Retail Experience Designer, Lead

WHOOP; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

WHOOP in Boston, MA is seeking a Lead Retail Experience Designer to shape every physical retail touchpoint and drive brand storytelling across wholesale, owned stores, shop-in-shop, and events.

You will lead design from concept to execution, collaborating with Brand, Product Marketing, Retail Ops, Merchandising, and external partners, while guiding the team with customer-centric, AI-enabled design practice. This role also requires up to 15% travel and potential relocation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture, Environmental Design, Industrial Design, or a related design discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in retail design, experiential design, architecture, environmental design, or branded environments.
• Proven experience leading retail experience projects from concept through execution across multiple retail formats.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in spatial design, retail environments, customer journeys, and brand storytelling.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, external agencies, architects, fabricators, and production partners.
• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence across all levels of an organization.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on design execution in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong commitment to embracing and leveraging AI tools in day-to-day tasks, ensuring AI-assisted work aligns with the same high-quality standards as personal contributions.
• This role requires up to 15% travel to production facilities and retail locations.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the design strategy for retail environments across wholesale, owned retail, shop-in-shop, and experiential channels.
• Create customer-centered retail concepts, spatial experiences, and branded environments that drive engagement, product education, and brand affinity.
• Develop scalable retail design standards, toolkits, and experience frameworks that ensure consistency across the global retail footprint.
• Lead the design development process from concept through execution, applying expertise in architectural detailing, construction methods, material selection, prototyping, and fabrication to deliver high-quality retail environments.
• Partner closely with Brand, Product Marketing, Retail Operations, Merchandising, Product, architects, fabricators, and external vendors to bring retail concepts from strategy through implementation.
• Review architectural drawings, construction documents, prototypes, mockups, and production samples to ensure design intent, quality, and brand standards are maintained throughout execution.
• Use customer insights, retail performance metrics, and emerging design trends to continuously improve the retail experience and influence future design strategy.
• Champion design excellence by establishing best practices, mentoring cross-functional partners, and advocating for customer-centered design across the organization.

Skills

Retail design

Brand storytelling

Spatial design

Cross-functional

Communication

Education

Architecture degree

Environmental Design

Industrial Design

Tools

AI tools

Job description

At WHOOP, we're on a mission to unlock human performance and healthspan. WHOOP empowers members to perform at a higher level through a deeper understanding of their bodies and daily lives.

WHOOP is seeking a Lead Retail Experience Designer to define how members experience the WHOOP brand across every physical retail touchpoint. In this role, you will lead the design of innovative retail environments, customer journeys, and experiential activations that bring our brand to life while creating scalable, engaging experiences across wholesale, owned retail, shop-in-shop, and event environments. You will partner cross-functionally to shape the future of retail at WHOOP through thoughtful design, operational excellence, and customer-centered innovation.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Define and lead the design strategy for retail environments across wholesale, owned retail, shop-in-shop, and experiential channels.

• Create customer-centered retail concepts, spatial experiences, and branded environments that drive engagement, product education, and brand affinity.

• Develop scalable retail design standards, toolkits, and experience frameworks that ensure consistency across the global retail footprint.

• Lead the design development process from concept through execution, applying expertise in architectural detailing, construction methods, material selection, prototyping, and fabrication to deliver high-quality retail environments.

• Partner closely with Brand, Product Marketing, Retail Operations, Merchandising, Product, architects, fabricators, and external vendors to bring retail concepts from strategy through implementation.

• Review architectural drawings, construction documents, prototypes, mockups, and production samples to ensure design intent, quality, and brand standards are maintained throughout execution.

• Use customer insights, retail performance metrics, and emerging design trends to continuously improve the retail experience and influence future design strategy.

• Champion design excellence by establishing best practices, mentoring cross-functional partners, and advocating for customer-centered design across the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Architecture, Environmental Design, Industrial Design, or a related design discipline.

• 5+ years of experience in retail design, experiential design, architecture, environmental design, or branded environments.

• Proven experience leading retail experience projects from concept through execution across multiple retail formats.

• Strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in spatial design, retail environments, customer journeys, and brand storytelling.

• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, external agencies, architects, fabricators, and production partners.

• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence across all levels of an organization.

• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on design execution in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong commitment to embracing and leveraging AI tools in day-to-day tasks, ensuring AI-assisted work aligns with the same high-quality standards as personal contributions.

• This role requires up to 15% travel to production facilities and retail locations.

This role is based in the WHOOP office located in Boston, MA. The successful candidate must be prepared to relocate if necessary to work out of the Boston, MA office.

WHOOP is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-verify to determine employment eligibility. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

The WHOOP compensation philosophy is designed to attract, motivate, and retain exceptional talent by offering competitive base salaries, meaningful equity, and consistent pay practices that reflect our mission and core values.

At WHOOP, we view total compensation as the combination of base salary, equity, and benefits, with equity serving as a key differentiator that aligns our employees with the long-term success of the company and allows every member of our corporate team to own part of WHOOP and share in the company’s long-term growth and success.

The U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $100,000 - $150,000. Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within each range, individual pay is based on factors such as job-related skills, experience, performance, and relevant education or training.

In addition to the base salary, the successful candidate will also receive benefits and a generous equity package.

These ranges may be modified in the future to reflect evolving market conditions and organizational needs. While most offers will typically fall toward the starting point of the range, total compensation will depend on the candidate’s specific qualifications, expertise, and alignment with the role’s requirements.

Learn more about WHOOP.