Merchandise Creative Designer, M&M's Retail Stores

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Manager, Retail Merchandise Creative and Design (M&M's Stores)

Company: Mars

Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Creative & Media / Retail / Marketing / Art & Design / Management & Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-06-18

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the creative vision and execution for all merchandise within M&M's retail stores and e-commerce channels, focusing on innovative and social media-worthy product development.

• Drive differentiated product creativity that captivates consumers and elevates the M&M's brand experience, ensuring alignment with brand standards and commercial objectives.

• Champion product concepts that not only excite and engage consumers but also deliver strong sales performance and market differentiation.

• Collaborate strategically with Visual Merchandising, Digital, Marketing, and Retail Operations to ensure a cohesive and impactful brand presence across all consumer touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is highly specialized within the consumer goods retail sector, focusing on the creative and design aspects of merchandise for a globally recognized brand. It requires a blend of artistic vision, market trend analysis, and commercial acumen to drive sales and brand engagement through product.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the creative development of merchandise concepts, product design elements, and packaging innovations that are bold, innovative, and uniquely M&M's, designed to excite consumers and generate social media buzz.

• Drive product creativity that differentiates M&M's in the marketplace, ensuring merchandise is visually compelling, on-trend, and aligned with evolving consumer preferences and market demands.

• Collaborate closely with Visual Merchandising and Digital teams to ensure merchandise creative strategies translate into cohesive and impactful in-store and online brand experiences that resonate with the target audience.

• Partner with cross-functional teams including Product Development, Marketing, Retail Operations, and Store Design to integrate merchandise creative initiatives seamlessly across all relevant channels, ensuring a unified brand message.

• Manage the end-to-end creative process from ideation through production and implementation, working closely with external vendors and suppliers to deliver high-quality, innovative merchandise that meets brand and budget requirements.

• Utilize consumer insights, sales data, and market trends to inform and refine merchandise creative strategies that maximize both brand impact and commercial success, focusing on data-driven decision-making.

• Support the Director of Product Development and Merchandising in defining and executing a forward-thinking merchandise creative roadmap that aligns with overarching business goals and brand strategy.

• Build and maintain strong partnerships with external creative agencies, vendors, and suppliers to continuously push the boundaries of merchandise innovation and explore new design possibilities.

• Ensure all merchandise creative outputs adhere to Mars brand standards, Responsible AI policies (where applicable), and sustainability commitments, maintaining brand integrity and corporate responsibility.

• Monitor and evaluate the performance of merchandise creative initiatives, making data-driven recommendations to optimize future product creativity and sales outcomes, focusing on continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a holistic approach to merchandise design, extending beyond aesthetics to include strategic market positioning, cross-functional integration, vendor management, and performance analysis. This indicates a need for a candidate who can operate strategically, manage complex projects, and drive tangible business results through creative output.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Product Design, Retail Merchandising, Marketing, or a related field.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years’ experience in merchandise creative design or product development within retail or consumer goods, with a proven track record of delivering innovative and commercially successful products.

Required Skills:

• Lead the creative development of merchandise concepts, product design elements, and packaging innovations.

• Drive product creativity that differentiates M&M's in the marketplace and aligns with consumer preferences.

• Collaborate closely with Visual Merchandising and Digital teams to ensure cohesive in-store and online brand experiences.

• Partner with cross-functional teams, including Product Development, Marketing, Retail Operations, and Store Design.

• Manage the end-to-end creative process from ideation through production and implementation.

• Utilize consumer insights, sales data, and market trends to inform creative strategies.

• Support the Director of Product Development and Merchandising in executing a merchandise creative roadmap.

• Build and maintain strong partnerships with external creative agencies, vendors, and suppliers.

• Ensure all creative outputs adhere to Mars brand standards and sustainability commitments.

• Monitor and evaluate the performance of merchandise creative initiatives and optimize future product creativity.

• Proficiency in design and product development tools such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and relevant software for 3D modeling or prototyping (e.g., SketchUp, SolidWorks, or similar).

• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance creative vision with sales performance objectives and ROI considerations. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with e-commerce platform specific design considerations.

• Knowledge of sustainable material sourcing and eco-friendly product design.

• Familiarity with licensing and intellectual property management in product development.

• Experience in trend forecasting and competitive analysis within the toy and collectible merchandise space.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements highlight a need for a candidate with a strong foundation in design principles and tools, coupled with practical experience in retail product development and a strategic understanding of brand management. The emphasis on "social media buzz" and "differentiated creativity" suggests a need for a candidate who is not only skilled but also forward-thinking and aware of current consumer engagement tactics.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 distinct retail merchandise design projects, demonstrating a range of product types (e.g., apparel, accessories, collectibles, home goods).

• Include detailed case studies for at least two major projects, outlining the creative brief, design process, concept development, material selection, and final product.

