About Varley Clothing

Varley is a contemporary fashion brand for the modern woman. Founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife Lara and Ben Mead, we are an international, family-run business headquartered between London, Los Angeles, and New York. 

We create year-round collections designed to build an elevated wardrobe for how women live and move. From knitwear and outerwear to everyday staples and active pieces, our collections blend style, function, and versatility. 

Varley exists to instil quiet confidence through meaningful connections that enhance everything women already are. As women’s lives evolve, so do we. 

Our international family-run team is 85% female, making us proud to be a brand for women, by women. We are guided by two core beliefs: the pursuit of quality in everything we do and looking after one another. 

Role Overview 

The Assistant Visual Manager (AVM) is a hands-on leader and brand ambassador who supports the management team in delivering commercial success while ensuring exceptional customer and team experiences. 

This role combines the responsibilities of an Assistant Store Manager with Visual Merchandising leadership, acting as a commercial leader in store, responsible for driving and executing the brand’s visual strategy in a way that supports trade, enhances customer experience, and maximises sales. 

The AVM is highly floor-focused and operationally accountable, leading by example to ensure that visual merchandising never compromises customer service. They play a critical role in ensuring that product, visual standards, and operations work seamlessly together, with a strong focus on product flow, inventory control, and commercial performance. 

The AVM partners closely with the Store Manager, Visual Merchandising Manager (VMM), Retail Operations, and Stockroom (BOH) teams, ensuring that: 

·       Product flows efficiently from stockroom to shop floor 

·       Visual execution is commercially relevant and customer-first 

·       Store operations are delivered with consistency and excellence 

They lead the team on the shop floor, take ownership in the absence of the Store Manager, and support the wider team in delivering exceptional customer experience aligned with brand standards. This role includes key-holder responsibilities. 

Leadership Pillars

1. People Leadership & Team Development

• Lead from the shop floor, setting clear expectations and role clarity across FOH and BOH.
• Inspire and motivate through fair, consistent, values-led leadership.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and solution-focused culture.

·       Coach and develop the team through regular feedback, one-to-ones, and in-the-moment support.

• Provide clear priorities during trading and non-trading periods.
• Delegate effectively across service, VM, and operations.
• Build a confident, capable team delivering consistently high standards.

2. Customer & Brand Experience

• Champion a customer-first mindset, ensuring service is never compromised by tasks.
• Deliver a consistent and elevated service experience across all interactions.
• Maintain strong, visible presence on the shop floor, especially during peak trading periods.
• Ensure the store is always customer-ready, balancing service, product, and visual priorities.
• Set clear expectations on prioritising customers over operational tasks.
• Embed product storytelling to drive engagement and conversion.

3. Visual Merchandising & Brand Execution

• Execute VM strategy in line with brand guidelines across windows, mannequins, and shop floor.
• Ensure strong product placement and impactful visual storytelling.
• Adapt displays based on trading patterns, customer behaviour, and product performance.
• Support execution of window changes, in-store features, and seasonal updates.
• Communicate clearly on launches, deliveries, and VM priorities.
• Maintain a visually strong, commercially relevant, and customer-ready environment.

4. Product Performance & Commercial Ownership

• Own product flow from BOH to shop floor, ensuring availability and strong presentation.
• Oversee replenishment from stockroom, including cupboards, drawers, and windows.
• Analyse sales, product performance, and inventory to inform decisions.
• Translate KPIs into clear, actionable priorities for the team.
• Ensure visibility and replenishment of bestsellers and key items.
• Partner with BOH teams to review stock levels, sell-outs, and opportunities.
• Share insights and reporting with Store Manager and VMM.

5. Daily Operations & Floor Leadership

• Lead daily operations including Daily Planner, morning setup, and replenishment routines.
• Oversee stock processing (delivery, hanging, steaming, tagging, replenishment).
• Maintain high standards across shop floor and stockroom (clean, organised, safe).
• Supervise team during peak periods to ensure service and VM standards are upheld.
• Investigate stock discrepancies and support loss prevention initiatives.
• Step into duty management including opening and closing as needed.
• Ensure compliance with operational policies, health & safety, and uniform standards.

