Retail Experience & Visual Merchandising Manager

Brooks Running; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 98,286 - 147,428; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401K with match

Employee discounts

Job summary

Brooks Running is seeking a Visual Merchandising Manager to drive the end-to-end visual merchandising design for retail. This role will create impactful in-store experiences that improve conversion and drive sales.

The ideal candidate will have over 7 years of experience in visual merchandising, a strong analytical background, and proven success in leading multi-store strategies. This position offers a comprehensive benefits package and an opportunity to inspire customers through movement.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in visual merchandising, preferably in premium or performance brands.
• Proven track record leading merchandising strategy at scale.
• Strong interpersonal skills that inspire trust and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead the ideation and execution of the visual merchandising vision for Brooks.
• Establish clear KPIs for measuring business outcomes.
• Translate seasonal priorities into compelling in-store storytelling frameworks.
• Develop standardized playbooks and execution frameworks.

Skills

Visual merchandising

Retail experience design

Brand merchandising

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field

Job description

Overview

At Brooks, we believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. That’s why we’re driven to create gear and experiences that take people to the place that makes them feel more alive — whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line. Everyone who works at Brooks is propelled by a company culture that sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires creativity, and ignites innovation. Our brand values help bond us together and drive our success:

• Runner First — We act in the best interest of the runner
• Word is Bond — We do what we say we’ll do
• Champion Heart — We give our all in everything we do
• There is no “I” in Run — We stay generous with our humanity
• Keep Moving — We find ways to move every day, because joy is kinetic

We welcome everyone from every walk of life looking to inspire others through the power of movement — because we’re all moving towards something. Let’s run there.

Your Job

As the Visual Merchandising Manager at Brooks, you will lead the end-to-end visual merchandising design for Brooks owned retail fleet – shaping how the brand comes to life in physical space and creating experiences that drive commercial performance. You will sit at the intersection of brand storytelling, product strategy, and retail performance, translating seasonal narratives into scalable, high-impact in-store experiences that improve conversion, average unit retail (AUR), and sell-through. You will work directly with retail leadership to build the visual merchandising function for a rapidly expanding retail fleet – establishing operating models, tools, and standards that enable consistent execution across markets while elevating the customer experience.

Your Responsibilities

• Visual Merchandising Operating Model & Business Impact — Lead the ideation and execution of the visual merchandising vision and roadmap for Brooks owned retail in alignment with the overall retail strategy, brand positioning, and commercial priorities.
• Establish clear KPIs (e.g., conversion, units per transaction, AUR, sell-through, engagement) and use data to analyze store-level performance to identify measurable business outcomes.
• Translate seasonal and product priorities into compelling in-store storytelling frameworks that drive demand and clarity.
• Design and implement a scalable visual merchandising operating model to support growth from a small fleet to national expansion, creating a repeatable blueprint for future store openings.
• Develop standardized playbooks, tools, floor sets, and execution frameworks that enable consistency without sacrificing local relevance.
• Lead the creation of store zoning, adjacencies, and product flow strategies grounded in consumer behavior and performance data.
• Own visual merchandising execution for all new store openings, including concepting, floor sets, and launch storytelling.
• Partner with Store Development and Design to ensure physical space and merchandising strategy are fully integrated.
• Ensure each new store opens at a flagship level of execution, setting the standard for the fleet.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Alignment

• Partner with Product, Brand Marketing, Creative, Retail Marketing, and Store Operations to define merchandising standards and playbook.
• Collaborate with Lead Buyer and Retail Marketing Manager on product campaigns and in-store seasonal product launches.
• Provide recommendations on assortments, key stories, campaign priorities, and more for retail leadership to ensure effective execution.
• Oversee use of the visual merchandising playbook across owned retail, wholesale, and events to reinforce brand consistency.
• Build relationships across Brooks to maintain a current understanding of what drives the brand, business, and products.

Continuous Improvement & Evolution

• Design, maintain, and develop a feedback ecosystem and store audit process to gain field insights that inform future merchandising strategies.
• Identify opportunities to improve product placement, storytelling clarity, and in-store navigation.
• Stay up to date with retail consumer behaviors and use insights to test new methods to elevate customer engagement, product discovery, and brand storytelling.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of the competitive landscape to bring forward innovative concepts, tools, and technologies that differentiate Brooks in physical retail.

Team Mentorship & Collaboration

• Mentor and support team members to develop their skills and provide guidance on day-to-day and project work.
• Train Visual Merchandisers, store leaders, and field teams on visual merchandising principles, storytelling, and execution excellence.
• Partner with Senior Manager, Retail to create and maintain alignment across the team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field; equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• 7+ years of experience in visual merchandising, retail experience design, or brand merchandising; preferably in premium or performance brands.
• Proven track record leading merchandising strategy at scale (multi-store, multi-market environments).
• Demonstrated ability driving measurable business results through visual merchandising.
• Experience developing operating models, tools, and standards for growing retail organizations.
• Deep understanding of consumer behavior in physical retail environments.
• Experience partnering with store design, product merchandising, and marketing teams.
• Highly analytical; comfortable using data to inform decisions and challenge assumptions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with concise, clear articulation.
• Strong interpersonal skills that inspire trust and collaboration across the company.
• Attention to detail in planning, plus the ability to see the big picture and how pieces fit together.
• Ability to anticipate how decisions affect customers, partners, products, or other departments’ operations and morale; adept at connecting the dots.
• Demonstrated innovation and initiative, with willingness to dive into details to improve products and processes.
• Passionate participation in Brooks’ sports activities and empathy for runners to build loyal relationships with the Brooks community is a plus.
• Travel 20-50% (domestically).

Compensation

The pay range for this position is $98,286 - $147,428 per year. Base pay offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Other

Brooks offers a robust benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance; disability insurance; HSA with employer contribution; FSA; family & fertility assistance; 401K and match; employee assistance program; and transportation assistance. Bonus eligibility and generous paid time off, holidays, sick and parental leave are offered. Perks include product discounts, employee recognition, and fitness discounts. Brooks is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer and values diversity and inclusion; all employment decisions are made without regard to protected characteristics as defined by law.