• Clearly articulate the strategic thinking behind each design, including how it addresses consumer needs, market trends, and brand objectives for a specific retail channel (e.g., brick-and-mortar store, e-commerce).

• Highlight examples of packaging design innovation and how it contributed to shelf appeal or online discoverability.

• Demonstrate proficiency in translating brand identity (specifically M&M's) into compelling product aesthetics and user experiences. Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of workflow documentation for product development cycles, from initial concept to final production, highlighting stages of design review and approval.

• Illustrate how consumer insights and sales data were integrated into the design process to refine concepts and improve product performance.

• Showcase experience in managing external vendors and suppliers, including processes for brief communication, quality control, and project timeline management.

• Include documentation demonstrating collaboration with cross-functional teams (e.g., marketing, retail operations) to ensure integrated launch strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is crucial for this role, as it will serve as direct evidence of the candidate's creative capabilities, strategic thinking, and ability to deliver commercially viable merchandise. The emphasis on process documentation and cross-functional collaboration indicates that the ability to articulate development methodologies and teamwork is as important as the final designs.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD 79,280.00 - USD 109,010.00 per year.

Benefits:

• Medical Benefits

• Dental Benefits

• Participation in 401k plan

• Paid Time Off benefits

• Company Bonus

• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is competitive for a Manager-level creative design role in a major metropolitan area like Chicago, especially within a large, established corporation like Mars. The benefits package is comprehensive, including health, retirement, and paid time off, with a notable emphasis on learning and development, aligning with Mars' stated commitment to associate growth. The mention of a "company bonus" suggests performance-based incentives in addition to base salary.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Confectionery, Pet Care, Food & Beverage, and Animal Health. Mars is a global leader with a diverse portfolio of iconic brands.

Company Size: Mars is a privately held, family-owned business with over 140,000 associates worldwide, operating in more than 140 countries. This large scale implies robust processes, significant resources, and opportunities for global impact.

Founded: Mars was founded in 1911, bringing over a century of heritage and experience in building brands and businesses. This long history suggests a stable, values-driven organization with a long-term perspective.

Team Structure:

• The role is part of the Product Development and Merchandising team, specifically focused on M&M's retail channels.

• This team likely comprises specialists in product design, merchandising, sourcing, and category management, all working towards commercial success.

• The Manager will report to the Director of Product Development and Merchandising, indicating a clear reporting hierarchy and strategic oversight.

• Close collaboration is expected with Visual Merchandising, Digital, Marketing, and Retail Operations teams, highlighting a matrixed or highly integrated work environment. Methodology:

• Emphasis on data-driven decision-making, utilizing consumer insights and sales data to inform creative strategies and optimize product performance.

• A focus on innovation and differentiation, encouraging bold and unique creative concepts that generate consumer excitement and social media buzz.

• Commitment to brand standards and sustainability, ensuring all product development aligns with Mars' corporate values and responsible business practices.

• A collaborative approach to problem-solving and project execution, requiring strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.

Company Website: https://www.mars.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Mars' status as a large, privately held, family-owned company suggests a culture that values long-term growth, associate development, and adherence to its Five Principles (Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, Freedom). The operations within M&M's retail will likely be well-defined, with a strong emphasis on brand consistency and consumer experience.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Manager, Retail Merchandise Creative and Design. This is a mid-to-senior level management position responsible for leading specific creative functions and driving strategic initiatives within a defined product category (M&M's retail merchandise). It requires not only creative expertise but also leadership, project management, and cross-functional influence.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to the Director of Product Development and Merchandising. This structure provides a clear line of accountability and mentorship, offering opportunities to learn from senior leadership and contribute to broader strategic planning for the M&M's retail business.

Operations Impact: The primary impact of this role is on driving revenue and enhancing brand perception through innovative and engaging merchandise. Success will be measured by sales performance, consumer engagement (including social media buzz), and the overall strength and differentiation of the M&M's brand experience in retail and e-commerce environments. This role directly influences the consumer's tangible interaction with the brand.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization Advancement: Deepen expertise in retail merchandise design, brand storytelling through product, and consumer engagement strategies within a globally recognized brand.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into Director-level roles within Product Development, Merchandising, or related creative functions, managing larger teams or broader product portfolios.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Opportunities to transition into roles within Marketing, Brand Management, or Retail Operations, leveraging a strong understanding of product lifecycle and consumer behavior.

• Continuous Learning: Access to Mars University and other development programs to enhance skills in design, leadership, business strategy, and emerging retail trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant opportunity for career growth within a stable, values-driven organization like Mars. The emphasis on innovation and brand experience suggests that successful performance can lead to increased responsibility and visibility, paving the way for leadership positions in the retail and consumer goods sectors.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at the Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Chicago, USA. This suggests a dynamic, collaborative, and potentially cutting-edge environment designed to foster creativity and innovation.

