Director, Visual Merchandising

Job description

Thuma is seeking a strategic, highly creative, and operationally rigorous Director of Visual Merchandising to bring our merchandising strategy to life across our retail portfolio. This role will create the physical manifestation of Thuma’s merchandising strategy - translating product priorities into compelling, intuitive, and commercially productive environments that create a sense of Oasis for every customer. This is not solely a styling role. The Director will connect merchandising, space planning, storytelling, store operations, store sales and customer experience, while establishing the standards and ways of working that ensure every store is consistently the best representation of Thuma. ### You Will - Translate merchandising strategy into clear floor plans, product adjacencies, visual presentations, and compelling product stories. - Create elevated, warm, and unmistakably Thuma environments while thoughtfully adapting to each store’s architecture, market, and customer. - Develop and maintain practical visual standards for space planning, product placement, styling, signage, lighting, replenishment, maintenance, and daily recovery. - Own store layouts, capacity plans, and vignette development using professional space-planning and visualization tools, including clear 2D plans, 3D visualizations, mockups, and technical drawings. - Use sales, productivity, customer behavior, and inventory insights to continuously improve layouts, density, category placement, product storytelling, and space productivity. - Establish floor-set calendars, installation plans, approval processes, and communication tools that allow teams to execute with clarity, speed, and precision. - Lead the visual execution of new stores, remodels, product launches, seasonal updates, installations, and branded activations. - Partner cross-functionally with Merchandising, Product, Retail, Brand, Creative, Store Design, Construction, Planning, Supply Chain, and Operations to create one cohesive customer experience. - Build scalable systems, including visual directives, launch toolkits, photo standards, store-review cadences, and feedback loops. - Train and coach retail leaders and store teams to understand the intent behind the merchandising strategy and sustain the standard every day. - Travel regularly to stores and installations, work hands-on when needed, identify gaps quickly, and drive issues through resolution. ### This Might Describe You - 8+ years of progressive experience in visual merchandising, retail design, space planning, or a related discipline within a design-led retail environment. - A portfolio demonstrating exceptional taste, strong spatial judgment, commercial thinking, and the ability to translate merchandising and brand strategy into physical environments. - Proficiency in space-planning and visualization tools such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, or comparable platforms. - A strong understanding of retail merchandising fundamentals, including customer journey, sightlines, product adjacencies, density, storytelling, replenishment, and space productivity. - Experience leading new-store openings, remodels, floor sets, installations, seasonal transitions, and execution across multiple locations. - The ability to use performance data while balancing commercial, brand, design, and customer considerations. - Strong project-management and communication skills, with the ability to align cross-functional partners and translate strategy into clear direction for field teams. - A high bar for quality, a low-ego and collaborative working style, and the confidence to challenge work that does not meet the standard. - Comfort moving fluidly between strategy and hands-on execution in a fast-growing environment. - The ability and willingness to travel regularly and work outside standard hours during installations, openings, or critical resets when needed. ### Why Join Us - **401(k)**: Participation in our 401(k) program with company matching up to 6% of your contributions. - **Benefits\***: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with generous employer contributions, 100% paid parental leave, and company-sponsored One Medical and WellHub memberships. - **Equity**: Participation in employee stock option plan. - **Flexible by Design**: We operate with a high-performance mindset, paired with thoughtful flexibility—flexible hours, flexible PTO, and a hybrid approach that supports both focus and balance. - **Time to Recharge**: Enjoy 13 company holidays each year to rest, reset, and celebrate what matters most. - **Employee Discount\*\***: 40% off almost all Thuma products. - **Cell Phone Stipend**: $100 per month to support work-related phone use. - **Commute Reimbursement**: Up to $150 per month for commuting to our office. - **Room Upgrade**: A complimentary product credit upon joining, valued at up to $3,000. \*\* Some exclusions may apply \* Eligibility for compensation, benefits, and perks may vary based on employment status (e.g., full-time, part-time, temporary), work schedule, and applicable holiday policies, and are subject to the terms of the relevant plans and company guidelines.