Retail Design and Merchandising database is accurately updated.
- Actively seek opportunities to refine project management processes, enhancing efficiency and communication flow.
