VM Creative Designer

As a Creative Designer you will be responsible for supporting the VM Lead and VM Creative Manager in ensuring that all John Lewis & Partner stores look creatively strong and stimulating in all areas at all times and that they deliver on retail theatre and experience.
You will support the VM Lead and VM Creative Manager to develop the creative direction of all aspects of the in-store visual offer for John Lewis & Partners, covering in-store creative treatments, windows, mannequin displays and internal VM sites.
Working collaboratively with the Visual Design & Editorial departments to instigate ideas for contribution into the Seasonal Creative Expression. You will create clear windows and internal visuals alongside mood boards and creative packs to support the sign off process. Presenting and feeding back on ideas gathered from inspiration trips where possible.

In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £5.00 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

• Expected salary - The expected salary for this role is up to £53000

• Contract type - This position is a 12 month Secondment/Fixed Term contract

• Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs, whilst balancing the needs of the business. Within the Brand and Store Experience team, we believe in the power of connection, hence we typically aim for around three days a week in the office or visiting shops to allow for collaboration and attendance of key meetings. 

• Location -  This role is based at our London Head Office campus in Pimlico.  Please note, any cost incurred as a result of travel to the office is the responsibility of the successful candidate.  There is also a responsibility to visit our John Lewis branches when necessary and travel costs will be met in line with the travel policy.

Key responsibilities

● Working alongside the VM Lead & VM Creative Manager to tailor the department strategy to suit category needs and cascade where necessary.

● Maintaining a strong working relationship with key stakeholders including but not limited to:

● Design planning, Procurement teams, Retail plus within Customer, Customer Planning, Marketing, Creative and Content, ensuring all projects are approached collaboratively – campaign launches, bespoke projects and firework moments.

●Supporting the VM Lead and VM Creative Manager to develop the creative direction of all aspects of the in-store visual offer for John Lewis & Partners, covering in-store creative treatments, windows, mannequin displays and internal VM sites.

● Working collaboratively with the Visual Design & Editorial departments to instigate ideas for contribution into the Seasonal Creative Expression.

● Create clear windows and internal visuals alongside mood boards and creative packs to support the sign off process.

● Directly offer feedback and support to all stores following Seasonal window installations.

● Maintaining a strong working relationship with the Design planning and Procurement teams, ensuring consistent and extensive window and prop briefing process.

● Establish good relationships and procedures with DSG to ensure customer and staff safety and with external creative companies.

● Assisting the team overseeing the creative direction for projects, ensuring all creative work fits with the colour palettes and range of products, driving the visual proposition of the brands forward.

● Working alongside VM Creative Manager to manage the creative budgets per project supporting projects with Creative in-store design and input in ad hoc projects.

● Supporting VM Lead & VM Creative Manager to drive bespoke windows and in-store creative treatments across all stores.

● Regularly spend time in shops/office/suppliers as reasonably required to fulfil the job role to drive Creative proposition and enhance Visual opportunities and working collaboratively across both VM and Styling, ensuring the departments are aligned and the teams are working collectively.

● Maintaining established communication channels between store (Retail team and HOR population) and head office to ensure consistency of the message across the brand.

● Presenting and feeding back on ideas gathered from inspiration trips where possible.

● Working alongside B&SE colleagues to allocate props/window elements in all new store overlays.

● Directly offer feedback and support to all stores following Seasonal window installations.

● Formulating strong and effective working relationships with external creative companies.

● Supporting all departments with Creative in-store design and input in ad-hoc projects.

Skills

●Excellent communication and influencing skills, ability to liaise at all levels.

● Creative problem solving.

● Strong training and coaching skills.

● Ability to organise and manage your own time effectively.

● Ability to work on own initiative and self-motivated.

●Stakeholder management - ability to build strong relationships with key business stakeholders

● Demonstrate the ability to stay positive under pressure and stay focused on goals.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

● Excellent creative flair with the ability to predict forthcoming moods, trends, themes.

● Creative thinker with the ability to develop the full potential from projects and to take advantage of new developments and technology.

● Self-starter – with the ability to work under minimal supervision and guidance.

● Strong team player and manager – Able to gain trust, respect and confidence quickly and effectively.

● The proven ability to negotiate and drive performance.

● Strongly results driven and delivery focused. Enthusiasm, energy and determination to achieve results.

● Excellent interpersonal skills being able to quickly establish effective relationships at all levels with gravitas and strength.

● A broad range of understanding and experience across retail from product and youth trends to creative and visual tools.

● An innovative approach to support business growth

● Within the brand – All depts. at director and team level – Merchandising, Buying, Marketing, PR, Finance, HR and Design.

● Passion for John Lewis and its brands and strong customer knowledge.

Desirable skills/experience you may have

● Combines a creative, innovative approach to commercial ideas.

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.