Retail Innovation Project Manager

Retail Project Manager – In-Store / POP & Visual Merchandising

Location: Fox Point, Wisconsin, USA

Industry: Retail Marketing / In-Store Marketing & Print Production

Employment Type: Full-time

Work Arrangement: On-site

About the Role

An established organisation in the retail marketing and production sector is seeking a Retail Project Manager to lead the concepting, planning, production and execution of complex in-store marketing and Point-of-Purchase (POP) initiatives.

The role manages high-profile retail campaigns, structural displays and custom in-store projects from initial client brief through design, prototyping, production and final execution.

You will serve as the key link between clients, design teams, production, operations and administrative functions, ensuring projects are delivered accurately, on time and to the required brand and quality standards.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management

• Lead the end-to-end project lifecycle for complex in-store POP, structural display and high-profile retail campaigns.
• Work directly with clients to establish project scope, expectations and deliverables.
• Develop detailed project briefs for internal design teams.
• Review design deliverables for accuracy, completeness and alignment with client requirements.
• Participate in client store walks, prototype reviews and project review sessions.
• Gather feedback and coordinate required modifications with internal stakeholders.
• Develop detailed project specifications to support accurate pricing, scheduling, production and shipping.
• Lead project overview and cross-functional meetings throughout the project lifecycle.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate closely with Design, Administration, Operations, Production, clients and store teams.
• Ensure all stakeholders understand project objectives, requirements, timelines and responsibilities.
• Lead Design Kickoff Meetings to establish requirements for creative renderings, structural deliverables and permanent installations.
• Lead Project Kickoff Meetings to identify potential gaps, risks and dependencies before production begins.
• Lead Pre-Production Meetings to confirm production requirements, job specifications, materials and outstanding actions.
• Ensure information is accurately communicated between client requirements and downstream production teams.

Timelines & Milestone Management

• Develop detailed project schedules and workback plans aligned with client requirements.
• Establish and monitor key milestones across:
• Conceptual design
• Prototyping
• Specifications
• Estimating and pricing
• Instruction sheets
• Production
• Installation and store execution
• Coordinate colour-critical and high-profile campaign testing schedules.
• Monitor project progress against agreed deadlines and proactively address potential delays.
• Communicate project timelines, milestones and deliverables clearly to clients and internal teams.

Client & Store Coordination

• Act as a key point of contact for clients and store teams throughout project execution.
• Facilitate design and complex-project kickoff calls.
• Coordinate requirements relating to store associate installation and execution.
• Ensure projects meet client expectations and established brand standards.
• Support store-specific requirements and last-minute changes while maintaining project timelines.

Quality & Commercial Coordination

• Coordinate complete and accurate project specifications to support estimating and pricing.
• Ensure project requirements are clearly defined before production.
• Act as a conduit for quality assurance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure final deliverables meet required brand, production and quality standards.
• Identify potential issues early and develop appropriate contingency plans.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Design, Project Management or a related field.
• 3–5 years of project management experience , preferably within:
• In-store print production
• Retail marketing
• Visual merchandising
• Point-of-Purchase (POP) production
• Retail display production
• Strong understanding of in-store print production processes, structural design, materials and installation logistics.
• Experience creating detailed project timelines and managing multiple milestones.
• Proficiency with project management tools.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Excellent communication, client-management and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to anticipate risks, identify potential issues and develop contingency plans.
• Experience managing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Understanding of retail environments, store formats and large retail chains or consumer brands.
• Knowledge of temporary, semi-permanent and permanent retail displays and their production and installation requirements.
• Ability to translate client objectives into practical in-store solutions and execution plans.
• Understanding of substrates, printing techniques and structural engineering for retail displays.
• Adaptable and comfortable managing last-minute changes and store-specific requirements.

Key Skills

Retail Project Management | Project Management | In-Store Marketing | In-Store Production | Point of Purchase | POP Displays | Retail Displays | Visual Merchandising | Retail Marketing | Print Production | Structural Displays | Store Execution | Production Management | Client Management | Project Timelines | Workback Schedules | Prototyping | Print & Packaging | Retail Operations | Brand Execution | Cross-Functional Collaboration | Quality Assurance | Stakeholder Management | Consumer Brands

Benefits

• Medical insurance.
• Prescription drug coverage.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Paid time off.
• Paid holidays.
• Additional employee benefits.