UK & Ire Visual Merchandising Manager

BARBOUR; Jarrow; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading lifestyle brand based in the UK is seeking a UK & Ire Visual Merchandising Manager to spearhead the visual merchandising strategy across retail and wholesale. The successful candidate will manage a regional team, ensuring high-quality execution and alignment with global brand standards. Applicants should have extensive experience in visual merchandising within a premium brand, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to adapt strategies effectively. Travel throughout the UK is required, along with a creative yet consistent approach to brand presentation.

Benefits

Discretionary Company bonus scheme

Staff discount

Healthcare cash plan

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• Experience within a premium or heritage fashion brand is preferred.
• Ability to manage teams and projects across both retail and wholesale environments.
• Comfortable with teamwork and working independently.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the UK & Irish visual merchandising strategy.
• Travel regularly across regions to review VM implementation.
• Oversee the VM team's planning and scheduling effectively.

Skills

Extensive experience in visual merchandising

Strong understanding of space planning

Excellent organisation and time management skills

Highly creative

Self-motivated

Teamwork abilities

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Job description

Company Description

The Barbour story began in 1894 in South Shields in the North East of England. Founder John Barbour began supplying oilskins and other garments to protect the growing community of sailors, fishermen and dockers. Still family owned and now fifth generation, Barbour HQ remains in South Shields. Under the leadership of Chairman Dame Margaret Barbour, Barbour has grown into a lifestyle brand sold in over 55 countries worldwide including Europe, the US and Asia offering a wardrobe of stylish functional clothing, footwear and accessories inspired by the unique values of the British countryside. The iconic Barbour Bedale and Barbour Beaufort wax jackets continue to be made by hand in the factory in South Shields. In 2020, Barbour launched Wax for Life, an overarching name for all of Barbour's wax services designed to encourage customers to extend the life of their wax garments. Wax for Life includes re-waxing and repairs (first introduced in 1921) and Barbour Re-Loved an upcycling circularity initiative. Each year over 70,000 wax garments are sent back to Barbour globally to be repaired, rewaxed or altered.

Position Overview

We are currently recruiting for UK & Ire Visual Merchandising Manager to join our Marketing team based in London. This role will support in delivering the strategic planning, execution, and evolution of Barbour's visual merchandising strategy across retail and wholesale environments within the UK and Ireland. You will be responsible for delivering consistent, elevated and brand-aligned visual presentation that reflects Barbour's heritage and premium positioning while supporting trade objectives and enhancing the consumer experience throughout the territory.

The Visual Merchandising Manager will work cross-functionally and strategically with local UK Marketing, Retail & Wholesale teams, and Global Visual Merchandising and Marketing teams to ensure all visual merchandising executions are locally relevant, commercially effective and aligned with Barbour's global brand direction.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic VM Development

• Define and lead the UK & Irish visual merchandising strategy in line with trade plans, marketing activations, and global brand guidelines.
• Adapt and apply global visual directives and strategy to suit local market requirements while maintaining brand consistency and quality standards.
• Establish and oversee the annual UK VM calendar to ensure structured execution of seasonal changeovers, campaign installations, and product transitions

Market Execution & Team Leadership

• Travel regularly across regions to review VM implementation, to review the brand retail estate & experience.
• Lead the regional VM team to deliver high-quality execution across Barbour's owned & partner retail stores, wholesale accounts, concessions, and shop‑in‑shop formats across the UK & Irish territories.
• Maintain an elevated standard of in‑store visual merchandising across all locations, with regular audits, action planning, and follow‑up.
• Work & coordinate with UK & Central marketing teams on pop‑up installations and implementation.

Collaboration with Global & UK Stakeholders

• Pro‑actively schedule in visits to Barbour House and act as the key liaison between the UK VM function and Global Visual Merchandising and Trade Marketing teams.
• Provide input and feedback into the development of global VM guidelines and tools, ensuring they meet the strategic requirements of the UK market.
• Adapt the global VM guidelines for UK market requirements as well as developing local wholesale VM guidelines.
• Work in partnership with the UK Marketing & Commercial teams to ensure visual execution supports brand campaigns, product stories, seasonal narratives & objectives, ensuring implementation has commercial success/measurement

Resource, Project Management & Budget Management

• Oversee, manage and support the VM team's planning and scheduling to ensure efficient use of time and resources.
• Lead by example the VM execution of top‑tier collaborations, key seasonal installations, and high‑impact brand moments across retail and wholesale channels across the UK & Irish territories.
• Ensure all projects are aligned with global strategy and delivered to deadline, budget, and brand expectations, working with internal and external agencies and suppliers.

Visual Standards, Tools & Guidelines

• Ensure up‑to‑date visual merchandising guidelines, planograms, fixture plans, and VM training tools are maintained and communicated effectively to all relevant teams and partners.
• Review and recommend improvements to visual assets and tools based on strategic in‑market feedback and evolving business needs.
• Collation of UK visual merchandising reports monthly.
• Set‑up & maintain central SharePoint where seasonal guidelines, POS and planning tools are easily accessible for all stakeholders, to ensure transparency.

Team Development & Performance Management

• Provide clear strategic leadership, development planning, and regular feedback to the UK SNMT team and VM team, to ensure growth and evolution of skillsets, capabilities and mindsets within the team.
• Set measurable objectives, monitor performance, and support professional development to ensure high standards of execution and team engagement.

Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience in visual merchandising, preferably within a premium or heritage fashion brand.
• Proven ability to manage teams and projects across both retail and wholesale environments.
• Strong understanding of space planning, fixture layout, consumer journey, and in‑store storytelling.
• Excellent organisation, time management, and communication skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, cross‑functional environment.
• Highly creative but able to work within the brand vision.
• Comfortable with teamwork or working independently
• Self‑motivated and able to demonstrate flexible approach and attitude to workload and working hours.
• Information Technology including Outlook, Word, Excel, Adobe Creative Cloud.

Desirable

• Experience working within a global brand structure.
• Experience in managing collaborative brand installations or high‑profile campaign rollouts.

Additional Information

• Travel frequently throughout the UK & Ire when required, flexibility to the role is preferred.
• Full UK Driving licence is beneficial but not essential

Benefits

• Discretionary Company bonus scheme
• Staff discount
• Healthcare cash plan
• 25 days holiday as standard increasing with length of service plus bank holidays

Note: In the event that a sufficient volume of suitable applications are received, the post may close prior to the specified closing date. Please apply as soon as possible if interested.