Experiential Production Manager, Physical Retail

This role is based in Boston, MA and requires an in-office presence Monday - Thursday, Friday is optional WFH.  

Who We Are: 

The Wayfair Visual Merchandising team is a multi-talented group of strategic and innovative thinkers across many disciplines, partnering closely with cross functional  leaders to catapult Wayfair into the leading destination for all things home by developing engaging advertising campaigns, next-in-class consumer experiences, and scalable brand systems.

About the Job:

Wayfair is seeking an experienced Experiential Production Manager to join our team. The Experiential Production Manager will oversee all aspects of the end to end creative development and production process supporting our Wayfair physical retail operations. This role includes many of the traditional aspects of experiential and event production, including managing a stable of external fabricators, juggling tight timelines, balancing budgets, and coordinating with field employees on delivery and installation. The Experiential Production Manager must collaborate and partner closely with our creative, marketing and Physical Retail teams.

The ideal candidate will have a track record of success in retail/visual production or similar production, project management or visual operations, and will demonstrate an ability to confidently manage a process and influence diverse teams to meet deadlines and collaborate toward a common goal. A strong operational orientation is key to success in this role, as is a keen eye for efficiency and a passion for process improvement. 

Physical Retail is a new and growing team at Wayfair, so the Experiential Production Manager will need to collaborate with all partner teams, establishing the process up front, rolling it out across the teams, and continuing to optimize and pivot as we grow and scale. It will require flexibility and a scrappy, roll up the sleeves mentality to build out this new capability from the ground up. You’ll manage and deliver projects that support our existing stores’ seasonal floor sets in addition to projects that support Wayfair’s scaling expansion in Physical Retail. This role will focus on Wayfair and their Standalone Brands (SAB): AllModern, Birch Lane, Joss & Main and Perigold.

What You’ll Do: 

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders including: Visual Presentation, Brand Creative, Creative Operations, Marketing and Store Operations
• Facilitate excellent production management as it relates to: time, cost and communication, ensuring vendor output matches Wayfair’s quality and service expectations
• Prioritize and complete multiple projects within competing deadlines with high level of organizational skills
• Manage a range of project types such as: in-store presentation displays, decorative props, non-branded and branded elements and supplies, while conducting full supervision in terms of project management, production timelines, vendor compliance, collateral allocation and logistics.
• Manage project financials: purchasing, billing and reconciliation; escalating budget risks in a timely and efficient manner.

• Maintain and update the vendor/supplier database and department budget (specific to visual creative services) and support execution and submission of purchase orders, invoices, etc.
• Coordinate delivery and implementation of projects with Installation Manager within our Mock Store Locations or Physical Retail stores. 
• Support New Store Openings with launch kits and supplies.

Management responsibilities: 

• Manage Visual Creative Service Coordinator and associated vendors needs (i.e .production timelines, budgets, vendor contracts) for five brands total.
• Establish and operate Project Request Process for cross-functional projects, to organize, track and deliver creative output in a timely manner.
• Lead and support ongoing project management needs ensuring that all participating cross-functional teams are both informed and involved as needed and that deliverables are on-time and recaps are shared with appropriate partners
• Partner with Store Communication, ensuring all deliverables are captured and communicated for stores awareness, calendarization and participation..
• Inspire the team to innovate and problem solve, creating a culture of continuous improvement and growth
• Conduct weekly one-on-one meetings with team to discuss past challenges, potential issues, and future goals
• Hold daily huddles with the team to communicate daily priorities, to provide business updates and promote the team building

Who are we looking for

We are looking for individuals who have a proven track record in owning and driving major businesses/initiatives, managing teams and developing functions in environments such as:

• Creative Services, branded and non-branded prop and display production 
• Project Management 
• Purchasing, sourcing and procurement 
• Retail - Big Box / Specialty

Communication is key and you should be comfortable working in a fast-paced technology and data-driven business environment.

Who you are

• Seasoned Retail Manager, with 5+ years of production experience
• Proven vendor management experience 
• Strong attention to detail and proven ability to manage multiple, competing priorities simultaneously
• Able to work efficiently and effectively within a dynamic, fast-paced environment that’s constantly changing as Wayfair’s Physical Retail organization and fleet scales
• Proficiency to prioritize and manage multiple projects or tasks, with high adaptability to change if required
• Ability to unpack and simplify complex projects in an ambiguous and changing environment
• Evidence of “scrappy startup execution” and a “get it done” attitude when time is tight and stakes are high
• Ability to problem solve and pivot to the needs of the growing business
• Exceptional written, visual and verbal cross-functional communication skills
• Affinity for and success networking within a large and growing organization
• 2-3 years of experience managing teams
• A positive attitude and a willingness to learn
• Degree-level qualification in business or a related field
• Experience in print production and associated applications, Adobe Suite 
• High level of comfortability using Google Suite and Slack 

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Last updated on Aug 2, 2024