Tissot Visual Merchandising Director

About Tissot

Tissot, founded in 1853 in Le Locle, Switzerland, is a distinguished Swiss watchmaker renowned for uniting traditional craftsmanship with accessible innovation. As part of the Swatch Group, the Maison offers employees the strength of a global luxury ecosystem while preserving a culture rooted in precision, authenticity, and entrepreneurial spirit. Tissot is celebrated for its pioneering materials, advanced movements, and longstanding role in international sports timekeeping. As an employer, it provides a dynamic environment where watchmaking expertise, digital excellence, retail sophistication, and brand storytelling converge, inviting talent to contribute to a heritage-driven company with a forward-looking, international outlook.

Tissot seeks a Visual Merchandising Director to lead U.S. visual merchandising and training strategy, oversee standards, retail environments, budgets, and initiatives, and develop a team of 8–11 professionals. The role requires at least 10 years of relevant experience, including 5 years of leadership experience, and domestic and international travel up to 50%; salary and bonus are part of the compensation package.

Role & Responsibilities

• Define and execute the U.S. visual merchandising and training strategy in alignment with global brand objectives and business priorities.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of 8–11 Visual Merchandising & Training professionals, fostering accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Establish departmental goals, performance metrics, and succession planning initiatives to support organizational growth.
• Serve as the primary liaison between U.S. operations and Global Headquarters for visual merchandising and training initiatives.
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Retail Development, Operations, and Finance to advance business objectives and enhance the customer experience.
• Ensure consistent visual merchandising execution across boutiques, shop-in-shops, roadshows, and wholesale partners.
• Adapt global visual merchandising directives for the U.S. market while maintaining brand integrity and consistency.
• Oversee the creation, implementation, and ongoing development of visual merchandising guidelines, standards, and best practices.
• Direct and monitor visual merchandising initiatives, promotional activations, window displays, product launches, and seasonal campaigns.
• Review and approve visual concepts, creative assets, and merchandising presentations for brand alignment.
• Oversee store databases, merchandising inventories, fixture allocations, and visual support materials.
• Partner with Retail Development on new store openings, remodels, SIS installations, roadshow activations, and special projects.
• Identify emerging trends, technologies, and innovative merchandising solutions to enhance brand visibility and customer engagement.
• Ensure accurate inventory management and distribution of visual merchandising materials and POSM assets.
• Develop and oversee training programs supporting product knowledge, selling skills, customer experience, and brand standards.
• Adapt and localize corporate training materials and learning initiatives for the U.S. market.
• Establish training objectives, KPIs, and reporting processes to measure program effectiveness and participation.
• Oversee training platforms, certification programs, contests, learning initiatives, and field engagement activities.
• Support product launches and strategic initiatives through targeted educational programs and training resources.
• Provide ongoing coaching and development opportunities for field teams, boutique personnel, and support staff.
• Develop and manage annual Visual Merchandising and Training departmental budgets.
• Monitor expenditures, approve invoices, and ensure fiscal responsibility across programs and initiatives.
• Manage vendor relationships, contract negotiations, and service agreements related to visual merchandising and training.
• Analyze performance metrics, identify improvement opportunities, and provide executive-level reporting and recommendations.
• Ensure timely delivery and execution of merchandising and training initiatives in compliance with company standards and policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Retail Management, Design, Fashion Merchandising, Communications, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in Visual Merchandising, Retail Design, Store Planning, Training, or related disciplines.
• At least 5 years of leadership experience managing and developing multi-level teams.
• Experience leading field-based or geographically dispersed teams preferred.
• Proven experience managing large-scale visual merchandising programs across multiple retail channels.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing training initiatives that drive business performance.
• Experience managing departmental budgets, vendor relationships, and complex project portfolios.
• Experience in luxury, premium retail, consumer goods, watches, jewelry, fashion, or lifestyle brands strongly preferred.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 50% of the time.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods during store visits, market events, trade shows, training sessions, and retail activations.
• Ability to lift, move, and carry visual merchandising materials, displays, and equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to climb ladders and use step stools safely during visual installation activities.
• Ability to bend, reach, kneel, crouch, and perform other physical activities required for merchandising execution and store assessments.
• Ability to work in retail, warehouse, office, and event environments.
• Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment for extended periods.
• Visual acuity sufficient to review visual merchandising standards, creative designs, floorplans, and presentation materials.
• Strong strategic leadership and team development skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and influence others.
• Exceptional verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders at all organizational levels, including senior leadership and global partners.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience managing budgets, forecasting expenses, and evaluating ROI.
• Excellent project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Advanced knowledge of visual merchandising principles, retail environments, customer experience, and brand presentation standards.
• High level of creativity, strong aesthetic judgment, and attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with a data-driven decision-making approach.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Experience with design and planning software such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit, or similar platforms preferred.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment while meeting tight deadlines and changing business priorities.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to execute strategic and operational initiatives effectively.

Skills

Experience

At least 10 years of progressive experience in Visual Merchandising, Retail Design, Store Planning, Training, or related disciplines, including at least 5 years of leadership experience managing and developing multi-level teams.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Retail Management, Design, Fashion Merchandising, Communications, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred.

Workplace

Benefits

Health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, eligible from the first day of the month after 30 days, with employer contributions; immediate 401(k) participation and a 100% vested employer match after one year (up to 4% employer match with a 5% employee contribution); company-paid life insurance and Long Term Disability; 18 days of PTO annually, increasing to one month after five years; annual sick time and extended paid time for medical, parental, and military leave; holiday pay; voluntary FSA, STD, and Accident/Hospital Indemnity insurance; employee product discount.

Culture

Tissot fosters a workplace culture rooted in Swiss precision, innovation, and a deep respect for watchmaking heritage. As an employer, the brand encourages collaboration, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement, offering teams the opportunity to contribute to accessible yet high-quality timepieces with a global reputation.

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.