Director Store 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 Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving approximately 17 million customer transactions a week in the U.S. With total fiscal year 2022 sales of over $97 billion, approximately $92 billion of sales were generated in the U.S., where 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 and helping to develop the next generation of skilled trade experts.

About Lowe’s India: At Lowe's India, we are the enablers who help create an engaging customer experience for our $97 billion home improvement business at Lowe's. Our 4000+ associates work across technology, analytics, business operations, finance & accounting, product management, and shared services. We leverage new technologies and find innovative methods to ensure that Lowe's has a competitive edge in the market. Read more about us at www.lowes.co.in

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:

Use the sample functions below to help you fill in the Job Summary box. Use these functions as starting points or create your own.

Sample Manager functions to elaborate on: executing direction from leadership, delivering results that align with strategic objectives, communicating critical information to other teams, managing vendor relationships, developing processes that align to organizational goals, specific technical skills required for managing a process.

This role is responsible for leading teams across Assortment Planning, Planogram, and Collateral functions, while partnering closely with Technology and Product teams to drive technology enablement and process transformation.

Enterprise Leadership & Business Impact

• Own end-to-end business delivery across multiple Store Merchandising capabilities, driving alignment with enterprise priorities and measurable business outcomes.
• Define and execute the strategic vision, operating model, and governance frameworks to ensure scalable, efficient, and high-quality delivery.
• Lead transformational initiatives by anticipating future business needs, identifying systemic gaps, and influencing cross-functional stakeholders to design and implement innovative solutions.
• Champion automation, digital transformation, and advanced analytics to enhance speed to market, operational efficiency, and in-store execution excellence.

Talent & Organizational Leadership

• Build and lead a high-performing, future-ready organization through robust talent strategy, workforce planning, and capability development.
• Develop and strengthen leadership bench strength to ensure succession planning and long-term business continuity.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement, while driving strong employee engagement and retention.

Executive Stakeholder Management

• Serve as a strategic partner to senior leadership across global and local teams, influencing decision-making and shaping business direction.
• Collaborate with Product, Data, Technology, and Business leaders to co-create integrated, scalable solutions that optimize processes and enhance customer experience.
• Represent the function in executive forums, driving alignment on priorities, investments, and outcomes.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Core Responsibilities:

• Strategic & Business Leadership

• Define long-term strategy for Store Merchandising capabilities, aligning with enterprise goals and evolving retail trends.
• Provide thought leadership on category performance, customer behavior, store experience, and space productivity.
• Drive data-backed decision-making to optimize profitability, sales, and overall store performance at scale.

• Store Merchandising & Functional Excellence

• Establish best-in-class frameworks across Space Planning, Planogram, Visual Merchandising, Collateral, and MST.
• Lead enterprise-level space optimization strategies leveraging customer decision trees, advanced analytics, and design principles.
• Drive innovation in planogram automation, space allocation, and store execution through technology and process transformation.

• Operational & Process Excellence

• Oversee large-scale, complex resets, pilots, and transformation programs with strong governance, risk management, and execution rigor.
• Redesign and standardize processes to ensure scalability, efficiency, and consistency across markets.
• Integrate automation and digital tools to streamline workflows and improve productivity.

• Program & Change Leadership

• Lead high-impact, cross-functional programs that drive business transformation and capability building.
• Champion change management initiatives to ensure successful adoption of new processes, tools, and ways of working.
• Continuously assess and evolve operating models to meet dynamic business needs.

• Collaboration & Influence

• Drive seamless collaboration across global and cross-functional teams to translate merchant strategy into in-store execution.
• Influence senior stakeholders to align on priorities, resolve conflicts, and drive enterprise-wide outcomes.
• People Leadership

• Build, scale, and mentor leadership teams, fostering a strong pipeline of future leaders.

• Drive performance management, coaching, and capability building to elevate team effectiveness.
• Promote a culture aligned with organizational values, emphasizing ownership, innovation, and excellence.

• Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Lead initiatives focused on process re-engineering, operational excellence, and cost optimization.
• Encourage a proactive, data-driven problem-solving mindset across teams.
• Stay ahead of industry trends to continuously evolve capabilities and maintain competitive advantage

Years of Experience:

• 15+ years of Retail Experience
• 10+ years of experience in leading teams

Education Qualification

• 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.
• Strong financial acumen to analyze KPIs and financial reports
• Expertise in Visualization tools like PowerBI, Lookr etc

Secondary Skills (desired)

• Data Analytics/ Space Planning tools, 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.