Visual Merchandising Manager, Retail

As the Visual Merchandising Manager at Brooks, you will lead the end-to-end visual merchandising design for Brooks owned retail fleet – shaping how the brand comes to life in physical space and creating experiences that drive commercial performance. You will sit at the intersection of brand storytelling, product strategy, and retail performance, translating seasonal narratives into scalable, high‑impact in‑store experiences that improve conversion, average unit retail (AUR), and sell‑through. You will work directly with retail leadership to build the visual merchandising function for a rapidly expanding retail fleet – establishing operating models, tools, and standards that enable consistent execution across markets while elevating the customer experience. Your Responsibilities Visual Merchandising Operating Model & Business Impact Lead the ideation and execution of the visual merchandising vision and roadmap for Brooks owned retail in alignment with the overall retail strategy, brand positioning, and commercial priorities. Establish clear KPIs (i.e., conversion, units per transactions (UPT), AUR, sell‑through, engagement) and utilize data to analyze store‑level performance to identify measurable business outcomes. Own the translation of seasonal and product priorities into compelling in‑store storytelling frameworks that drive demand and clarity. Design and implement a scalable visual merchandising operating model to support growth from a small fleet to national expansion, creating a repeatable blueprint for future store openings. Develop standardized playbooks, tools, floor sets, and execution frameworks that enable consistency without sacrificing local relevance. Lead the creation of store zoning, adjacencies, and product flow strategies grounded in consumer behavior and performance data. Own visual merchandising execution for all new store openings, including concepting, floor sets, and launch storytelling. Partner with Store Development and Design to ensure physical space and merchandising strategy are fully integrated. Ensure each new store opens at a flagship level of execution, setting the standard for the fleet. Cross‑Functional Partnership & Alignment Partner with Product, Brand Marketing, Creative, Retail Marketing, and Store Operations team to define merchandising standards and playbook. Partner closely with Lead Buyer and Retail Marketing Manager on product campaigns and in‑store seasonal product launches. Prepare recommendations on assortments, key stories, campaign priorities, and more for retail leadership that ensure retail execution is set up for success and ahead of the curve. Oversee use of visual merchandising playbook across owned retail, wholesale, and events to reinforce brand consistency. Build and foster relationships with team members across Brooks to gain and maintain a current and deep understanding of what drives the brand, business, and products. Continuous Improvement & Evolution Design, maintain, and develop a feedback ecosystem and store audit process (e.g., tools, cadence, scoring, accountability) to gain field insights that will inform future merchandising strategies. Identify opportunities and suggest modifications to improve product placement, storytelling clarity, and in‑store navigation. Stay up to date with retail consumer behaviors and utilize insights to test new methods to elevate customer engagement, product discovery, and brand storytelling. Demonstrate deep understanding of the competitive landscape to bring forward innovative concepts, tools, and technologies that differentiate Brooks in physical. Team Mentorship & Collaboration Share your expertise to mentor and support team members to help develop their skillsets and provide guidance on day‑to‑day and project work. Train Visual Merchandiser, store leaders, and field teams on visual merchandising principles, storytelling, and execution excellence. Partner with Senior Manager, Retail to create and maintain alignment across the team. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field; equivalent combination of education and years of experience can be considered in lieu of degree(s). 7+ years of experience in visual merchandising, retail experience design, or brand merchandising; preferably in premium or performance brands. Proven track record leading merchandising strategy at scale (multi‑store, multi‑market environments). Demonstrated ability driving measurable business results through visual merchandising. Experience developing operating models, tools, and standards for growing retail organizations. Deep understanding of consumer behavior in physical retail environments. Experience partnering with store design, product merchandising, and marketing teams. Highly analytical; comfortable using data to inform decisions and challenge assumptions. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrating effective listening through concise, clear verbal and written communication. Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust resulting in effective working relationships across the company. Keen attention to detail in planning, organization, and execution of tasks, while still seeing the big picture and understanding how all the pieces fit together and affect one another. Ability to anticipate how a decision made can affect our customers, our partners, our products, or other departments’ operations and/or morale; “connecting the dots”. Demonstration of innovation and initiative – always looking at improving our products and processes while also displaying a willingness to dive into the details and help wherever necessary. Passionate participation in Brooks’ sports activities a plus, overridden by the ability to understand and empathize with the runner to develop loyal, engaging relationships with our customers and the Brooks community. Travel 20‑50% (domestically). Embraces and lives the Brooks values! Compensation The pay range for this position is $98,286 - $147,428 per year. Base pay offered will vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. Benefits & Other Benefits: including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance, HSA and employer contribution, FSA, family & fertility assistance, 401K Savings Plan and match, employee assistance program, and transportation assistance. Bonus: In addition to base pay, Brooks employees may also be offered an annual bonus based on company performance. Paid Time Off: Brooks offers a generous paid time off package, paid holidays, paid sick and parental leave. Perks: including product discounts and giveaways, employee recognition, and fitness discounts. At Brooks, we celebrate diversity & equity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment, and encourage people of all backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills to apply. Brooks is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, two‑spirit identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, the presence of a physical, mental, or sensory disability, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), caste, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, actual or perceived victims of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking, HIV or Hepatitis C infection, political ideology, use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability, or on any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, or any other non‑merit based factors. #J-18808-Ljbffr Brooks Sports Inc