VM Coordinator - Drunk Elephant & Designer Fragrance Brands (FTC 6 Months)

Date:  26 Nov 2025
Location:  London
Company:  Shiseido

VM Coordinator – Drunk Elephant, Designer Fragrance Brands

 

 

 

MISSION

 

Working with the Assistant VM Manager on the management of all visual merchandising, retail excellence and delegated store design activity associated with the delivery of the VM strategy and new store openings. Responsible for guaranteeing maximum qualitative visual impact of the brand at each point of sale in line with brand DNA and local strategy. Creation and implementation of launch and permanent merchandising tools and guidelines, consistently executed across UK distribution channels and budgetary parameters.

 

 

ABOUT SHISEIDO GROUP

Our mission : Beauty Innovations for a Better World

 

Founded in 1872 in Japan, Shiseido Group is within the Top 5 leading cosmetics companies in the world and aims to inspire a life of beauty and culture. Operating in 120 countries with 42,000 employees and 70 nationalities, Shiseido offers a unique selection of Skincare, Makeup and Fragrance brands with a projected turnover over £7.0bn in 2022. Celebrating 150 years of heritage in 2022, Shiseido constantly creates high-quality, safe and innovative cosmetics and develop brands deeply loved by people from all over the world, in line with our mission: Beauty Innovations for a Better World.  Did you know that Shiseido is the most awarded company in terms of innovation with a record 31 FSCC Awards?

 

ABOUT SHISEIDO

 

Founded in 1872 in Japan, Shiseido Group is within the Top 5 leading cosmetics companies in the world and aims to inspire a life of beauty and culture. Operating in 120 countries with 42,000 employees and 70 nationalities, Shiseido offers a unique selection of Skincare, Makeup and Fragrance brands with a projected £6.8bn turnover in 2021. Celebrating 150 years of heritage in 2022, Shiseido constantly creates high-quality, safe and innovative cosmetics and develop brands deeply loved by people from all over the world, in line with our mission: Beauty Innovations for a Better World.

Did you know that Shiseido is the most awarded company in terms of innovation with a record 26 FSCC Awards?

 

Shiseido UK & Ireland plays a central role in the EMEA region and is biggest affiliate, leading the Digital acceleration agenda thanks to a team of local experts, but is also constantly reinventing its Retail footprint in the world Nr4 biggest beauty market.

 

 

To deliver our strong Growth & Profitability ambitions, we will follow 4 strategic streams

 

1.            Leverage our unique portfolio of premium Beauty brands across all 3 categories

2.            Stay agile and capture new retail opportunities

3.            Customer-driven decisions

4.           Create a great place to work in Beauty

 

Our first strength is Make-up, led by NARS, UK’s Nr4 color brand with incredible success globally and that gained 4 rankings in the last 2 years thanks to its unique tone of voice and exceptional complexion and lip products. 

 

Skincare is a key priority for expansion, with 5 very diverse and complementary brands covering the full scope of consumers needs and profiles. From brand Shiseido that is recognized for its uncompromising quality and showing huge growth potential in UK&I, to already iconic Drunk Elephant (+75% growth this year, about to enter Top10 Skincare) with its most sought-after formulations and Skin Smoothies, or the spectacular Clé de Peau Beauté that embodies the ultimate of stem-cell technology to the service of radiance. This year, we just launched ULÉ a newly created Skin-Tech brand with breakthrough credentials around Sustainability and botanical performance, as well as expanding Gallinée, our most recent acquisition from 2022 specialized around skin microbiome with unique patents.

 

We are also growing fast in Fragrance, a category we want to accelerate with leading Designers brands such as Issey Miyake, Narciso Rodriguez, Tory Burch, Zadig&Voltaire and Serge Lutens.

 

Year to date, October 23, SHISEIDO Group is the fastest growing Beauty Group in the UK market, both in Stores and Online. Our clients include high-street retailers such as department stores, beauty chains as well as online pure players and specialty stores. We also have 4 boutiques and 3 direct e-commerce websites.  Our mix of sales is 55% online and 45% in brick & mortar.

 

ABOUT SHISEIDO BRAND                                   

Recently voted as No5 most trusted brand in Health & Beauty worldwide, Shiseido has defined the concept of beauty and spread its knowledge and power across the world. Heralding an army of devoted followers, we feel that by inspiring empathy, beauty can become a positive force in the world, and guide the next generation boldly into the future.

 

ABOUT CLE DE PEAU BEAUTE

Clé de Peau Beauté, the premier luxury skincare and makeup brand from Shiseido Cosmetics, was founded in 1982 as the ultimate expression of elegance and science. Forever guided by exquisite aesthetics and intelligence, Clé de Peau Beauté has instilled its products with modernity, enchantment, and dynamism to emerge as an industry leader in delivering radiance so remarkable, it emanates from within.

