Store Designer

TITLE: Assistant VP - Store Design Concepts - Fashion Retail

LOCATION: NYC - 3 days in office, 2 days remote

CONTRACT: 4 months, highly likely to extend

PAY RANGE: $65 - $84 per hour on W2- based on experience

Russell Tobin is seeking an Assistant VP – Store Design Concepts with one of its global women’s specialty fashion retail brands in NYC. Our client’s focus is sleepwear, casual wear, beauty products, and lingerie.

Please read the following job description carefully. The hiring manager is accepting resumes now and will be scheduling interviews in the upcoming weeks.

Role Overview

The Assistant Vice President, Store Design – Concepts is responsible for driving the creative vision and conceptual evolution of the company’s retail environments across its three brands. This role serves as the custodian of each brand’s design language, ensuring consistency, innovation, and excellence across all customer touchpoints.

The AVP will lead the development and governance of the Design Standards Bible, translating brand strategy into scalable retail design guidelines while continuously evolving the customer experience. The role also leads the conceptual design of flagship stores, temporary retail formats, and strategic retail initiatives, partnering with cross-functional stakeholders to deliver commercially impactful and aesthetically compelling spaces.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture (required).
• Registered Architect preferred.
• Minimum of 10–15 years of experience in architecture, retail design, or store concept development.
• Proven experience developing retail concepts for premium or multi-brand retail environments.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating flagship retail projects, concept design, and brand evolution.
• Experience developing and maintaining retail design standards and brand guidelines.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Vectorworks, Revit, SketchUp, and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience reviewing or directing high-quality 3D visualization preferred.

YOUR IMPACT

Brand Concept Development

• Lead the conceptual evolution of retail design across the three brands, ensuring each maintains a distinctive yet commercially relevant identity.
• Develop innovative retail concepts that align with evolving customer expectations, brand positioning, and business strategy.
• Research global retail, hospitality, architecture, and lifestyle trends to continually elevate the design direction.
• Partner closely with the Procurement team to source materials and deliver concepts within the designated budget.

Design Standards & Governance

• Own, develop, and continuously update the Design Standards Bible for all three brands.
• Establish design principles, material palettes, fixture standards, spatial planning guidelines, lighting standards, graphics integration, and customer experience touchpoints.
• Ensure design consistency across all retail formats and markets through robust governance and review processes.

Concept Design Leadership

• Lead the localized elements of flagship stores, from initial vision through design development.
• Develop innovative concepts for temporary stores and pop-up retail environments.
• Collaborate with the Rollout Store Design team, Real Estate, Procurement, Project Delivery, Construction, Visual Merchandising, Marketing, and Brand teams to ensure concept integrity throughout execution.

Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor a Designer and 3D Visualizer, fostering creativity, collaboration, and technical excellence.
• Review and guide design deliverables, including layouts, mood boards, presentations, renderings, and concept packages.
• Build a high-performing creative team that delivers best-in-class retail environments.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner closely with Real Estate and Construction, Visual Merchandising, Operations, and external consultants.
• Present design concepts and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
• Manage external architects, consultants, and creative agencies as required.

Innovation & Best Practice

• Champion innovation in retail architecture, materials, sustainability, customer journey, and experiential design.
• Benchmark against leading international retailers and luxury brands to ensure concepts remain contemporary and competitive.
• Identify opportunities to improve design processes, standards, and efficiencies.

Must be authorized to work in the United States

Why Join?

This role offers the chance to impact financial performance, gain exposure to strong leadership principles, and grow professionally—all with competitive pay and potential for long-term engagement.

Russell Tobin and it's affiliates offers eligible employee’s comprehensive healthcare coverage (medical, dental, and vision plans), supplemental coverage (accident insurance, critical illness insurance and hospital indemnity), 401(k)-retirement savings, life & disability insurance, an employee assistance program, legal support, auto, home insurance, pet insurance and employee discounts with preferred vendors.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Russell Tobin and it's affiliates are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of the race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, reproductive health decision making, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Fair Chance Employment

Russell Tobin and it's affiliates are a Fair Chance employer. We consider all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable state and local Fair Chance laws and ordinances, including, the California Fair Chance Act and all applicable local Fair Chance ordinances.

Accommodations

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of this role, please contact us.

Only applicable for San Francisco Candidates: Under the San Francisco Lactation in the Workplace Ordinance, we will provide written notice of lactation accommodation rights, and this notice will automatically be given upon hiring, any inquiry of parental leave or lactation accommodation.