Merchandising Manager

Merchandising Manager

Purpose:

The Merchandising & Brand Manager at Chicago O'Hare International Airport focuses on financial performance, commercial excellence, and brand standard compliance for specialty retail operations with sales up to $3M. This role ensures stores maintain exceptional brand standards, visual merchandising, and product presentation while serving as the primary liaison with brand partners and supporting operational teams in delivering brand-compliant customer experiences.

What We Will Offer You:
Competitive Salary of: $73,010- $85,894 annually Daily Pay
- Get your money as you earn it 20% Hudson, HMSHost & Dufry Employee Discount Paid Time Off Personal and Parental Leave Programs Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance Company Paid Life Insurance Employee Recognition Programs Advancement and Growth Opportunities On-going Training & Development

Essential Functions:

• Collaborates with operational leadership to support sales growth through brand standard execution, product knowledge training, and visual merchandising excellence while monitoring brand compliance metrics
• Partners with operational management to establish and maintain brand-specific customer service standards; provides targeted coaching and brand expertise to enhance customer experiences while supporting the full talent lifecycle including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and developing specialty staff to ensure consistent brand representation
• Oversees and executes inventory management processes related to brand requirements, working collaboratively with operational teams on strategic stock selection, seasonal transitions, and promotional merchandise planning; ensures full compliance with promotional guidelines and brand partner requirements while maintaining optimal inventory levels that support sales objectives and brand standards
• Conducts regular brand standard audits and store assessments to ensure visual merchandising, product presentation, and brand guideline compliance; makes decisions on corrective actions and provides strategic recommendations to operational teams
• Serves as primary liaison with Commercial team, brand partners and vendors, communicating brand initiatives, seasonal requirements, and promotional needs while ensuring timely execution of brand‑directed programs and merchandising resets
• Develops and delivers brand‑specific training programs for store associates, focusing on product knowledge, brand storytelling, and customer engagement techniques that align with brand standards and expectations
• Monitors and analyzes brand performance metrics, customer feedback, and sales data related to brand compliance; provides insights and recommendations to operational leadership for performance optimization
• Oversees visual merchandising execution, ensuring displays meet brand guidelines and seasonal requirements; coordinates with merchandising teams on corporate and local brand initiatives while maintaining visual consistency
• Maintains expert‑level product knowledge across assigned brands and categories; stays current with brand launches, promotions, and industry trends while communicating updates to operational teams
• Reports regularly to brand partners on performance metrics, compliance status, visual merchandising execution, and market insights while maintaining strong vendor relationships

Reporting Relationship & Role Information:
The position typically reports to the Director of Operations. The Merchandising & Brand Manager position falls under the Fair Labor Standards Act as an Exempt position under the Administrative Exemption test. The Merchandising & Brand Manager position requires varied scheduling with presence during key operational periods to monitor brand standard execution and support operational teams across different business cycles.

Minimum Qualifications , Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment:

Education and Experience:

The combination of education and professional experience must exceed 5 years:
In a commercial/brand role:
Requires 3 years of experience in brand management, visual merchandising, or commercial operations within retail environment. In a retail operations support role:
Requires 5 years of…