Burnside Visual Merchandising Manager

Powell's Books is seeking to hire a Visual Merchandising Manager at our City of Books location in Downtown Portland.

This position is one of two Visual Merchandising Managers at the Burnside store, one with a focus on books, and this position, which will focus on gifts, the non-book items carried in the store.

This position oversees and manages all non-book product sections and displays in the Burnside store, coordinating the daily needs of the gift business, planning and strategizing merchandising projects to help drive sales and customer engagement. They act as part of the Manager on Duty team supporting store operations, and supervise a team of employees in the store. They will approach merchandising strategies proactively, and engage in continuous improvement methods, adapting to meet the needs of the business.

Powell’s Books is known worldwide as a premier independent bookstore and an icon in the Portland community. We’re committed to fostering a culture and environment of inclusion, empowerment, and respect – a place where everyone can show up fully as themselves and do their best work every day.

All regular full-time employees enjoy benefits including:

• Generous healthcare plan (medical, vision, and dental)
• 401(k) savings plan
• Education benefit
• Childcare subsidy
• Substantial employee discount that is also available to your significant other, children, parents, and siblings
• Book borrowing privileges

Pay: $23.08 per hour, or more, depending on experience.

Schedule: The regular schedule is to be determined, but will include weekends, and have opening shifts starting as early as 6am.

Closing Date: Sunday, September 6th, 2026

Position Title:
Burnside Visual Merchandising Manager
Location:
Burnside
Group: X5-B
Date: 8/2026

The Burnside Visual Merchandising Manager (BVMM) leads the execution of Powell’s merchandising strategies in the flagship City of Books location and has a Book or Gift focus. They manage floor sets, specialty displays, in-store signage, and other visual merchandising elements, while also providing data-driven insights to inform merchandising decisions. The BVMM models and upholds a customer-first mentality, ensuring that merchandising execution enhances the shopping experience and drives business objectives.

The BVMM is responsible for supervising the Visual Merchandising Specialist (VMS) team (Books or Gifts), ensuring alignment with Powell’s corporate merchandising strategies and maintaining operational excellence. This role also partners closely with store leadership, buying teams, marketing, and merchandising leadership to implement seasonal campaigns and cross-merchandising initiatives. The BVMM spends time on the retail floor as a Manager on Duty and supports overall store operations.

Reports to the Store Manager, Sales.

• Manages, coaches, and mentors the VMS team, providing training, support, and in-the-moment feedback to drive excellence in execution.
• Oversees day-to-day VMS workflow, assigning projects and setting priorities according to the needs of the business.
• Ensures that all floor and visual displays are implemented effectively, aligning with corporate standards and seasonal initiatives.
• Collaborates with store management and leadership to direct workflow and adjust priorities based on store needs and customer engagement. Updates daily schedule as needed.
• Works closely with the Store Manager, Sales and Marketing Department on project-specific calendars, signage, promotions, and projects, ensuring timely execution and implementation.
• Oversees photography of work done by VMS team to capture all FOS and new display sets, archiving images to document merchandising strategies and execution.
• Ensures the customer-first mindset is embedded in all merchandising initiatives, optimizing displays to enhance the shopping experience.
• Partners with Store Manager, Sales and Buying Teams to provide feedback on display effectiveness, ensuring that merchandising efforts support sales and inventory flow.
• Monitors sales performance related to merchandising efforts, analyzing data and sharing insights with key stakeholders to refine strategies.
• Acts as a liaison between…