Visual Merchandising Manager, South Coast Plaza

About the Role

CHANEL is looking for a Visual Merchandising Manager dedicated to a single boutique within a lighthouse market. This role owns the day-to-day execution of visual merchandising activities, leads the boutique VM team, and ensures the boutique consistently reflects CHANEL brand standards and the strategic vision established by senior VM leadership. The Visual Merchandising Manager partners closely with boutique leadership and teams to translate directives into compelling, client-centric environments that support business priorities and elevate the overall boutique experience.

Operating with a high degree of self-sufficiency, the Visual Merchandising Manager assesses boutique needs, adapts and realigns VM activities as business priorities evolve, and provides clear feedback on execution. This position has a dotted-line reporting relationship to a Senior Manager or Group Director.

What Impact You Can Create at CHANEL

• Lead and execute all visual merchandising activities within one boutique in a lighthouse market, ensuring timely and consistent implementation of brand directives.
• Own, maintain and continuously elevate the boutique image, ensuring impeccable presentation standards across all client-facing areas.
• Manage, guide and develop the VM team within the boutique, establishing clear priorities, accountability and consistent ways of working.
• Translate VM directives and strategic guidance into engaging, customer-centric displays that are relevant to the boutique and aligned with the CHANEL brand vision.
• Provide timely, thoughtful feedback on directive implementation, executional opportunities and boutique-specific needs.
• Partner closely with boutique leadership and staff to align VM execution with sales priorities, client needs and broader business goals.
• Demonstrate self-sufficiency by assessing changing business needs, adapting visual solutions and realigning VM activities while protecting brand standards.
• Facilitate VM training, morning meeting briefs and ongoing visual education for boutique teams to build shared ownership of standards.
• Identify and respond quickly to boutique-specific opportunities, using sound judgment and resourcefulness to deliver effective solutions.
• Take personal responsibility for the boutique’s visual appearance, execution quality and readiness.

Core Competencies

Boutique-level execution

Translates direction into precise, consistent and commercially relevant in-boutique execution. 

Customer focus

Creates visual environments that support an elevated, intuitive and engaging client experience.

Initiative and follow-through 

Takes ownership, anticipates needs and sees priorities through to completion. 

Communication 

Builds alignment through clear, proactive and constructive communication with boutique and VM leadership. 

Flexibility 

Adapts plans and resources quickly in response to evolving business needs and directives. 

Visual Behaviors

• Delivers impeccable visual standards throughout the boutique. 

• Translates VM directives into engaging, customer-centric displays.

• Maintains a keen eye for detail, presentation quality and overall boutique coherence.

• Responds swiftly and thoughtfully to boutique-specific needs and opportunities.

Vital Behaviors

• Takes personal responsibility for boutique appearance, execution quality and standards.

• Communicates proactively with boutique staff, boutique leadership and VM leadership.

• Implements feedback quickly and adapts effectively as priorities change.

• Supports a positive, collaborative and solutions-oriented boutique environment.

What You Will Bring to the Team

• Demonstrated visual merchandising experience, ideally within luxury retail, fashion, beauty or a similarly client-centric environment.

• Experience leading, developing or coordinating a visual merchandising team within a boutique or comparable retail environment.

• Strong boutique-level execution skills and the ability to translate strategic direction into polished, commercially relevant visual solutions.

• A highly collaborative communication style and the ability to build productive partnerships with boutique leadership and staff.

• Proven initiative, sound judgment and a solutions-oriented approach to changing business needs and executional challenges.
• Excellent organization, prioritization and follow-through, with the ability to operate independently while maintaining alignment with leadership.
• A keen eye for detail and an uncompromising commitment to maintaining an elevated and consistent brand image.

Position Logistics

• Workplace Essential: This boutique-based role requires regular in-boutique presence to lead and execute visual merchandising activities, partner with boutique teams, and ensure image and brand standards are upheld.

• Dedicated to one boutique within a lighthouse market.

• Dotted-line reporting relationship to a Senior Manager or Group Director.

• Ability to support US launches outside the home market, as business needs require.

• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional early mornings, evenings, weekends or overnights, as required to support visual installations and business needs.

• Ability to stand for extended periods and lift and move visual merchandising materials as needed, in accordance with applicable policies and accommodations.

• Ability to travel by airplane, train and automobile, with a valid driver’s license/passport, reliable car for local travel, and car insurance where applicable.

• Must be able to lift 30-40 lbs.

Compensation

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $92,400 through $115,000. Base salary is one component of the total compensation for this position. Other forms of variable pay may be offered for this position. Other components may include bonus potential, benefits, and/or perks. 

Benefits and Perks

• Wellbeing resources include dedicated paid time off for wellbeing, including Wellbeing Days in Retail, and a Wellbeing Fund.

• Family and caregiving benefits, including parental leave, fertility support, MilkStork and Care.com membership.

• Generous paid time-off policies, including vacation, holiday, sick and volunteer days.

• 401(k) and other incentives.

• Robust healthcare offerings, including medical, dental, vision, MDLIVE virtual care, One Medical, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account and Employee Assistance Program.

• Life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Health Advocate, International Business Travel Accident & Medical, and commuter transit and parking benefits.

Additional Information

CHANEL is a private company whose values are grounded in creating the conditions for people to perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work. We offer a unique work environment where individuals are encouraged to better understand the brand, the business and motivations, so that together we can unlock the possibilities of growth.