Merchandising Manager

Merchandising Manager

Opportunity, growth, and meaningful rewards! We offer: Health, dental and vision insurance Generous paid time off (vacation, flex or sick) Holiday pay 401(k) retirement plan Company paid life insurance Tuition reimbursement Employee discounts across all company brands Employee assistance program Training and exciting career growth opportunities Referral program – refer a friend and earn a bonus Benefits may vary by position so ask your recruiter for details. Advertised Compensation: $73,010.00 to $86,968.00 Purpose: The Merchandising & Brand Manager at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, focuses on financial performance, commercial excellence and brand standard compliance for specialty retail operations with sales up to $3M. This role ensures stores maintain exceptional brand standards, visual merchandising, and product presentation while serving as the primary liaison with brand partners and supporting operational teams in delivering brand-compliant customer experiences. Essential Functions: Collaborates with operational leadership to support sales growth through brand standard execution, product knowledge training, and visual merchandising excellence while monitoring brand compliance metrics Partners with operational management to establish and maintain brand-specific customer service standards; provides targeted coaching and brand expertise to enhance customer experiences while supporting the full talent lifecycle including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and developing specialty staff to ensure consistent brand representation Oversees and executes inventory management processes related to brand requirements, working collaboratively with operational teams on strategic stock selection, seasonal transitions, and promotional merchandise planning; ensures full compliance with promotional guidelines and brand partner requirements while maintaining optimal inventory levels that support sales objectives and brand standards Conducts regular brand standard audits and store assessments to ensure visual merchandising, product presentation, and brand guideline compliance; makes decisions on corrective actions and provides strategic recommendations to operational teams Serves as primary liaison with Commercial team, brand partners and vendors, communicating brand initiatives, seasonal requirements, and promotional needs while ensuring timely execution of brand-directed programs and merchandising resets Develops and delivers brand-specific training programs for store associates, focusing on product knowledge, brand storytelling, and customer engagement techniques that align with brand standards and expectations Monitors and analyzes brand performance metrics, customer feedback, and sales data related to brand compliance; provides insights and recommendations to operational leadership for performance optimization Oversees visual merchandising execution, ensuring displays meet brand guidelines and seasonal requirements; coordinates with merchandising teams on corporate and local brand initiatives while maintaining visual consistency Maintains expert-level product knowledge across assigned brands and categories; stays current with brand launches, promotions, and industry trends while communicating updates to operational teams Reports regularly to brand partners on performance metrics, compliance status, visual merchandising execution, and market insights while maintaining strong vendor relationships Reporting Relationship & Role Information: The position typically reports to the Director of Operations The Merchandising & Brand Manager position falls under the Fair Labor Standards Act as an Exempt position under the Administrative Exemption test The Merchandising & Brand Manager position requires varied scheduling with presence during key operational periods to monitor brand standard execution and support operational teams across different business cycles Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment: Education and Experience: The combination of education and professional experience must exceed 5 years: In a commercial/brand role: Requires 3 years of experience in brand management, visual merchandising, or commercial operations within retail environment In a retail operations support role: Requires 5 years of experience supporting retail operations with focus on brand standards, merchandising, or commercial excellence A bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, merchandising, or related program can count for 3 of the 5-year requirement Specialized Training: Knowledge of retail or consumer goods industry and travel retail concepts Understanding of brand standards, visual merchandising principles, and commercial compliance requirements Experience managing the type of category/concept/brand to which the role is assigned Familiarity with retail systems and reporting tools Specialized Skillset/Competencies/Traits: Strong commercial acumen with understanding of brand performance drivers; ability to analyze sales data and brand metrics to identify opportunities and recommend improvements Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills with ability to manage multiple brand relationships and apply critical thinking to resolve brand compliance challenges Exceptional communication and presentation skills with ability to effectively interface with brand partners, vendors, and internal teams at various organizational levels Demonstrated expertise in visual merchandising, product presentation, and brand standard execution with proven ability to train and coach these standards Strong project management capabilities with ability to coordinate multiple brand initiatives, seasonal resets, and promotional programs while ensuring timely execution Avolta, including Dufry, HMSHost Corporation, Hudson, and affiliates ("the Company"), is an equal opportunity employer. It is the Company's policy to ensure equal employment opportunity in all aspects of employment and to comply with anti-discrimination laws and regulations. The Company prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and provides equal opportunities to applicants and team members without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, age, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions and lactation), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, national origin, disability, military service and veteran status, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances (referred to as "protected characteristics").