Design Senior Manager, Creative & VM - Deciem AP

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.

Reporting to the Brand Director, APAC, and in partnership with the Global and regional teams to deliver all regional Visual Merchandising and retail design initiatives for the APAC region while ensuring brand values, aesthetics, and global vision are adhered to while remaining locally relevant.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serve as the key partner between APAC teams and Global VM Retail Experience Team to stay abreast of Global and VM initiatives that influence APAC solutions.

• Liaise with the Global creative team on project timelines, deliverables, budget, and execution. 

• Drive strong partnerships and collaboration with the APAC Partnerships teams and cross-functional support teams.

• Maintain a strong understanding of APAC regional needs, formats (FSS vs gondolas), and premium retail partners (Sephora, Priceline, etc) to deliver best-in-class representation of the brand

• Confidently present designs/prototypes to management for approval to progress projects at critical stages, receive feedback and put into action.

• Oversee all concept, development and implementation of VM and Creative programs including, but not limited to, hard fixtures, prototypes, regional guidelines, as well as planograms for all fixture iterations.

• Collaborate with retail partners, display vendors, engineers, and multiple internal brand teams to ensure best-in-class visual merchandising displays, optimising navigation and education on all touchpoints

• Responsible for ensuring all relevant parties are updated on scheduling, on-counter dates for merchandising tools, and work with key executives to manage issues as they arise.

• Conduct clear and accurate weekly updates of all design work in progress during team meetings and be an avid participant during Global Creative Review meetings.

• Ensure brand design standards are upheld at all times and communicated to any external design teams

• Maintain working relationships with all internal and external groups. Awareness of retailer processes, restrictions, and schedules is key.

• Responsible for resizing and creating regional assets from the Global toolkit for retailer-specific or national campaigns

• Consistent monitoring of disruptive retailer designs and current beauty and lifestyle trends.

Qualifications:

• Sufficient years of related design experience in the retail space.

• Proven track record in interpreting brand strategy in a growing environment with full-scope project design and project development experience.

• Beauty experience preferred but not essential.

• Ability to multitask and execute several projects in a timely and efficient manner; must be able to follow projects from concept to completion.

• Self-starter with excellent project management, organisational, and presentation skills

• Strong communication skills with ability to articulate ideas and concepts clearly and accurately to cross-functional partners.

• Knowledge of technical drawings, project management, materials and manufacturing processes

• Software Skills: AutoCAD, Sketch-Up, Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Indesign & Photoshop, Cinema 4D or Rhino is a plus.

• Ability to lead, inspire and influence.

• Excellent problem-solving and flexibility a must.

• Thrives in a dynamic fast paced environment.

• Must be collaborative and build strong relationships with retailers, VM, field and all cross-functional teams.