Head of Visual Merchandising and Events

Job Title: Head of Visual Merchandising and Events

Reports to: Creative Director

Location: Hybrid (3 days encouraged, 2 required in London office, remaining days at home)

Contract Type: Full Time Permanent

Start Date: ASAP

The Head of Visual Merchandising and Events is the creative guardian for how The INKEY List comes to life in stores and at events. They must hold the customer at the heart of everything they do, and approach the task in hand with a combination of industry-leading concepts, great data, and great design.

This position requires the timely development of innovative Visual Merchandise systems and event concepts to fit with brand and customer requirements, manufacturability, and marketing objectives.

The candidate will report into the Creative Director, working closely with the Global Trade Manager(s) and have a VM Graphic Designer reporting in to them.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

VM:

• Collaborating with the Creative Director, Visual Merchandising Manager(s), and cross- functional teams to conceive, design, and develop new launches, overhauls, and updates for multiple retail channels globally
• Responsible for design and implementation of Visual Merchandising executions both Permanent and Temporary, within budget and agreed deadlines. This includes the development of conceptual designs, achievement of internal, Global and retailer’s approvals, owning briefs and managing external agencies, communicating to internal teams, final implementation, and reporting.
• Lead the collaboration and develop good relationships with external project management, suppliers and agencies from creative brief to production.
• Conduct periodical visits to key doors to ensure the best VM standards are met and product launches are correctly implemented in store. Strengthen relationships and coach field teams to ensure teams are trained and informed of in-store presentation guidelines.
• Customize and communicate central VM guidelines to meet the specific needs of the local markets, ensuring consistency and brand integrity across all stores.
• Create clear design initiative documents, including presentation decks with renders graphics for internal review, retailer review for estimates and 3rd party vendor approval (both 2D and 3D)

EVENTS:

• Work closely with the Consumer Experience and Trade Marketing Team to understand their vision and requirements, providing creative event solutions to meet their needs.
• Liaison with internal teams and selected vendor(s) and agencies to assess design intent and execution, production, budgets and ensure all events are executed to the highest standard.
• Lead creative look-and-feel and delivery of eventing including (but not limited to) pop-ups, tradeshows, press, influencer and community activations and internal events
• Oversee the setup, execution, and breakdown of events, ensuring all elements are in place and functioning as planned.

Key Capabilities:

• Strong knowledge of Visual Merchandising construction, development methods and trends preferably within prestige cosmetics
• Strong Graphic Design skills (both 2D and 3D) and understanding of Technical/Engineering drawings
• Previous experience in eventing and in-real-life activations
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Must be an excellent team player with strong analytical, negotiation, organisational and communication skills and have an ability to work with multiple departments
• Must possess the ability to multi-task, think outside of the box and establish priorities yet be flexible in an ever-changing environment.
• Work with vendors to develop progressive, sustainable solutions.
• Value engineer with vendors for cost effective solutions within brand budgets.
• Decision making abilities and self-reliance.
• 8+ years in industry preferred

What we will give to you (our Company Benefits):

• Hybrid working
• Private Medical for ALL employees - Vitality Medical scheme
• Part of the BCORP organisations
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Birthday day off
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric Car scheme
• Team days
• Allowance to use on our wonderful products each month
• Dog friendly office

The INKEY team

At The INKEY List we are a dynamic and enthusiastic team with huge ambition.

We make things happen (sometimes against the odds!) by thinking differently and being solution-led.

We love hearing creative, innovative ideas that provide opportunities for improvement. Proactiveness is an absolute must. In return, we are committed to developing the knowledge of our team, as we do with our consumers, and the scope for growth is enormous.

We are a diverse team of passionate individuals who fundamentally believe that better knowledge creates better decisions.

We are really proud of the culture and environment we have built in our business since our launch in 2018.

We stand for transparency, equality and fairness and live this through our brand and our team every day.

We are for everyone.