Project Manager, In-Store Merchandising and Display Development

Aquent, a leading talent solutions partner, is thrilled to collaborate with a prominent global leader in the beauty and personal care industry. This company is renowned for its innovative approach to bringing retail brand experiences to life, creating captivating in-store environments that engage and inspire customers worldwide. Join a team dedicated to excellence, where your contributions directly shape the consumer journey and elevate brand presence.

Are you a highly skilled technical project manager ready to make a significant impact by transforming creative visions into tangible, stunning retail realities? We are seeking a dynamic individual to lead the end-to-end development, production, and execution of in-store retail displays and promotional assets. In this pivotal role, you will be the linchpin connecting creative design, structural engineering, and strategic procurement. You will own the comprehensive 12-month store calendar, collaborating closely with cross-functional brand marketers, internal stakeholders, and external suppliers to ensure the timely, budget-conscious, and quality-driven delivery of premium permanent and promotional display fixtures. Your expertise will be crucial in maintaining brand integrity and enhancing the customer experience across all retail touchpoints.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategically manage the 12-month store merchandising calendar, pinpointing key focus months and orchestrating seamless cross-brand coordination, including endcaps and promotional feature areas.
• Diligently maintain master project support lists and critical due dates, partnering with brand counterpart leads to ensure strict adherence to development and shipping timelines, driving projects to successful completion.
• Oversee the entire display production process, from initial concept development through final manufacturing and successful store delivery, ensuring every detail meets exacting standards.
• Critically review engineered drawings, die lines, vacuum forms, injection-molded components, fabrication details, and wall-system specifications to guarantee both structural integrity and visual fidelity of all display elements.
• Maintain and manage a central master database and library of all in-store fixture components, store counts, and detailed retail store profile data, ensuring accurate and accessible information.
• Implement rigorous triple-bid procedures in line with company guidelines to identify and secure optimal supplier partners, balancing cost-effectiveness, quality, and speed-to-market.
• Generate Purchase Orders (POs) for all team projects, meticulously track budget allocations, and reconcile PO invoices and receiving discrepancies to ensure financial accuracy and compliance.
• Collaborate effectively with Marketing, PR, and Education teams to specify, source, and procure high-quality in-store promotional and premium items, enhancing brand campaigns and customer engagement.

Must-Have Qualifications

• Technical Expertise: Demonstrated ability to proficiently read and interpret engineered drawings, structural die lines, planograms, and display schematics. Possess deep technical knowledge of various display manufacturing processes, including:
  
  
  
  • Injection Molding (IM) & Vacuum Forming (Vac Form)
  • Metal, Acrylic, & Wood Fabrication
  • Retail Wall Systems & Modular Components
  • Print Collateral (4-Color Process, Digital, Corrugate, SBS)
  
  
  
  
• Industry Experience: 3-5+ years of dedicated display project management experience is required.
• Vendor & Budget Operations: Strong procurement background, encompassing competitive bidding, Purchase Order (PO) issuance, invoice reconciliation, and effective supplier performance management.
• Systems & Software: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and enterprise Data/ERP systems.
• Core Competencies: Exceptional multi-tasking abilities, strong cross-functional communication skills, a high degree of self-motivation, and meticulous attention to detail, especially within fast-paced retail environments.
• Education: Bachelor's Degree in Business, Management Information Systems, Supply Chain, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on industry experience.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience within beauty/personal care brands or display manufacturing companies (e.g., producers of retail environments).