Retail & Brand Activation Visual Merchandising Manager (f/m/d)

waterdrop®; Wien; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sports vouchers

Fitness centre

Company doctor

Subsidized meals

Discount on products

Parties

Job summary

waterdrop® is seeking a Global Retail & Brand Activation Visual Merchandising Manager to unify our visual identity across all stores and events worldwide.

You will own global VM guidelines, design store concepts, coordinate activations from sponsorships to product launches, and lead cross‑functional teams with a strong focus on budget and vendor management.

Based in Vienna, you will travel internationally to deliver outstanding brand experiences.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in visual merchandising and/or brand activation.
• Strong design eye balanced with commercial, data-driven thinking.
• Experience managing global guidelines across markets.
• Experience delivering live events or activations (sports sponsorships/product launches).
• Strong project leadership with budget and vendor management.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and manage external agencies.
• Willingness to travel internationally.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve global VM guidelines across markets.
• Design activations for sponsorships, product launches, and influencer projects.
• Manage budgets, timelines and vendor relationships.
• Oversee new store openings and refits with global/local stakeholders.
• Coordinate VM budget and logistics, including training.

Skills

Visual merchandising

Brand activation

Global guidelines

Travel internationally

Vendor management

Stakeholder management

Budget management

Adobe Creative Suite

MS Excel

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

MS Excel

Job description

Drink More Water, together we grow.

Here at waterdrop®, we make drinking more water fun, convenient and most importantly, sustainable! Discover the world of innovative and eco-friendly hydration solutions with our fruity little cubes – Microdrinks – that save up to 98% plastic compared to drinks in 500ml plastic bottles and help score one for the planet. Our centrally-located headquarters offers a vibrant environment, featuring an on-site restaurant and gym, not to mention the opportunity to connect with prospective colleagues from all over the world. With a successful online presence, 40+ stores around the world, dedicated B2B partners and over 22,000+ retail and branded stores, we can’t wait to take this journey to the next level –

We are looking for a

Global Retail & Brand Activation Visual Merchandising Manager

to give waterdrop® a single, consistent visual identity across every store worldwide, and to raise the bar on how the brand shows up at the events that carry it around the world - from sporting sponsorships to product launches and influencer projects.

Your Responsibilities At Waterdrop®

Visual Merchandising

• Own and evolve global VM guidelines for waterdrop® retail stores, translating brand and product strategy into seasonal concepts, window displays, and layout standards rolled out across markets
• Partner with retail and market teams to audit store presentation, manage approvals/non-compliance, and embed VM standards into new store openings from the design stage
• Manage external VM suppliers, fabricators, and agencies, balancing creative ambition with cost and timelines

Brand Activation

• Design and deliver activations for sporting sponsorships (incl. ATP Tour), product launches, and influencer projects, setting a global standard for distinctive, on-brand execution
• Own renderings, budget, production, and vendor management for in-store events; adapt the global toolkit for pop-ups and out-of-home activations
• Manage activation budgets, timelines, and external partners end-to-end, capturing learnings across markets

New Store Openings & Refits

• Own the VM opening/visit plan for every new store and refit, partnering with local and global stakeholders on training and reviewing business impact

Operations

• Own the global VM budget (planning & forecasting), manage local/global vendors (sourcing, onboarding, invoicing), and coordinate VM/activation logistics and related retail training

Your Strengths And Qualifications

• Proven experience in visual merchandising and/or brand activation, ideally in a premium consumer, retail, or lifestyle brand
• Strong design eye balanced with commercial, data-driven thinking
• Experience managing global/multi-market guidelines while preserving local relevance
• Track record delivering live events or activations, ideally sports sponsorship or product launches
• Strong project leadership, stakeholder influence, budget, vendor, and operational management skills
• Confident managing external agencies and presenting to senior stakeholders
• Continuous improvement mindset with leadership and coaching skills
• Willingness to travel internationally on a regular basis

What We Offer You

• Direct exposure to senior leadership and real creative ownership, shaping how the brand looks and shows up in the physical world
• A high-achieving, international community of waterdrop colleagues, located in a brand-new HQ in Vienna, Austria.
• Development opportunities in one of the fastest-growing e-commerce companies in Europe.
• MyClubs sports vouchers, to have a sporty balance.
• In-house fitness centre.
• In-house company doctor.
• Subsidized meals, for a break with your colleagues.
• Discount on your waterdrop purchases.
• Legendary summer and Christmas parties!

The minimum salary for this position is EUR 50.000 gross per year on a full-time basis. Depending on your qualifications, there is the willingness for overpayment.

We work in a changing world which offers great opportunities for people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We seek to attract and employ the best people from the widest talent pool because creating value through diversity is what makes us strong as a business and enables us to solve important problems and deliver added value. We encourage an inclusive culture where people can be themselves, are valued for their strengths and are empowered to be the best they can be.