2026-03-02

CIP Global Executive Search has been assigned to recruit a Head of Visual for a retail company.

Note: This is a confidential recruitment, which means that the information below has been slimmed down. All candidates that are being interviewed will get to take part of the full job description after signing an NDA.

Job description

As the Head of Visual, you are responsible for ensuring an exceptional and consistent customer experience across all stores while maintaining and further developing the company’s visual identity according to the company's concept. You will lead, inspire, and train store teams and visual merchandisers to bring the brand’s vision to life, ensuring the highest standards of service, customer engagement, and visual presentation.

The role is central to the company's operations, working closely with design, purchasing, marketing, and retail teams. You will act as the key link between departments, ensuring that both customer experience and brand aesthetic are consistently represented in stores. Frequent presence in stores and close collaboration with all relevant departments are expected to drive a seamless and inspiring retail experience. In this global role, you are responsible for connecting product, brand and retail into one clear and commercially strong direction, ensuring that collections, assortment and in-store execution work together across all markets.

The role requires both a sharp commercial mindset and a strong understanding of brand expression.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Own and develop the global visual merchandising strategy across all markets and retail formats.

• Create seasonal and monthly VM guidelines that clearly translate the brand story and collection focus into store environments.

• Define principles for store layout, product presentation, styling and key item focus to drive sell-through and strengthen brand perception.

• Ensure consistency across own retail, wholesale and partner stores while allowing for relevant local adaptation.

• Lead and facilitate VM trainings, workshops and regular follow-ups with regional teams.

• Establish clear ways of working with local VM specialists to secure strong execution and continuous improvement.

• Drive a proactive and commercially focused VM approach.

• Regularly review store performance and execution standards, identifying opportunities to improve customer flow, conversion and overall experience.

• Work closely with merchandising to ensure assortment structure supports the intended in-store storytelling and customer journey.

• Analyze collection and category performance from a retail and VM perspective, translating insights into actionable improvements for upcoming seasons.

Profile and Responsibilities:

• 5 + years’ experience in a similar role

• Strong experience within visual merchandising in a global fashion or lifestyle brand.

• Proven ability to elevate in-store experience while driving commercial results.

• Previous experience leading a global team

• A strong visual eye combined with solid business understanding.

• Structured and pragmatic, with the ability to move from strategy to hands-on execution.

• Excellent communication skills in English.

Personal profile

To succeed in this position, we believe you are a confident and balanced leader who feels comfortable working in a highly creative environment. You understand the creative process and respect artistic integrity, yet you naturally bring structure, clarity and direction when needed.

You know how to adapt your communication style, create trust and motivate different types of profiles, from highly conceptual creatives to commercially driven stakeholders. We also believe you understand what it means to work with a distinctive and design-driven brand with a clear identity, and you are comfortable safeguarding that DNA while developing it further in a global retail context.