Office Location(s): GIC, Chicago, USA. This location places the role within a major hub for retail and consumer goods innovation, offering access to talent, industry events, and a vibrant professional community.

Workspace Context:

• A collaborative workspace environment is implied, necessitating close interaction with Visual Merchandising, Digital, Marketing, and Retail Operations teams.

• Access to design tools and technology, including Adobe Creative Suite and potentially prototyping software, will be essential for daily tasks.

• Opportunities for brainstorming sessions, design reviews, and cross-functional project meetings are likely to be common.

• The GIC environment may also offer resources for trend research, material exploration, and consumer insight gathering.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is 40 hours per week, with an on-site work arrangement. This suggests a structured work environment where in-person collaboration and access to company resources are prioritized for the creative and product development processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement at a Global Innovation Center underscores the importance of in-person collaboration, access to specialized facilities, and immersion in a culture that values creative ideation and hands-on product development. This environment is conducive to roles that require frequent teamwork and a tangible connection to the product and brand.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter will likely review applications and resumes, focusing on experience in merchandise design, retail, and brand management.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the Director of Product Development and Merchandising to assess experience, creative vision, leadership potential, and alignment with the role's core responsibilities.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A critical stage where candidates present their portfolio, showcasing key projects, design process, and strategic thinking. This may involve a specific presentation or a guided walkthrough.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Visual Merchandising, Digital, Marketing, or Retail Operations to evaluate collaboration skills and ability to integrate creative vision across departments.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a higher-level executive or a panel to assess overall fit, strategic contribution, and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your ability to create innovative, commercially successful, and brand-aligned merchandise for retail and e-commerce. Prioritize M&M's-relevant aesthetics or consumer engagement strategies.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the design process, the solutions implemented, and the measurable outcomes (sales, engagement, brand impact).

• Highlight Process: Showcase your design workflow, from initial ideation and concept development to material selection, prototyping, and vendor collaboration. Explain how you use consumer insights and market trends.

• Demonstrate Brand Fluency: Clearly show how you understand and apply brand guidelines (especially for M&M's) to create compelling product narratives and visual identities.

• Be Prepared for Design Challenges: You may be asked to discuss hypothetical design challenges or provide creative solutions on the spot.

Challenge Preparation:

• Brand Immersion: Deeply understand the M&M's brand, its history, target audience, and current marketing initiatives. Analyze existing merchandise and identify areas for creative improvement or innovation.

• Retail & E-commerce Trends: Research current trends in retail merchandising, product design, packaging, and consumer engagement, particularly within the confectionery, toy, and collectible markets.

• Cross-functional Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would collaborate with different departments (e.g., Marketing for campaign alignment, Retail Ops for store execution) to ensure successful product launches.

• Problem-Solving: Anticipate questions about managing creative conflict, overcoming design hurdles, or adapting to budget/timeline constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes practical demonstration of creative skills through a portfolio. Candidates should prepare to articulate not just what they designed, but why and how, demonstrating their strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and collaborative approach.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential for graphic design, illustration, layout, and image manipulation. Proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign is expected.

• 3D Design/Prototyping Software: While not explicitly listed, experience with tools like SketchUp, SolidWorks, Blender, or similar for 3D modeling and visualization may be highly beneficial for product design and mock-ups.

• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software: Familiarity with PLM systems for managing product development stages, specifications, and approvals could be advantageous.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Sales Data Analysis Tools: Proficiency in analyzing sales reports, identifying top-performing products, and understanding consumer purchasing patterns. This might involve using internal reporting systems or tools like Excel/Google Sheets for data manipulation.

• Consumer Insight Platforms: Experience in leveraging consumer research, social media listening tools, or market trend analysis reports to inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, an understanding of how merchandise integrates with e-commerce platforms and CRM data (customer preferences, purchase history) can be valuable for tailoring product offerings.

• Familiarity with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, Jira, Microsoft Teams) for managing creative workflows and cross-functional communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core technical requirement is proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite. However, candidates with experience in 3D design or PLM systems will likely have an edge, as these tools are increasingly relevant in modern product development for visualizing and managing physical goods. An understanding of how design impacts sales and consumer behavior, supported by data analysis, is also critical.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Quality: A commitment to delivering high-quality, engaging merchandise that upholds the M&M's brand promise and meets consumer expectations.

• Responsibility: Ensuring all product development and design adheres to Mars' ethical standards, sustainability commitments, and brand guidelines. This includes responsible sourcing and considerate design practices.

• Mutuality: Fostering strong, collaborative relationships with internal teams and external partners, working towards shared goals and mutual benefit.

• Efficiency: Streamlining the creative process from ideation to production to ensure timely delivery of innovative products within budget, optimizing resources effectively.

