Senior Design Director, Store Design and Visual Merchandising

Overview

A Sr. Design Director, Store Design & Visual Merchandising will lead a global 3D design team and shape architectural and visual merchandising concepts across diverse retail formats worldwide. This role is responsible for evolving the physical brand experience, ensuring consistency, innovation, and alignment with global brand standards.

*The primary function is the Store Design leadership, but you must also have some experience in VM.

**This is a RELOCATION job posting; do not apply if you are not able to relocate, client is revieiwng options from NYC and can contribute to relo costs.

The position partners with cross-functional teams, regional stakeholders, and external vendors to deliver design initiatives on time and within budget. It also plays a key role in scaling the 3D design function, driving team development, mentorship, and operational excellence.

This leader will collaborate with event and brand teams to align temporary brand experiences with permanent retail environments, while establishing scalable design processes and standards to improve efficiency and speed to market.

Type: Direct hire, Hybrid in LA

Schedule: Regular hours

Pay: $150,000 - $170,000 salary range

Sr. Design Director, Store Design & Visual Merchandising Requirements

• Minimum 12+ years of experience in architectural store design, visual merchandising, or related fields

• Must have a current portfolio showcasing high end / luxury retail store design projects, and ideally in the area of cosmetics / beauty, prestige.

• Proven leadership managing global design teams and complex, multi-region projects

• Strong experience overseeing design development, approvals, and execution across internal teams and external vendors

• Expertise reviewing and redlining technical drawings, fixture drawings, millwork, and construction documents

• Demonstrated ability to design within budget constraints and implement value engineering solutions

• Proficiency in 3D rendering tools such as 3D Studio Max, Rhino, SketchUp, or similar

• Advanced skills in Photoshop, PowerPoint, Excel, Smartsheet, and Microsoft Office

• Strong understanding of global retail environments, store formats, and visual merchandising systems

• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills

• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and adaptable with a solutions-driven mindset

• Experience within prestige, luxury, or beauty environments is preferred

Sr. Design Director, Store Design & Visual Merchandising Duties

• Lead and manage the global 3D visual merchandising and store design team, including direct reports across regions

• Develop and present 3D rendered design concepts aligned with brand vision and business objectives

• Oversee integration of visual merchandising strategies into architectural design solutions

• Establish and enforce global design standards, guidelines, and scalable processes

• Manage project reviews and approvals across regional teams and external partners from concept through execution

• Review and redline technical drawings, construction documents, and prototypes for production readiness

• Ensure all projects align with budget parameters, timelines, and brand requirements

• Drive value engineering initiatives in collaboration with vendors and regional teams

• Lead project tracking, reporting, and risk identification to ensure timely delivery

• Partner with cross-functional teams to improve workflow efficiency and execution speed

• Collaborate with 2D design and event design teams to align visual assets and brand experiences

• Evaluate performance of store designs and merchandising displays and recommend improvements

• Maintain and grow a network of external design partners and vendors to support project scalability

• Guide and mentor team members, fostering professional development and high performance

No deadline to apply.