Discover your place at Brand Collective
VM Manager - Shoes & Sox
- 495211
- Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Support - Retail
- Full-time
ABOUT SHOES & SOX
Shoes & Sox is one of Australia’s leading children’s footwear retailers, helping families find the right shoes for every stage of growing up. With a strong retail presence and a focus on expert service, product and customer experience, Shoes & Sox is continuing to evolve how it shows up in-store and connects with customers.
ROLE IN A NUTSHELL
As our VM Manager – Shoes & Sox, you’ll play a key role in shaping how customers experience the brand across our stores.
Reporting to the Group Head of VM, you’ll combine creative thinking with strong commercial judgement to bring product stories, key trading moments and brand campaigns to life across our concept and concession stores.
From Back to School and Sneaker Takeover to Black Friday and Christmas, you’ll own the VM direction, lead model store executions and create clear, inspiring guidance for retail teams to deliver consistently across Australia and New Zealand.
This is a hands-on role with genuine influence, working closely with Brand, Marketing, Retail, Buying, Product, Planning and Store Design teams to elevate the in-store experience and ensure VM supports commercial performance.
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING
- Own the VM direction across Shoes & Sox concept and concession stores, translating brand, product and trading priorities into clear, commercially focused in-store experiences.
- Lead monthly model store set-ups, developing product focuses and story telling, signage and merchandising direction in partnership with Retail, Marketing, Buying and Planning.
- Bring key trading moments to life, leading VM planning for Back to School, Sneaker Takeover, Black Friday, Christmas and other major brand initiatives.
- Create and manage VM communication, including monthly VM guides, store updates and clear execution standards to ensure consistency across Australia.
- Manage VM production and activations, briefing suppliers, overseeing timelines and budgets, and partnering with Marketing and Store Design on windows, fixtures and in-store requirements.
- Use commercial and customer insights to optimise VM, reviewing sales performance, product sell-through and competitor activity to identify opportunities and continuously improve the store experience.
- Lead through influence, coaching retail teams, partnering with leadership and providing feedback and best practice to drive stronger VM execution across the network.
ABOUT YOU
- 3+ years' experience in Visual Merchandising, ideally within fashion, footwear or a fast-paced retail environment.
- Strong commercial and creative instinct, with the ability to turn product and brand priorities into compelling, customer-focused store experiences.
- Confident stakeholder manager, comfortable influencing Retail, Marketing, Buying, Planning and Store Design teams at all levels.
- Strong understanding of retail VM and store styling, with a genuine eye for detail and passion for creating elevated customer experiences.
- Highly organised and commercially disciplined, able to manage multiple projects, deadlines, budgets and production requirements simultaneously.
- Strong communicator and collaborator, with the confidence to provide feedback, challenge constructively and bring teams along with your vision.
- Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign, with strong Excel skills; SketchUp experience is advantageous.
- Proactive, resilient and self-motivated, with the ability to work autonomously, adapt to changing priorities and continuously look for better ways of working.
JUST SOME PERKS WE OFFER
- Pet-friendly workspace – Yes, your furry friend can join you at work!
- Product allowance & Generous discounts – Up to 50% off top brands like Reebok, Superdry, and Elka Collective!
- Exclusive LK Group discounts – Treat yourself to savings at Daniel’s Donuts, Hommey, Snooze & more!
- Access to sample sales – Exclusive to Brand Collective team members only.
- Leave when it matters – Celebration leave, paid parental leave, volunteer leave.
- Novated leasing – Drive your dream car with ease.
- Loyalty rewards – We celebrate your milestones with generous service awards!
- Well-being matters – Corporate Discount on Health Cover, Free access to Mental Health Professionals through our Employee Assistance Program.
READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT?
Bring your creativity, commercial mindset and love of retail to Shoes & Sox and help create an in-store experience that makes a difference for customers and the business.
ABOUT BRAND COLLECTIVE
Brand Collective is one of Australia's most prominent apparel, footwear & sport groups, operating our omnichannel offer across 300+ stores with over 3,000 team members, a comprehensive online business and an extensive wholesale network. Our portfolio ranges from iconic heritage to timeless contemporary, from street culture to considered craftsmanship, and from private label to international luxury fashion brands. We bring brands to life!
At Brand Collective our customers come from all walks of life, and so do we! We value diversity and inclusion in all forms, thus hire based on capability and performance. If you feel like your skills align with the role and company culture, apply today to bring brands to life!
Please note: at this time, Brand Collective are not seeking recruitment agency support for this role, and will not be liable for any unsolicited candidate profiles or associated fees. We encourage applicants to apply directly to this posting if they would like to be considered for this opportunity. The advertising of this role may close earlier than the listed date, and we encourage applicants to apply early.