 

ABOUT DRUNK ELEPHANT

We are committed to using only ingredients that either directly benefit the health of the skin or support the integrity of our formulations. We never take into account whether something is synthetic or natural, instead choosing ingredients based on biocompatibility.

 

ABOUT NARS                                               

Created in 1994 in New York by visionary makeup artist François NARS, NARS Cosmetics is one of the leading and most respected brands in the world of makeup artistry.

 

ABOUT DESIGNER FRAGRANCES

Shiseido Group’s fragrance brands are a collection of luxurious and exciting fragrance brands, which are amongst the leaders in the UK market. From the edgy Zadig&Voltaire to the sensual and effortless delicacy of Narciso Rodriguez; and the intriguing mix of natural and sophistication in Issey Miyake. In selected distribution, we also have the unique collection from the extraordinary perfumer, Serge Lutens and more to come to the market.

 

ABOUT ULE

At Ulé we are on a mission to promote botanical, conscious beauty, being the first skincare brand to grow its ingredients in our own indoor high-tech vertical farm.

Our formulas are obtained through an avant-garde method of culture that guarantees the purity and power of the plants to give you more resilient skin. We have created a sustainable way of beauty for those who want to enjoy life to the fullest, in harmony with the environment.

 

ABOUT GALLINEE                                   

At Gallinée we believe in working with your microbiome to help it to look after you. Our products contain a patented complex of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics to nourish and support the good bacteria that make your own personal ecosystem. Helping them to look after even the most sensitive skin.

 

 

 

 

ORGANISATION

 

Reports to: Assistant VM Manager

Job Location: Shiseido Group London Head Office

Contract type: 6 Month Fixed Term Contract

 

 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

 

OPERATIONAL

 

Under the supervision of the Senior VM Manager & Assistant VM Manager the VM coordinator will be in charge of:

  • Support all new store opening needs from a VM perspective within all retail channels
  • Responsible for perfect on counter execution of all VM activities across all points of sale
  • Support with budget, raising and receipting all POs and financial administration of nominated areas within the VM department
  • Work closely with the field team to manage the process of ordering/replacing merchandising items in a timely manner and on budget
  • Manage communication with market, ensure all needs are met for both launch and permanent visual merchandising collateral. Providing guidance where necessary
  • Responsible for the allocation and orders for launches and activations
  • Managing the visual updates in store, ensuring these are ordered and implemented correctly in the field – including lightboxes and core VM graphics
  • Lead regular field visits to ensure that all visual implementation in-store is of a high standard and consistent brand image guidelines and in line with any brand merchandising agreement.
  • Adapting EMEA planograms and create UK specific planograms for all merchandising collateral
  • Undertake regular VM reviews of each activity, collating and producing quantitative and qualitative feedback, key learnings and future recommendations

 

 

CREATIVE (non-essential and dependent on activations)

 

Under the supervision of the Senior VM Manager & Assistant VM Manager the VM coordinator will be in charge of:

 

  • Develop local UK assets point of sale material with external suppliers
  • Briefing C launch activations to external agencies
  • Create, adapt, communicate and implement Merchandising Guidelines for all launches and animations, in order to ensure perfect execution across all store types, on time and in line with budget

 

 

 

PROFILE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

  • Experience in visual merchandising within the beauty industry is preferred but not mandatory. Candidates from other industries are welcome
  • Basic proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams is required
  • Ability to learn and handle new system programs such as SAP or similar PO system and IWD (planogram) is ideal
  • Adobe creative program basic skills are ideal in notably Illustrator, Photoshop, Express and InDesign
  • Methodical and acutely attentive to detail
  • Strong organisational skills and ability to manage complexity
  • Clear, prompt and concise reporting style
  • Excellent communication skills both written and oral
  • Passion for exceptional representation of the brand at all times
  • Ability to act on own initiative and take ownership of projects and tasks through to successful completion
  • Positive, ‘can-do’ attitude and willingness to be involved with all nominated projects
  • Flexible approach to work, ability to support changing needs and demands
  • Ability to work effectively and collaboratively within a team environment
  • Ability to undertake travel
  • Alignment with the group’s « Trust8 » working principles: Think Big, Take Risks, Hands on, Collaborate, Be Open, Act with Integrity, Be Accountable, Applaud Success

 

 

 

THE BENEFITS YOU’LL LOVE

  • 26 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday day off   
  • Holiday buy – up to 5 days
  • Day off when you get married or move house
  • Generous contributory pension scheme – match up to 8%
  • Annual performance related bonus
  • Private medical insurance with Vitality
  • Enhanced parental allowance
  • Generous product allocation & discount
  • Life Assurance up to x4 your salary
  • Flexible Friday finish
  • Flexible & hybrid working
  • Wellbeing programmes
  • Annual performance and development reviews so you know your career is going in the right direction

 

 


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