Graduate Trainee Visibility & Merchandising (Retail Design)

Graduate Trainee - Visibility & Merchandising (Retail Design)

Location

Barcelona Spain

Duration

12-month immediate starting

About the Role

We are looking for a highly motivated and detail-oriented Trainee to join our Visibility & Merchandising team in Iberia.

This is a unique opportunity to gain experience managing permanent retail furniture projects for some of the worlds leading prestige beauty brands across Spain and Portugal.

The selected candidate will support the development and implementation of permanent merchandising solutions in department stores and perfumery chains coordinating multiple stakeholders including suppliers retailers internal marketing teams finance procurement and global merchandising teams.

This is not a design role. Instead we are looking for someone with strong project management capabilities technical understanding of retail furniture production and the ability to independently drive projects from concept approval through installation.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management

• Manage permanent retail merchandising projects from briefing to final installation.

• Coordinate multiple projects simultaneously across different brands retailers and countries.

• Build and maintain project timelines ensuring all milestones and deadlines are met.

• Monitor project risks and proactively identify solutions.

Supplier Management

• Coordinate external suppliers throughout the full production process.

• Review quotations and negotiate costs.

• Follow up on technical developments prototypes and production schedules.

• Ensure quality standards and project specifications are respected.

Retail & Stakeholder Coordination

• Work closely with retailer contacts including department stores and perfumery chains.

• Coordinate with global merchandising teams to obtain approvals and ensure brand compliance.

• Collaborate with marketing procurement finance and sales teams.

• Prepare presentations project updates and implementation plans.

Technical Development

• Review technical drawings and furniture layouts.

• Assess space allocation and merchandising opportunities within retail environments.

• Understand construction details materials finishes and manufacturing processes.

• Challenge suppliers and propose practical solutions to improve functionality quality and cost efficiency.

Budget & Cost Control

• Manage project budgets and quotations.

• Track project spending and ensure alignment with approved budgets.

• Support CAPEX planning and investment prioritization.

• Identify opportunities to optimize costs without compromising quality.

Profile

We Are Looking For

• Previous experience in project management related to retail furniture visual merchandising shopfitting interior architecture retail design or custom-built fixtures.

• Experience working either: within a multinational company or for a retail furniture/shopfitting supplier production agency architectural studio or retail design company.

• Experience managing multiple complex projects.

• Experience with suppliers and external stakeholders.

Technical Knowledge

• Strong understanding of:

  • Retail furniture production

  • Custom fixtures and displays

  • Materials and finishes (wood metal plastics acrylics glass Corian etc.)

  • Manufacturing processes.

• Ability to read and understand layouts plans and production drawings.

• Strong spatial awareness and ability to visualize retail spaces.

Skills & Personal Attributes

We are looking for a highly organized and proactive individual who thrives in a dynamic retail environment and is motivated to deliver high-quality results.

• Strong project management planning and execution skills.

• Excellent analytical problem-solving and decision-making abilities.

• High attention to detail with a focus on quality and accuracy.

• Commercial mindset with awareness of budgets and business priorities.

• Effective communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Ability to take ownership work autonomously and deliver results.

• Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced environment.

• Continuous learning mindset and passion for retail and premium brands.

Qualifications

• Degree or Masters in Retail Design Interior Design Industrial Design Engineering Architecture Project Management or related field.

• Fluent English and Spanish.

• Advanced Microsoft Office skills (especially Excel and PowerPoint).

Ideal profile: Someone who already has 1-2 years of experience in retail furniture shopfitting visual merchandising or custom fixture production and is looking to accelerate their career by taking ownership of projects within a multinational environment.