Christian Dior Merchandising & Architecture Director
About Christian Dior
Christian Dior, founded in Paris in 1946, stands as one of the world’s most influential maisons, uniting haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, fragrance, beauty, and exceptional retail experiences. As an employer, Dior offers a culture shaped by artistic audacity, meticulous craftsmanship, and the pursuit of excellence, where heritage and innovation continually enrich one another. Its teams collaborate across ateliers, studios, boutiques, and corporate functions within an international environment that values elegance, precision, inclusivity, and entrepreneurial spirit. Working at Dior means contributing to a legacy of timeless style while helping define the future of luxury with creativity, discipline, and purpose.
Christian Dior Parfums seeks Merchandising & Architecture Director in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France for 10-month maternity cover role.
Role & Responsibilities
- Define and lead merchandising strategy across all boutiques in France, aligned with central directives and market-specific considerations
- Ensure harmonization of product presentations, window displays, and sales floor layouts to maximize customer appeal and experience
- Develop clear merchandising guidelines and train field teams on their implementation
- Analyze merchandising performance metrics (sell-out, average basket value impact) and adjust strategies accordingly
- Collaborate closely with marketing, wholesale, and DTC teams to ensure messaging and product launch coherence
- Supervise all architectural projects for boutiques (new builds, renovations, pop-up stores, event spaces) across French territory
- Ensure flawless execution of the brand's architectural concepts while maintaining quality, aesthetic, and budget standards
- Coordinate internal stakeholders (General Management, DTC, wholesale, Central Architecture) and external partners (architects, designers, contractors)
- Validate execution plans, supervise construction, and guarantee compliance with brand vision
- Oversee maintenance and upgrading of existing retail locations in terms of architecture, furnishings, lighting, and ergonomics
- Manage, align, and mentor a team of 6 merchandising and architecture specialists
- Define individual and collective objectives, evaluate performance, and ensure team skill development
- Foster a stimulating, collaborative, and demanding work environment conducive to innovation and excellence
- Optimize task and project allocation within the team to enhance delivery quality and efficiency
- Serve as key contact for the French General Management on all merchandising and architecture matters
- Work in close partnership with the Europe Merchandising & Architecture team
- Represent France to Central Merchandising & Architecture and headquarters teams, adapting global directives to local specifications
- Actively contribute to strategic reflection on retail point evolution and customer experience optimization
Qualifications
- Advanced degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Visual Merchandising, or equivalent
- Minimum 10 years of confirmed experience in similar roles, ideally in luxury, beauty, or retail sectors
- Dual expertise in both architecture and merchandising with deep understanding of brand strategy and customer experience
- Significant experience in team management
- Strong sensitivity to luxury aesthetics and brand codes
- Excellent complex project management ability with capacity to prioritize and work in matrix environments
- Acute attention to detail, rigor, creativity, and proactivity
- Superior relational and communication skills, both written and verbal
- Proficiency in design tools (AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite) and standard office software
- Fluent English
Skills
Experience
Minimum 10 years of confirmed professional experience in merchandising and architecture roles, ideally within luxury, beauty, or retail sectors. Demonstrated expertise in managing complex retail architectural projects and leading cross-functional teams. Proven track record of developing and implementing merchandising strategies that enhance customer experience and drive commercial results.
Education
Advanced degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Visual Merchandising, or equivalent professional qualification.
Workplace
The role is situated in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Île-de-France, France — conveniently close to Paris.
Culture
Christian Dior fosters a culture of refined creativity, exceptional craftsmanship, and continuous innovation, where teams are encouraged to uphold the Maison’s heritage while shaping the future of luxury. As an employer, it offers a dynamic and exacting environment that values collaboration, excellence, and the development of talent across artistic, retail, and corporate disciplines.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Christian Dior, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Visual Merchandising & Architecture Manager», «Retail Architecture & Display Strategist», «Store Design & Merchandising Lead», «Merchandising & Store Architecture Specialist», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.