Vans: Senior Manager, Visual Merchandising (Americas)

Now that you’ve found the job description, what’s next?

Vans is the original brand rooted in the authentic lifestyle of skateboarding. We are driven by our mission to inspire and empower everyone to live “Off The Wall” – embracing the youthful spirit of freedom, non-conformity, and relentless progression. Yesterday’s “Off The Wall” moment is today’s new normal, and at Vans, we believe in constantly outdoing ourselves. Together with our communities across the globe, our vision is to push culture forward because we believe that the pursuit of progression never ends. We are constantly inspired by the future generation of positive catalysts within our community.  

So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us – our values and our culture. If you can see yourself working side-by-side with a team of people who think and live “Off the Wall,” Vans just may be the place for you.

To learn more about our values and our culture, visit Vans Careers or www.vans.com.

What will you do?

As the Senior Manager of Visual Merchandising for North America at Vans, you will lead the evolution of our in-store consumer experience across all retail formats. This role is ideal for a visionary leader with deep expertise in visual merchandising who thrives at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and consumer behavior. You will be responsible for shaping how our brand comes to life in physical spaces, translating brand and product stories into immersive, compelling, and consistent visual experiences that drive engagement and conversion.

Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more.

• Lead the Visual Merchandising Strategy: Develop and execute a forward-thinking visual merchandising strategy that aligns with brand positioning, seasonal priorities, and consumer insights across all Vans retail formats (Full Price, Outlet, and Concept Stores).

• Elevate the In-Store Experience: Champion the consumer journey by designing and implementing innovative visual presentations that enhance storytelling, product discovery, and brand immersion.

• Drive Executional Excellence: Oversee the planning, execution, and maintenance of all visual merchandising directives, including floor sets, window displays, in-store signage, and fixture layouts.

• Team Leadership & Development: Manage and mentor a high-performing team of visual merchandising professionals, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Store Operations, DTC Merchandising, Brand Creative, and Retail Marketing to ensure cohesive execution of brand campaigns and seasonal initiatives.

• New Store & Remodel Support: Lead visual merchandising planning and execution for new store openings, remodels, and refits, ensuring brand consistency and operational readiness.

• Performance & Optimization: Leverage store performance data, consumer feedback, and retail trends to continuously refine visual strategies and improve effectiveness.

• Budget Management: Own and manage the visual merchandising budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and high ROI on visual investments.

• Global Alignment: Collaborate with global VM counterparts to share best practices, align on global directives, and localize strategies for the Americas market.

What do you need to succeed?

We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundation skills you’ll need to succeed and excel. Additionally, while formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your 10+ years of experience and professional achievements. 

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in visual merchandising within a multi-store retail environment, preferably in lifestyle, fashion, or footwear.

• Proven ability to translate brand and product narratives into compelling visual executions that drive traffic and sales.

• Strong leadership skills with experience managing and developing creative teams.

• Deep understanding of consumer behavior, retail trends, and the competitive landscape.

• Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Proficiency in visual planning tools, Adobe Creative