Columbia Sportswear Company - Senior Visual Merchandising Specialist Europe - Lancy

🔝 Reports to: Retail Marketing Manager

📑 Permanent contract

📍 EMEA HQ, Geneva, Switzerland

👩‍💻🏡 Hybrid mode (2 days/week home-office)

📆 Start date: at the earliest convenience

OUTGROWN YOUR OWN BACKYARD? COME PLAY IN OURS.

At Columbia Sportswear, we’re as passionate about the outdoors as you are. And while our gear is available worldwide, we’re proud to be based in the Pacific Northwest, where natural wonders are our playground.

Every product we make and every task we undertake is inspired by the famous words of our founder Gert Boyle: “It’s perfect. Now make it better.” As pioneers of relentless improvement, we are constantly evolving

Discover a world of diversity within our team of 700+ across 13 European countries, united by the common goal of elevating Columbia to the pinnacle of outdoor brands in Europe. Our omnichannel approach seamlessly integrates Columbia and Sorel brands' engaging in-store and online experiences.

Nestled at the heart of the Alps in Geneva, Switzerland, our European headquarters hosts the Executive Committee, go-to-market functions, and Planning and Logistics teams. In Schiltigheim, near Strasbourg, our shared services center thrives with over 100 professionals managing Finance and Operations/Customer Service. Our distribution center in Cambrai ensures swift delivery to customers, while our 35+ Columbia stores adorn major European outlet centers. Finally, the Sales and Trade Marketing teams are displayed in 3 regions across Europe, close to their customers and markets.

We believe the outdoors is ours to protect and strive to keep our planet healthy. We believe in empowering people to experience the outdoors to the fullest.

And we believe in you.

ABOUT THE POSITION

As our retail network continues to grow across Europe, Visual Merchandising is becoming a key lever to elevate the in-store experience, bring more consistency across markets and support business performance.

This role is being created to strengthen and structure our Visual Merchandising function at a European level, bringing more clarity, ownership and long-term vision to how we operate.

In your first months, you will take the time to understand our current setup, ways of working and in-store execution, to identify opportunities for improvement and define a more efficient and scalable approach. Leading the development of our current seasonal assets (Sell-in and sell-through VM guidelines) as well as being involved in future store openings will help you with that.

You will then play a central role in shaping how Visual Merchandising is organized and executed across Europe — from defining clear standards and guidelines to ensuring consistent execution across markets.

This is a role with both strategic impact (structuring, defining standards, improving ways of working) and operational involvement (guidelines, zoning, coordination with local teams).

You will work closely with Retail Marketing, Buying and local teams, acting as a key point of reference for Visual Merchandising topics across the region.

HOW YOU’LL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Audit our Visual Merchandising approach

• Review how Visual Merchandising is currently organized across Europe
• Identify opportunities to bring more clarity, efficiency and consistency
• Contribute to building a scalable and sustainable VM operating model

Define clear and actionable VM standards

• Develop and refine VM guidelines adapted to our different channels
• Ensure guidelines are practical, easy to use and relevant for in-store teams
• Continuously improve standards based on feedback and market realities

Drive impactful in-store execution

• Lead the development of seasonal VM guidelines, aligned with assortments and key product stories
• Define store zoning for new openings in collaboration with Retail Marketing teams
• Support the successful execution of VM in key moments (openings, seasonal transitions)

Act as a key point of reference across markets

• Support local teams on VM-related topics
• Bring consistency in how VM is understood and applied across countries
• Help connect central guidelines with local realities

Build capabilities and raise the level of execution

• Contribute to developing tools and training for VM across Europe
• Support the upskilling of local teams and VM resources
• Help create a shared understanding of what “good” looks like in-store

YOU ARE

• Able to step back, analyze a situation and propose concrete improvements
• Comfortable working in an environment that is not fully structured yet
• Both hands-on and strategic: you can define a vision and execute it
• Pragmatic: you adapt your approach to business realities, not just theory
• Strong in stakeholder management — you know how to be firm and diplomatic at the same time
• Curious and interested in understanding what drives performance in-store

YOU HAVE

• Solid experience in Visual Merchandising, combining:
  • Field experience (in-store, close to execution)
  • Head office experience (guidelines, zoning, coordination or similar)
• Experience contributing to or building VM guidelines and store layouts
• The ability to analyze and improve ways of working (audit mindset)
• A good understanding of how VM impacts sales and product performance
• Fluency in English (additional European languages are a plus)

PERKS & BENEFITS

🎁 Significant discounts on Columbia and Sorel products

🌍 Soft mobility policy (Geneva office only)

👩‍⚕️ Health insurance allowance for employees in Switzerland

🧘‍♀️ Pilates and yoga classes on our premises, and running groups or sports activities

📚 Unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning

📖 A monthly Learning Hour for training, discovery and learning

👩‍🏫 Unlock your potential: access to in-house training courses (feedback, leadership, Insights®…)

🌈DEI initiatives to exchange and strengthen our involvement around these themes

ABOUT THE CULTURE

• At Columbia Sportswear, we value an inclusive and open culture that emphasizes the absence of barriers between team members. We are committed to fostering a sense of belonging by encouraging personal connections at all levels, which creates a cohesive and supportive work environment.
• Team members serve as ambassadors for our brand, finding motivation in being part of an organization dedicated to activities they are passionate about. This dedication reflects our commitment to building a team that takes pride in our products and values.
• We offer the opportunity to work for a US-based company within a multicultural environment, where your job has an impact across different countries.
• Our "Always Be Learning" culture of continuous learning enables our employees to identify and develop skills that will enable them to continue to grow within the company.
• "Unlock Your Potential" is the spirit that characterizes our vision of employees' development: to offer them opportunities to grow, in their job, in their team or even to change jobs completely. We grow our people to grow our business.

To learn more about us and our culture, visit our page on Welcome To The Jungle: https://bit.ly/49bl1i5

ABOUT THE HIRING PROCESS

1️⃣ Ready to unlock your potential at Columbia Sportswear Company? Apply now to help us connect active people with their passion! The hiring team will review your application in the following weeks.

2️⃣ If your application is selected: a 30-45mn introductory interview with our Talent Acquisition Team to talk about yourself, your motivations and the role

3️⃣ Interview with the hiring manager, including case study

4️⃣ Interview with the main stakeholders

5️⃣ Your unique strengths align perfectly with our team: we are thrilled to extend you an offer!

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company.