Senior Retail Designer - Shopper

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

VML (Wunderman Thompson)

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Hybrid

Posted April 20, 2026

Job Description

Who We Are

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

What You’ll do:

Working with the VML UK Team

Conceptualisation and Ideation

Develop innovative design concepts for in-store marketing campaigns and retail activations that align with our clients’ brand strategies and marketing objectives.
Participate actively in brainstorms, contributing fresh ideas that captivate shoppers and drive engagement in the retail environment.

Design Execution (In-Store & Digital)

Produce high-quality visuals across a range of shopper touchpoints - from point-of-sale materials (shelf displays, product stands, signage, etc.) to supporting digital and social media assets.
Ensure all designs follow brand guidelines and are tailored to the context (considering factors like store layout, sightlines, and customer flow for physical pieces, as well as platform best-practices for digital content).
Where appropriate, incorporate motion design or animated elements to enhance campaign storytelling across channels.

Technical Proficiency

Demonstrate expert use of industry-standard design software (Adobe Creative Suite – especially Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects) to create and refine project deliverables.
Proficiency in PowerPoint and Keynote to effectively package creative work for internal reviews and client presentations. Be capable of compiling comprehensive campaign toolkits, ensuring assets are clearly organized and presentation-ready.
Leverage basic 3D modelling/rendering tools (e.g. Blender, Cinema 4D or similar) to develop high-fidelity retail mock-ups and visualizations, bringing point-of-sale concepts to life in realistic form for client presentations.
Continuously explore emerging design technologies and tools that can elevate the creative output and improve workflow efficiency.

Client & Teamwork Collaboration

Work closely with internal teams to understand campaign goals, and present your work with clarity and enthusiasm. Effectively communicate the rationale behind design decisions, and be receptive to feedback, iterating your work to exceed client expectations.
Collaborate effectively and build strong relationships both internally and externally, embodying a spirit of partnership and trust throughout all projects.

Project Management & Mentorship