• Freedom: Encouraging creative exploration and innovation within defined brand parameters, empowering associates to bring fresh ideas to the table.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: A proactive and communicative approach to working with Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Digital, and Retail Operations teams to ensure a unified brand experience and seamless product launches.

• Vendor Partnership: Building strong, transparent relationships with external agencies and suppliers, fostering trust and open communication to drive innovation and ensure quality execution.

• Feedback Culture: Openness to constructive criticism and feedback on designs, using it to refine concepts and improve outcomes. Encouraging a culture where ideas are shared and debated constructively.

• Data-Informed Creativity: A balanced approach that values creative intuition and brand storytelling while grounding decisions in consumer insights and sales performance data.

📝 Enhancement Note: Mars' Five Principles are deeply embedded in its culture. For this role, understanding how these principles translate into practical application – from ensuring product quality and responsible sourcing to fostering mutual respect with partners and driving efficient creative processes – will be key to cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Heritage with Modern Trends: Keeping the iconic M&M's brand relevant and exciting for new generations while respecting its established identity and heritage.

• Driving Social Media Buzz: Consistently creating merchandise that is inherently shareable and generates organic social media engagement, a key metric for modern retail success.

• Managing Global Brand Standards: Ensuring creative output aligns with Mars' global brand guidelines and Responsible AI policies while maintaining M&M's unique identity.

• Vendor Management & Quality Control: Effectively managing a diverse range of external partners to ensure consistent quality, timely delivery, and innovative solutions within budget constraints.

• Integrating Online & Offline Experiences: Creating merchandise design strategies that translate seamlessly and effectively across both physical retail stores and the e-commerce platform.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Techniques: Opportunities to explore new design software, 3D modeling, or sustainable material innovation through Mars' extensive learning resources.

• Brand Strategy Immersion: Deeper understanding of global brand management and product lifecycle strategy within a leading consumer goods company.

• Retail & E-commerce Expertise: Gaining insights into the operational and strategic nuances of large-scale retail and e-commerce merchandising.

• Leadership Skill Enhancement: Access to leadership training programs through Mars University to develop management, strategic planning, and stakeholder influence skills.

• Industry Exposure: Potential to attend industry trade shows, conferences, or workshops related to retail design, consumer trends, and product innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to managing a beloved global brand's merchandise. Success in overcoming these will require a blend of creative ingenuity, strategic thinking, and strong execution skills, all of which are supported by Mars' commitment to associate growth and development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you developed merchandise that significantly boosted social media engagement. What was your creative process and what were the key outcomes?"

• "How would you approach differentiating M&M's merchandise from competitors in the retail space, considering both the brand's heritage and current market trends?"

• "Walk me through your process for managing a product design project from initial concept to final production, including how you collaborate with external vendors and internal stakeholders."

• "Given the M&M's brand, what are 3-5 innovative merchandise ideas you would propose for their retail stores and e-commerce channels, and why?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Mars' Five Principles (Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, Freedom) influence your approach to creative design and product development?"

• "Describe a situation where you had to balance creative vision with strict brand guidelines or business objectives. How did you navigate it?"

• "How do you stay current with consumer behavior trends and social media dynamics, and how do you translate that into product design?"

• "What excites you most about the M&M's brand and its potential in the retail merchandise space?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: Begin with an overview of your portfolio and the types of projects included. For each key project, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to explain your role, challenges, and achievements.

• Focus on Impact: Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., sales increase, social media impressions, cost savings). If direct metrics are unavailable, articulate the intended business impact and strategic rationale.

• Showcase Process, Not Just Pretty Pictures: Explain your design thinking, research methods, ideation process, and how you iterated on concepts based on feedback or data.

• Tailor to M&M's: Emphasize projects that demonstrate an understanding of brand identity, target consumer engagement, and retail/e-commerce considerations, especially those that align with the M&M's brand.

• Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design choices, problem-solving approaches, and how you would handle specific challenges relevant to this role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Thorough preparation for the portfolio review is paramount. Candidates should view this as an opportunity to demonstrate not only their design skills but also their strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and understanding of how creative output drives business results for a brand like M&M's.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Merchandising Creative Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Mars careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume to highlight experience in merchandise creative design, retail product development, brand alignment, and consumer engagement. Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible (e.g., via a link) and showcases projects relevant to consumer goods and retail environments, with a focus on innovative and commercially successful products.

• Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your experience with design tools like Adobe Creative Suite and any related software. Quantify achievements in previous roles, especially those related to sales performance, brand impact, or social media buzz generated by your designs.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, creative strategy, and problem-solving skills. Be ready to discuss specific projects from your portfolio in detail, explaining the strategic rationale behind your design decisions and their impact.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Mars' Five Principles, the M&M's brand history and current marketing, and recent trends in the confectionery and retail merchandise sectors. Understand their commitment to innovation and sustainability.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.