Visual Merchandiser

RNLI; Poole; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

RNLI in Poole, Dorset is seeking a creative Visual Merchandiser to lead standards across our retail estate, collaborating with Head Office and shop teams.

You will implement visual merchandising strategies, train staff, and work with Marketing, Design and Operations to maximise sales while delivering a consistent customer experience.

This hybrid role involves regular travel across the UK and Ireland, with two office days per week at the RNLI Support Centre in Poole.

Qualifications

• Experience of retail visual merchandising.
• Broad retail or charity retail industry experience.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong planning and organisational abilities.
• Ability to influence and build relationships at all levels.
• Experience briefing design and marketing collateral.
• Understanding of Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations and Health & Safety requirements.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the development and implementation of visual merchandising standards and guidelines across the retail estate.
• Supporting the creation of engaging shop floor and window display concepts that enhance the customer journey and drive sales.
• Training, coaching and supporting shop and regional teams to deliver excellent visual merchandising standards.
• Influencing and engaging stakeholders at all levels across the organization.
• Planning and coordinating visual merchandising initiatives and retail projects.
• Working alongside internal teams and external suppliers to deliver display solutions.
• Supporting store development and refurbishment projects, including new shop openings and refits.
• Ensuring visual merchandising activity aligns with brand standards and commercial objectives.

Skills

Retail visual merchandising

Interpersonal skills

Verbal and written communication

Planning and organisational abilities

Influencing stakeholders

Creative thinking

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

Vehicle: A vehicle will be made available to carry out your duties

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: Full-Time

Location: Poole, Dorset, England

Location description: This role is a hybrid role with a minimum expectation of two office days a week (unless travelling elsewhere), working from the RNLI Support Centre in Poole. The role also requires extensive travel across the UK and Ireland.

Interview location: Poole

Interview date: w/c 28 September

Closing Date: 16-09-2026

Reference: 21886

We have an exciting new opportunity for a Visual Merchandiser to join our Commercial Retail Team. We are looking for an experienced, creative and passionate Visual Merchandiser to lead and champion visual merchandising standards across our retail estate. This is an exciting opportunity for a talented visual merchandising professional who thrives on influencing others, developing colleagues, and bringing retail spaces to life. Working closely with both Head Office and shop teams, you will support the creation and delivery of visual merchandising strategies that drive commercial performance while ensuring a consistent and engaging customer experience across a variety of store formats.

About the role

As our Visual Merchandiser, you'll be part of the team responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining high visual merchandising standards across our retail operation. You'll provide expert guidance, coaching and training to shop teams, ensuring best practice is embedded throughout the business. You'll also work collaboratively with colleagues across Retail, Operations, Property, Marketing and Design teams to deliver effective visual solutions that support business objectives and maximise sales opportunities. The successful candidate will be highly creative, commercially aware and able to demonstrate visual merchandising techniques that work across varied product categories, shop environments, and window displays.

What you'll be doing:

• Supporting the development and implementation of visual merchandising standards and guidelines across the retail estate.
• Supporting the creation of engaging shop floor and window display concepts that enhance the customer journey and drive sales.
• Training, coaching and supporting shop and regional teams to deliver excellent visual merchandising standards.
• Influencing and engaging stakeholders at all levels across the organization.
• Planning and coordinating visual merchandising initiatives and retail projects.
• Working alongside internal teams and external suppliers to deliver display solutions.
• Supporting store development and refurbishment projects, including new shop openings and refits.
• Ensuring visual merchandising activity aligns with brand standards and commercial objectives.

About you

• Experience of retail visual merchandising
• Broad retail or charity retail industry experience
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent planning and organisational abilities
• Intermediate proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office packages on Mac or PC platforms
• Experience of training, coaching and supporting teams
• A creative approach combined with strong commercial awareness
• The ability to work flexibly, take ownership and deliver results
• Experience of briefing design and marketing collateral
• Experience reading and interpreting technical drawings
• Understanding of Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations and Health & Safety requirements

In return, you'll be joining a values-driven organisation where your creativity, expertise and ideas can make a genuine impact. You'll have the opportunity to shape visual merchandising standards, support colleagues across our retail network and contribute to our continued success.

Safeguarding

The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out, dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).

Diversity at the RNLI

Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One.