Retail Store Experience Manager

Retail Store Experience Manager

Company: Patagonia Location: Torquay Work Type: Full-time Work Setting: Onsite

Patagonia is an outdoor apparel business committed to saving our home planet. As a certified B Corporation, we are recognised internationally for our dedication to product quality and environmental activism. Our sole shareholder is our planet, with 100% of profits directed towards fighting the environmental crisis. Founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia is headquartered in Ventura, California, with offices globally, including Doonmarngwarree (Torquay), Australia. Our values are rooted in the traditions of climbers and surfers, promoting a minimalist style with an emphasis on simplicity and utility. We aim to build the best product and provide the best service, examine our practices openly and honestly, protect our home planet, and act with justice, equity, and anti-racism, all while doing things our own way.

We seek candidates with demonstrated experience who excel in a team-based environment. Ideal candidates are passionate about their communities, the environment, and caring for others. We are looking for individuals who are core users of Patagonia products and spend significant time outdoors. Success in this role is typically found in those who handle ambiguity well, learn quickly, demonstrate sound judgment, and solve problems creatively. The ability to build and maintain relationships with ease, coupled with a desire to place the customer at the forefront of all activities, is crucial. We are not seeking individuals to simply fill a role, but the best person for the job. We do not look for "stars" seeking special treatment; our most effective efforts are collaborative, and Patagonia culture values the ensemble player over those who seek the limelight.

The Role

Based at our Doonmarngwarree (Torquay) Head Office, the Retail Store Experience Manager will support our expanding retail network across Australia and New Zealand, overseeing the complete delivery of our in-store retail experience. In this full-time position, you will manage new store openings, refurbishments, and branded wholesale installations. You will also lead the Australian Visual Merchandising (VM) team in implementing our VM standards. You will collaborate with our merchandising and planning teams to shape seasonal product narratives, develop seasonal store strategies through product placement and customer experience, and establish visual merchandising standards.

Responsibilities include project planning and stakeholder management (suppliers, customers, and internal teams), budgeting and cost control, managing complex projects from inception to completion, team leadership, contributing to seasonal range architecture, developing seasonal merchandising plans, and ensuring outcomes are delivered on time and within budget. Engagement and collaboration with internal stakeholders are essential for the success of this role.

This role requires a deep understanding of the outdoor and surf market and contemporary consumer behaviours. It integrates retail execution with merchandising and marketing through strategic planning, leadership, collaboration, and hands-on retail execution. When successful, this role will contribute to the growth of core categories, technical products, and the overall brand's success in the retail and wholesale marketplace.

Our retail stores are where our brand comes to life, and we view these spaces as a gift to our communities. We strive to create environments that are welcoming to all, unique, inspiring, and reflective of the local community. This role will uphold this by employing creative design, embedding brand directives, and ensuring local stories are shared to foster not only a unique retail experience but also a hub for local activism.

Objectives

• Assortment Planning

You will play a key role in shaping product presentation and assortment strategies that reflect store identity and customer needs. This involves leveraging sales data, market insights, and customer profiles to support planning and in-store execution. You will collaborate closely with retail, merchandise, Marketing, and buying teams to ensure alignment across channels, while driving performance through strategic product selection and visual storytelling.

• Align product planning with store DNA by analysing sales, customers, and trends to ensure assortments reflect store needs.
• Produce floor plans, layouts, and presentation decks.
• Partner with merchandising and buying teams to provide strategic feedback, ensuring assortments support visual storytelling, seasonal campaigns, and brand goals.
• Design product flows and themed presentations using Illustrator (or similar) to create compelling, easy-to-navigate guides that assist store teams in executing layouts.
• Conduct regular store visits to research customer behaviour, assess execution, and gather insights that inform merchandising strategies and enhance the customer experience.
• Use Illustrator (or similar) to sketch layouts.