Director, Visual Merchandising

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.

Description

Director, Visual Merchandising

The Director of Visual Merchandising is responsible for developing and executing a compelling visual merchandising strategy that elevates brand storytelling, drives customer engagement, and maximizes sales performance across all retail channels. This leadership role supports multiple brands and oversees the creation, implementation, and optimization of visual standards, in-store experiences, promotional campaigns, fixture programs, and merchandising presentations that reflect each brand’s positioning while supporting broader business objectives.

The ideal candidate brings a strong creative vision and the ability to translate distinct brand identities into compelling retail experiences, combining commercial acumen with deep expertise in beauty retail, consumer behavior, category merchandising, store design, and omnichannel execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with regional brand and CCH teams to develop and execute the visual merchandising strategy across all retail channels, ensuring alignment with brand objectives, product launches, seasonal campaigns, and business goals.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Visual Merchandising team, fostering creativity, accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Serve as a hands-on creative leader, conceptualizing, designing, and producing compelling 2D and 3D retail experiences for new product launches, promotional events, windows, shop-in-shops, pop-ups, and seasonal campaigns.
• Partner closely with ELC brands’ Marketing, Creative, Store Operations, and Product Development teams to translate brand initiatives into impactful in-store experiences.
• Oversee the development, production, and execution of visual merchandising directives, ensuring consistent implementation and brand standards across all store locations.
• Lead visual merchandising support for store openings, remodels, and special retail initiatives
• Stay current on beauty, retail, and design trends to continually elevate the customer experience.
• Develop and maintain strong understanding of retailers In NA region (Ulta, Sephora, Macy's etc.…)
• Work with Trade Marketing team to develop and implement a long-term product and merchandising strategy for all levels of the distribution for; Retail Partner & MAC FSS doors.
• Work with the RDDC Team to impact new store openings, new fixture rollouts, and existing formats. Brand Go to Market team in collab with RDDC
• Develops and provides oversight to the timely distribution of brand and seasonal merchandising guidelines and planograms. RDDC will create but brand would distribute .
• Partner with Marketing & Creative, to pre-plan for all 3D & 2D window installations, LED content uploading and seasonal store take-over.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Visual Merchandising, Industrial Design, Fashion Merchandising, Interior Design, 3D design, graphic design, or related fields.
• 10+ years of progressive hands-on creative visual merchandising experience.
• 5+ years of experience working on multiple brands
• Hands-on expertise in retail fixture design
• Create and oversee the delivery of detailed schematics and 3D renderings to support effective execution by external partners.
• Proven ability to lead and develop a team of designers supporting multiple brands, balancing creative excellence, brand consistency, and business priorities across a complex multi-brand environment.
• 5+ years of people management experience within beauty, cosmetics, prestige retail, specialty retail, or consumer brands.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale visual merchandising programs across multi-store retail environments.
• Strong understanding of beauty retail trends, customer behaviors, and merchandising best practices.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and external agencies.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and presentation skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, Rhinoceros 3D, KeyShot, and SketchUp.

Preferred

• Experience with prestige beauty, luxury beauty, specialty beauty, or omnichannel retail environments.
• New store opening and retail rollout experience.
• Knowledge of fixture design, store planning, and retail design principles.
• Experience working with global retail organizations

Pay Range:

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $124,200.00 to $214,450.00. Exact salary depends on several factors such as experience, skills, education, and budget. Salary range may vary based on geographic location. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program as well as participation in the share incentive plan. In addition, In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program with the possibility for overachievement based on performance and company results. In addition, The Estée Lauder Companies offers a variety of benefits to eligible employees, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance), wellness and family support programs, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plans, paid leave programs, education-related programs, paid holidays and vacation time, and many others. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is Company's policy not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. The Company will endeavor to provide a reasonable accommodation consistent with the law to otherwise qualified employees and prospective employees with a disability and to employees and prospective employees with needs related to their religious observance or practices. Should you wish to apply for this position or any other position with the Company and you believe you require assistance to complete an application or participate in an interview, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io.

Michigan Applicants:

Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for employment must notify the company in writing of the need for an accommodation within 182 days after the date the person with a disability knew or reasonably should have known that an accommodation was needed.

Philadelphia Applicants:

Philadelphia's Fair Chance Hiring Law

Rhode Island Applicants:

The company is subject to chapters 29-38 of title 28 of the general laws of Rhode Island and is therefore covered by the state's workers' compensation law.