Sr. Director, Store Environment Design

Job Description

The Store Environment Senior Design Director at Nordstrom serves as the lead strategist of our store design experience, which includes creating the vision, strategy, planning and execution of both store design and visual merchandising design projects.  As a senior leader, you will guide concept development, champion breakthroughs in materials and design, and oversee a portfolio that ranges from smaller scale projects such as seasonal activations, through to new store design, store remodels and experiential events.  Ultimately responsible for creating visual merchandising strategies that drive retail store sales, enhance the customer journey, and tell compelling brand stories.  

The Senior Director will lead and mentor a team of highly skilled designers, aligning design initiatives with overall business goals and customer experience. As a team, you will execute the store environment vision in our stores, while managing complexities of budgeting, timing of deliverables, and working with internal and external partners. 

Central to your success will be forging deep partnerships across Marketing and Creative teams, Nordstrom Merchandising Group (NMG), Nordstrom Design and Construction, VM, brand stakeholders and external agencies to ensure that every initiative advances our overarching strategy. You will translate market research, trend forecasting and customer intelligence into actionable design roadmaps, continuously refining our approach to stay ahead of the curve.

 Key Responsibilities: 

• Build, lead and mentor a diverse team of design managers, fostering a creative and collaborative environment. 
• Develop both original design strategies and support the execution of creative strategies for store design projects.
• Lead graphic design and sign development as well as visual merchandising campaigns and brand partner initiatives. 
• Work cross functionally with partners including Marketing and Creative, VM merchandising, construction, as well as store teams to bring strategies to life that meet Nordstrom brand ethos and customer experience vision.
• Ensure fiscal responsibility for multiple store design and visual merchandising projects.
• Present design concepts, strategies, and project details to all levels of the organization including peer directors, merchant leaders, and members of the executive team.
• Lead the end-to-end design and development of store orders, including store prototypes, layouts, fixtures and finishes that reflect the Nordstrom brand.
• Stay current on retail trends and customer behaviors to create innovative and future-proof store environments. 
• Guide the development of architectural and interior design plans, working closely with external design firms, internal teams and contractors. 
• Partner with store environment merchandising team to ensure product placement and visual displays align with seasonal campaigns, brand launches, and promotional objectives. 
• Collaborate with Creative Marketing, construction, visual merchandising, real estate and teams on the rollout of new stores and remodels. 
• Provide leadership, feedback, and strategic direction to ensure the delivery of high-quality design execution.
• Inspire innovation and idea generation within the team.
• Analyze store design and visual merchandising initiative performance, using data and customer feedback to optimize layouts, displays, and overall store experiences. 

Leadership Competencies: 

• Communicates Effectively: Takes steps to create forums where people can express themselves openly and regularly. Explains major initiatives in a candid, timely, and appropriate manner 
• Has Courage: Takes steps to address actions that are inconsistent with the organization’s core values. Creates a culture that supports taking well-reasoned risks, regardless of the results
• Develops People: Creates a development-focused culture in the organization, supporting others’ development efforts and reinforcing the value of learning. Contributes to and supports organization wide initiatives to build leadership excellence and strong talent.
• Decision Quality: Advocates cross-functional analysis of problems, encouraging cooperation across functions on key decisions. Coaches leaders to push decision making down to the most appropriate level; challenges them when appropriate.

Key Qualifications: 

• Minimum 10+ years in design and construction within fashion retail, delivering high-end, customer-focused spaces that meet industry standards and deadlines.
• Proven success managing large-scale budgets, with projects ranging from $2M-$40M+
• Bachelor's degree in Architectural or Interior Design, or equivalent rele