We’re looking for a field based Divisional Visual Manager to ensure our Oak Furnitureland brand look and feel is maintained consistently across our showrooms in the South East. The role is for 12 months, on a fixed term maternity cover contract. Working in a fast-paced environment our DVM understands that the customer is at the heart of everything we do. Serious about interiors & style, they have an unwavering attention to detail and deep understanding of our customer market.
In this field based role you’ll be provided with a van, fuel card and will be travelling to showrooms in the South East region. The role is Monday to Friday but there will be some overnight stays (around 1 a week). An ideal candidate will be located within these areas; South Ruislip, Thurrock, Tunbridge Wells, Dartford or Orpington but it's not essential.
Key Responsibilities:
- Responsible for the visual presentation of circa 20 showrooms. Equal time must be
spent at all the showrooms, with overnight stays planned in where necessary to facilitate
this focus in line with business activity.
- Build strong working relationships with the Divisional Sales Manager (DSM) as well as
Showroom Managers & Colleagues to ensure commercial and visual priorities are
aligned.
- Regularly review the performance of each of your showrooms, make recommendations
to improve the layout of the store in response to sales.
- Collaborative approach to product updates and implementation requirements with
retail colleagues within the showrooms, following Health & Safety guidelines for manual
handling of large and heavy products in showrooms.
- Manage display product implementation across the division, working with and feeding
back proactively and efficiently with central commercial and retail teams.
- Responsible for keeping up to date with Health and Safety/Manual Handling training.
- Line manage Display Assistant on a day-to-day basis, help plan new ranges in store as
well planning workload for range moves and store maintenance.
- Ensure Display Assistant maintains our in-house systems (damaged displays &
replacement ordering) with accurate records kept and correct central departments
informed.
- Ensure Display Assistant maintains the quality of display stock look and feel to a
premium showroom standard.
- Manage budgets and costs within agreed spend.
- Responsible for visual consistency in showrooms, following brand styling guidelines and
ranging principles. A creative thinker, able to interpret VM brand guidelines and adapt
them to fit each showroom.
- Take the new range information from the CCM and ensure digital floor plans are
accurate & always kept up to date for every showroom for all product launches. These
must be sent back to CCM for final approval.
- Responsible for booking hotels with company preferred partner and within agreed
budgets.
- Foster close working relationship with VM Manager, Creative Concept Manager and
other DVMs being committed to improving the sales and brand perception through
effective Visual Merchandising in your showrooms.
- Confident in positioning furniture, accessories, and props to reflect customer profiles.
- Continually improve the visual Merchandising standards and presentation of
showrooms by understanding competitor developments within the furniture sector
and beyond.
Skills & experience:
- Previous experience as a Visual Merchandiser in retail is required.
- Experienced & confident in all aspects of DIY including the use of power tools and ability
to decorate to a high standard.
- Exceptional eye for detail, confident in planning space requirements via digital floor
plans, and physical merchandising for consistent product implementation.
- Essential IT skills include Excel, Google Sheets & Illustrator.
- Space planning & Sketchup knowledge is an advantage.
- Great communication skills in both verbal and written format.
- Able to demonstrate commercial awareness alongside visual flair, understanding and
interpreting data to drive the overall sales performance of showrooms.
- Physically fit, role requires the need to be able to lift and move furniture (with another
person).
- Be a role model advocating and demonstrating professional behaviours while
challenging effectively and holding yourself and others to account in relation to
embedding OFL’s ‘Customer First’ Principles and values.
- Develops a feedback culture by providing feedback, asking for feedback, and always
encouraging best practices.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to build successful professional
relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
- Happy to work to own initiative, put forward ideas and translate those into actions.
- Highly organised with an analytical commercial approach to problem solving with a
strong can-do attitude.
Benefits:
Employee discount: amazing discounts available on all Oak Furnitureland products after successful completion of probation
Life assurance: free cover of a minimum of two times your annual salary up to the age of 65
25 days holiday plus bank holidays
Birthday: an additional day off for you to celebrate your birthday
Pension: 4% employee contribution matched by the company
Health and wellbeing: great discounts on local gym memberships
Employee Assistance Programme: gives all employees access to both telephone and face-to-face counselling services
My Rewards Programme: offers discounts on everything from restaurants and supermarkets, to entertainment and holidays
Company van and fuel card provided
Premier Inn card to pay for overnight stays including meal allowance
Phone allowance