6. Collection Launches & Product Knowledge

• Support planning and execution of launches, campaigns, and seasonal rollouts.
• Ensure store readiness for deliveries, VM updates, and launches.
• Coordinate with BOH and shop floor teams for smooth execution.
• Deliver product briefings, training, and ongoing coaching.
• Ensure access to lookbooks, product materials, and training tools.
• Enable confident styling advice and brand storytelling.
• Encourage cross-training across FOH and BOH to build flexibility.

7. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Head of Retail, VMM, Retail Operations, Training, Logistics and other key cross-departmental partners such as Brand and Marketing. 
• Ensure alignment across commercial, operational, and visual priorities.
• Act as a key link between shop floor and central teams.
• Provide feedback on product performance, VM execution, and operations.
• Support continuous improvement through clear communication and insight sharing

Scope of Role & Decision Ownership 

Own at Store Level 

·       Lead the team on the shop floor and ensure operational excellence in the Store Manager’s absence 

·       Deliver visual merchandising execution and standards 

·       Own product flow, placement, and availability 

·       Support commercial performance through KPI-driven actions 

·       Deliver a consistently exceptional customer experience 

Partner With Central Teams 

·       Retail Operations – processes, reporting, compliance 

·       Visual Merchandising – seasonal direction and execution 

·       Inventory and Logistics: Shipments, transfers, cycle counts

·       Training & Customer Experience – development and service standards 

Leadership Accountability 

·       Inspire and develop a motivated, high-performing team 

·       Drive commercial performance through product, VM, and operations 

·       Champion exceptional customer experience and brand representation 

·       Foster a collaborative, product-focused store culture 

·       Ensure strong alignment between shop floor and BOH operations 

Key Skills & Experience / The Ideal Candidate 

·       Minimum 3 years’ experience in retail leadership, ideally across operations and visual merchandising 

·       Strong commercial awareness with the ability to link visuals to sales performance 

·       Proven ability to analyse data, product performance, and inventory 

·       Strong leadership, coaching, and communication skills 

·       Highly organised with strong operational and prioritisation skills 

·       A strong interest in the fashion industry, with a focus on styling and brand storytelling 

·       Experience in a fast-paced, high-volume retail environment  

·       Proficiency with POS, CRM systems, and retail reporting tools 

·       Agile, adaptable, and resilient, able to adapt to changing retail priorities and business needs in a fast-paced environment. 

What Success Looks Like 

·       A customer-first store environment where visual activity enhances trade. 

·       A highly commercial shop floor with strong product availability and visibility 

·       Seamless execution of collection launches and campaigns 

·       Strong collaboration between FOH, BOH, and management teams 

·       A confident, capable, and well-developed team 

·       Consistently high visual, operational, and customer experience standards 

Our Values 

We are the sum of many parts 
We promote diversity, inclusivity, and teamwork. Our successes and failures are shared as a team. 

We pursue quality in everything we do 
Growth comes from continuous improvement across every aspect of our business. 

We embrace possibility and push boundaries 
We encourage innovative thinking and challenge ourselves to achieve extraordinary outcomes. 

Data-driven decisions and purposeful actions 
We prioritise thoughtful analysis and informed decision making. 

Our brand is timeless and valuable 
We protect and enhance the long-term value of our brand. 

We never compromise our product 
Our product is defined by quality, not price. 

We respect and exceed customer expectations 
Our goal is to turn customers into passionate advocates. 

We choose partners who reflect our values 
We collaborate with partners who uphold the same standards we do. 

We grow our brand by empowering others 
We support the growth of those around us and build meaningful connections. 

Responsibility is at the core of everything we do 
We prioritise ethical practices and sustainability. 

Kindness is our guiding principle 
Respect, empathy, and understanding shape how we work together.