Job Description
The Head of Field VM is accountable for driving the in-store experience strategy across Fashion Home & Beauty, encompassing the pillars of layout, product handling, kit usage and styling. Manages a clear end-to-end process from engagement, through to training and implementation, to deliver a defined standard of visual excellence across our stores, which supports business strategies to enable commercial growth through UK retail spaces. Leads through expertise of the fashion retailing sector, with a detailed lens on the evolving landscape of competitors, globally.
Leads through decisive and commercially strategic planning, and provides the Field VM team with clear prioritisation and structured ways of working. Takes central guidance and implements with expert understanding of space, layout and market opportunity, measuring the commercial impact of decisions and practical implementation to inform the ongoing evolution of our stores.
Working across the UK, the Head of Field VM is an ambassador for delivering the marketing and product strategies and ensuring buy-in, to deliver the customer journey which both inspires and delivers ease of shopping.
This is a field-based role, with travel and on-site working expected as part of the remit.
* Manages the plan to deliver the Model Store strategy by division, delivering seasonal best practice and enabling a format for delivering training to all VM colleagues; leads all new store / renewal planning, including managing resource requirements
* Manages the flow of trade actions both from retail and into retail (via the support centre)
* Proposes updates to guidance in season to maximise commercial gain
* Manages the day-to-day ways of working with the Field VM Team, leading by example with a cost-conscious lens
* Confirms the tools required to deliver the Store Experience strategy across varied store formats and concepts – e.g., kit, new formats of POS, additional information
* Is the primary contact for senior leadership within Retail and works in collaboration with the support centre team to engage and knowledge share at a senior retail level (Regional Managers, Store Directors)
* Manages relationships with key stakeholders and ensures the correct level of information is provided – Inform / consult / engage / collaborate
* Champions an open dialogue with Retail to obtain feedback on strategy, as well as initiating regular in-store reviews enabling informed feedback / PIR to obtain key learnings and inform the way forward
* Champions a customer point of view and relates everything back to our customer, using relevant customer insight, commercial/industry data/KPIs to inform decision making and measure success
* Supports strategic opportunities, including our Omni proposition, to aid business transformation and encourages innovative thinking across the team
* Drives company values and behaviours across the immediate and wider team, through effective leadership
* Accountable for enabling an informed, engaged, and effective team who are experts in their roles
Who you are
* Proven experience working in VM in FH&B at senior manager level with proven leadership capability
* Strategy management with proven commercial success in driving KPIs
* Shows resilience and persistence through periods of change and challenge
* Excellent technical Visual Merchandising and coaching capability
* Excellent communication and key stakeholder management
* Confident understanding / articulation of the brand identity
Everyone's Welcome
We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.
We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.
If you feel you’d benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
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