Sr Manager, Visual Merchandising

Innovate in Bengaluru

This position is based at our on-site office in Bengaluru. Lowe's offers an ultramodern work environment, complete with cutting-edge technology, collaborative workspaces, an on-site gym and clinic, and other perks to enhance your work experience. 

About Lowe’s

Lowe’s is a FORTUNE® 100 home improvement company serving approximately 16 million customer transactions a week in the United States. With total fiscal year 2024 sales of more than $83 billion, Lowe’s operates over 1,700 home improvement stores and employs approximately 300,000 associates. Based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs focused on creating safe, affordable housing, improving community spaces, helping to develop the next generation of skilled trade experts and providing disaster relief to communities in need. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

Lowe’s India, the Global Capability Center of Lowe’s Companies Inc., is a hub for driving our technology, business, analytics, and shared services strategy. Based in Bengaluru with over 4,500 associates, it powers innovations across omnichannel retail, AI/ML, enterprise architecture, supply chain, and customer experience. From supporting and launching homegrown solutions to fostering innovation through its Catalyze platform, Lowe’s India plays a pivotal role in transforming home improvement retail while upholding strong commitment to social impact and sustainability. For more information, visit Lowes India

About the Team

• The Space Planning Team focuses on creating a brand by optimizing the allocation of shelf and floor space in stores to enhance product visibility, create a seamless shopping experience, and maximize sales.
• The Store Planning Team is responsible for designing store layouts keeping in mind concept, ease of shopping as well as operational efficiencies for both customer & store associates. This team focuses on big box optimization across all 1700+ stores.
• The Visual Space Planning Team looks over the Floorplan development which includes space changes and dept reflows in the store. We are responsible for category and space optimization to ensure we have the right products, at the right place for our customers.
• The Planogram Team is responsible for micro space planning keeping in mind shelf space, brand blocking and placement optimization based on sales performance, customer decision-making tree and presentation guidelines.
• The Collateral Team manages the life cycle of all NRI (Non-Retail Item) and execute enterprise projects. They are responsible for Estimation, Forecast, POs, Tracking, Item Setup, maintenance and destruction of all NRI.
• Merchandising Service Team (MST) team is responsible for tracking the health of project execution as well as labor spend & capacity. We are responsible for analyzing MST metrics and providing actionable insights to the Leadership team to help with data-driven decision-making.

Job Summary:

Drive for Results: Responsible for driving business priorities for respective functions within Store Merchandising. Operational leadership to ensure resource planning, quality delivery and adherence to timelines, thereby contributing to overall in-store customer experience and making shopping seamless. Drive transition of newer capabilities with governance(milestones/risks/resolutions) & ensure stabilization of transitioned process

Talent management: Responsible for strategic investment in hiring and retaining best in class talent. Coach, mentor to groom and build strong bench of problem solvers. Drive continuous upskilling of the team to adapt to evolving technologies. Analyze feedback from BEST/engagement surveys and develop action plans to address focus areas

Stakeholder Management: Develop strong partnerships with local and global stakeholders, effectively influencing them to drive business results and foster collaboration. Partner with Product, Data, Technology and Business teams to design holistic solutions for process optimization and enhancement of speed to market.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Core Responsibilities:

• Business Context – Develop a deep understanding of market trends, category insights, adjacencies, steel fixtures, and customer decision trees. Analyze how strategic decisions from planning to execution impact profitability, sales, and overall store performance.
• Store Expertise:
  • Space Planning: In-depth knowledge of visual and planogram principles, design principles, category management, and store layout optimization.
  • Collateral: Strong understanding of non-retail item lifecycle management, from creation and purchase order (PO) to store deployment.
  • MST: Expertise in labor capacity planning and workforce management.
• Space Optimization – Lead discussions to maximize space efficiency by aligning with business objectives and leveraging data-driven insights and design principles or Customer Decision Tree.
• Process Management – Manage multiple large-scale complex Resets, special projects and pilots with strict timelines, ensuring timely and accurate execution. Streamline processes to ensure efficiency and scalability, incorporating automation tools and new technologies.
• Project Management – Drive strategic projects and pilots with strong project management practices, effectively managing multiple visual projects, meeting tight deadlines, and prioritizing tasks efficiently. Implement KPIs and performance dashboards to measure productivity, quality, and business impact.
• Collaboration and Execution – Work closely with cross-functional and global teams (Store Planning, Assortment Planning, Planogram, Visual, Collateral, MST etc.) to bring merchant strategy to life in store.
• Change Management – Adapt to evolving business needs and drive innovative approaches to within respective functions planogram, Collateral, MST and space planning processes
• Team Leadership – Hire, Assess, Retain and Develop talent to build high performing team.
• Problem-Solving & Continuous Improvement – Ability to quickly adapt and solve space or operational challenges in floorplan execution. Foster and promote a culture of continuous improvement and proactive problem-solving mindset within teams, focusing on process re-engineering and driving advancements. Identify opportunities for AI adoption to accelerate time-to-market, improve operational efficiency, and empower teams to effectively leverage AI.
• Core Values & Behaviors – Consistently exemplify and champion Lowe's core values and behaviors, fostering a winning culture within the teams.

Years of Experience:

• 12+ years of Retail Experience
• 4-5 years of experience in leading teams

Education Qualification & Certifications (optional)

Required Minimum Qualifications:

• B.com / BBM / MBA / MCA/ Retail Operations Management or equivalent

Skill Set Required

Primary Skills (must have)

• Understanding of Retail Industry (local or global)
• Strong communication skills – capable of effectively understanding, articulating, and seamlessly conveying information across local and global teams.
• Advanced operations and project management skills
• Experience in leading teams with Global interactions and driving process improvements within teams.
• Adaptability & Creative Problem Solving – ability to leverage data, information, and visuals to solve business and execution challenges.
• Effectively navigate ambiguity, think strategically, and influence stakeholders to drive impactful decisions.
• Strong organizational skills, time management and time management.
• Expertise in JDA Space Planning and Space Automation tools, including JDA Floor Planning, CAD, and Pangea. Strong understanding of space principles, steel and fixtures. (Space Planning)
• Strong financial acumen to analyze KPIs and financial reports
• Expertise in Visualization tools like Power BI, Lookr etc. (MST & Collateral teams)

Secondary Skills (desired)

• Planogram Generator/ Auto CAD tool knowledge
• Six sigma certifications
• Project Management Certification

Lowe's is an equal opportunity employer and administers all personnel practices without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, mental or physical disability or medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law.