Senior Marketing / VM Manager

The Retail Marketing Manager is a strategic and hands‑on leader responsible for driving brand presence, commercial performance, and customer engagement across two major west coast international airport duty free operations. This role owns the full marketing lifecycle, from planning and content creation to in‑store execution and directly leads teams spanning visual merchandising, digital media, and print production. Working in close partnership with merchant and commercial teams, the Retail Marketing Manager ensures that every activation, promotion, and in‑store event is brought to life with consistency, creativity, and operational precision across both airport locations. Key Responsibilities Own and manage the annual marketing calendar across all airport retail operations, aligning campaigns with commercial objectives, seasonal opportunities, travel trends, and brand partner priorities. Develop annual, quarterly, and monthly marketing plans that support sales growth, customer engagement, and category performance. Partner with the Merchandising and Operating teams to identify opportunities for traffic generation, conversion improvement, basket growth, and customer acquisition. Translate merchandising strategies into integrated marketing campaigns and customer‑facing activations. Establish campaign objectives, success metrics, and reporting frameworks to evaluate effectiveness and ROI. Monitor performance against KPIs (footfall uplift, conversion, campaign ROI, dwell time) and provide regular reporting to stakeholders. Identify opportunities to differentiate the traveller experience and continually evolve the marketing approach based on data, customer insight, and competitive landscape. Merchant Team Coordination / Promotions & Activations Serve as the primary marketing partner to merchant teams and brand partners. Lead planning and execution of product launches, seasonal campaigns, exclusive airport programs, promotional events, and experiential activations. Coordinate marketing support for key categories including luxury, beauty, spirits, confectionery, fashion, and destination merchandise. Manage co‑op marketing opportunities and maximize brand partner investment. Ensure all activations align with brand guidelines, commercial objectives, and airport operating requirements. Develop activation toolkits, execution standards, and post‑event evaluations to support continuous improvement. Establish and maintain visual merchandising standards across all retail locations. Lead the Visual Merchandising team in creating engaging retail environments that enhance customer experience and maximize commercial performance. Oversee store presentations, promotional displays, store entry programs, feature areas, category storytelling, and product launches. Ensure consistency of execution while maintaining compliance with individual brand standards. Conduct regular store audits and performance reviews to identify opportunities for improvement. Partner with merchants on category resets, assortment changes, and new brand introductions. Manage VM budgets, resource scheduling, and installation timelines across multiple locations. Digital & Print Media Production Lead and manage the in‑house digital and print production team, overseeing the creation, scheduling, and deployment of all marketing materials across both airport properties. Direct the production of digital signage content, including campaign scheduling, asset specification, and content management system (CMS) operations. Oversee the end‑to‑end production of print collateral including POS materials, promotional signage, lightboxes, banners, packaging inserts, and wayfinding elements. Establish and enforce brand guidelines, production standards, and QC processes to ensure all assets meet quality, regulatory, and airport authority requirements. Manage agency and supplier relationships for overflow production work, print procurement, and specialist executions. Drive efficiencies across the production workflow, identifying opportunities to reduce lead times, consolidate spend, and improve asset utilisation. In‑Store Events & Activations Plan and execute in‑store events including brand activations, product tastings, beauty masterclasses, gifting promotions, and seasonal experiences across both airport locations. Manage all logistical, operational, and compliance requirements for in‑store events in close coordination with operations, security, and airport authority teams. Brief and manage external event suppliers, brand ambassadors, and promotional staff. Evaluate event performance and maintain best‑practice standards for future execution. Lead and develop a high‑performing team across Visual Merchandising, Creative, Digital Media, and Production functions. Establish clear goals, priorities, and performance expectations. Manage workload planning, resource allocation, and project prioritization. Foster a culture of creativity, accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence. Conduct performance reviews, coaching, succession planning, and professional development activities. Required Qualifications & Experience Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Retail, Design, or related field. 7+ years of progressive experience in retail marketing, travel retail, consumer marketing, or related disciplines. Minimum 3 years of leadership experience managing creative, visual merchandising, marketing, or production teams. Demonstrated success developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns across multiple retail locations. Strong understanding of visual merchandising principles and customer journey design. Hands‑on experience overseeing digital and print production workflows, including CMS platforms, print‑ready file management, and supplier management. Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives. Proven ability to influence and collaborate across Merchandising, Operations, Finance, and Executive Leadership teams. Strong analytical and commercial acumen with the ability to connect marketing activity to sales performance. Preferred Experience in airport retail, duty free, travel retail, hospitality, luxury retail, or premium consumer brands. Experience working with luxury and prestige brand partners. Familiarity with airport authority approval processes and operational requirements. Experience with digital signage ecosystems and content management platforms. Multi‑location retail leadership experience. 401k Plan Contributions Paid Time Off Paid Holidays Parking Reimbursement Employee Discounts Compensation The salary range for this position is $115,000-$130,000. Placement within this range will be based on experience, qualifications, and internal equity. This role is eligible for an annual bonus program. DFS is an equal opportunity employer. It is the Company’s policy and practice to employ, promote and treat all employees and applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications and competency and to provide all employees with a workplace that is free of discrimination. Employment decisions are based on qualifications such as education, work experience and talent, and are made without regard to race, color, gender, religion, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or any other basis protected by law. #J-18808-Ljbffr DFS Group Ltd