Junior Retail Trade Marketer at Dermalogica

Job Description

• Dermalogica South Africa is seeking a commercially driven Junior Trade Marketer: Retail and Concept Stores to support the execution of trade marketing initiatives that bring brand strategy to life in retail, create consumer demand and drive sell-out performance across retail partners and Dermalogica Concept Stores.
• Reporting to the Trade Marketing Manager / Marketing Manager, the role will support the planning and execution of retail campaigns, product launches, promotions, visual merchandising, consumer activations and in-store experiences.
• The role is responsible for ensuring marketing activity is translated effectively into the retail environment, with a clear focus on execution excellence, consumer engagement, conversion and commercial results.
• The role works closely with Sales, Retail Operations, Education, Ecommerce, Marketing, stockists and agency partners to ensure activations are delivered on time, to brand standards and with clear commercial objectives. The role will also monitor retail performance, gather field insights and recommend opportunities to improve execution and drive demand.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Retail Trade Marketing & Activation

• Support the development and execution of retail activation plans aligned to key trading periods, product launches, campaigns and commercial priorities.
• Coordinate and execute in-store campaigns, promotions, launches, consumer activations and events across retail partners and Concept Stores.
• Translate marketing campaigns and brand strategies into clear, impactful and commercially focused in-store executions.
• Ensure activation plans are adapted to the requirements, opportunities and trading environment of individual retail partners and Concept Stores.
• Coordinate campaign timelines, POS materials, sampling, promotional mechanics and other trade requirements to ensure activations are delivered effectively.
• Monitor activation execution and proactively identify and resolve issues that may impact visibility, consumer engagement or sales performance.

Driving Consumer Demand & Sell-Out

• Support initiatives designed to create consumer demand, increase footfall and convert consumer engagement into retail sales.
• Implement trade activities that support improvements in conversion, average transaction value and repeat purchase.
• Identify opportunities to maximise the commercial impact of product launches, promotions and key trading periods.
• Work with retail and store teams to ensure they understand the consumer proposition, product focus, promotional mechanics and key selling messages behind each activation.
• Support initiatives that connect consumer education, treatment experiences and retail recommendations to drive product purchase.
• Monitor sell-out performance and identify opportunities to improve activity and drive incremental sales.

In-Store Trade Execution & Retail Excellence

• Ensure trade marketing activity is executed consistently and effectively across retail environments and Concept Stores.
• Conduct regular store visits to monitor campaign visibility, merchandising, POSM, promotional execution, product availability and the overall consumer experience.
• Maintain and uphold Dermalogica visual merchandising and brand standards across retail environments.
• Identify execution gaps and work with relevant teams to implement corrective actions.
• Ensure POS materials, campaign assets and promotional collateral are deployed correctly, on time and maintained throughout the campaign period.
• Provide regular field feedback and recommendations to improve future activations and in-store execution.
• Support the delivery of a consistent and premium Dermalogica consumer experience across all retail touchpoints.

Retail Partnerships & Stakeholder Management

• Build collaborative relationships with retail teams, Concept Store teams, stockists and external partners to support effective trade execution.
• Support the development of retailer activation proposals, presentations and commercial plans.
• Work with retail teams to align on activation objectives, execution requirements, consumer messaging and sales opportunities.
• Act as a reliable point of contact for day-to-day trade marketing execution and activation requirements.
• Gather feedback from retail partners and identify opportunities to improve activation effectiveness and commercial performance.

Commercial Performance & Insights

• Track retail sell-out performance and analyse the impact of activations, promotions and product launches.
• Compile monthly reporting on activation execution, sell-out performance, campaign effectiveness and key retail insights.
• Monitor competitor activity, shopper behaviour and retail trends to identify opportunities to drive demand.
• Use store visits, retail feedback and performance data to identify execution gaps and commercial opportunities.
• Recommend practical improvements based on data, field observations and retail performance.
• Maintain accurate records of activation activity, results and learnings to support continuous improvement.

Visual Merchandising & Point of Sale

• Support the planning and implementation of visual merchandising and point-of-sale activity across retail partners and Concept Stores.
• Ensure all campaign and product communications are presented in line with Dermalogica brand standards.
• Monitor POSM availability, placement and condition within stores.
• Identify opportunities to improve product visibility and shopper navigation at point of sale.
• Work with relevant teams and partners to resolve VM and POSM execution challenges.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the Trade Marketing Manager, Marketing and Sales teams to ensure trade activity supports broader brand and commercial objectives.
• Collaborate with Education and Retail teams to ensure store teams have the relevant product, campaign and promotional knowledge to support consumer conversion.
• Work with Ecommerce, Retail Operations, stockists and agency partners to deliver integrated trade marketing initiatives.
• Share customer, shopper and retail insights internally to support future campaigns and commercial planning.
• Support integrated campaigns across multiple channels and departments, ensuring the retail environment delivers a consistent brand experience.

Qualifications required:

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in Marketing, Communications, or related field. 
• Additional qualifications in trade marketing, shopper marketing, retail marketing or digital marketing would be advantageous.
• Valid drivers license and own transport

Experience required:

• 3+ Years' experience in trade marketing, shopper marketing, retail marketing or a similar role.
• Experience coordinating and executing retail activations, promotions, launches and in-store campaigns.
• Experience working with retail partners, store teams or external agencies.
• Experience in visual merchandising, point-of-sale execution or consumer activations would be advantageous.
• Experience within beauty, skincare, wellness, premium FMCG or lifestyle brands is highly beneficial.
• Experience analysing sales, sell-out or campaign performance data.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, stakeholders and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Competencies and Characteristics 

• Commercial Acumen: Understands the connection between trade marketing activity, consumer demand, in-store execution and commercial performance.
• Execution Excellence: Translates plans into effective, timely and consistent execution across retail environments.
• Customer & Consumer Focus: Understands shopper needs and creates retail experiences that encourage engagement and purchase.
• Planning & Organisation: Manages multiple activations, projects, deadlines and stakeholders effectively, with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Analytical Capability: Uses sales data, retail performance and field observations to identify opportunities and improve execution.
• Relationship Building: Builds strong and collaborative relationships with retail partners, store teams and internal stakeholders.
• Ownership & Accountability: Takes responsibility for delivering high-quality execution and proactively addresses challenges.
• Results Orientation: Focuses on achieving measurable improvements in demand, conversion and sell-out performance.
• Communication Skills: Communicates clearly and effectively with internal teams, retail partners and external agencies.
• Agility & Adaptability: Responds effectively to changing trading priorities and a fast-paced retail environment.

Work Environment

• Primarily office-based in Cape Town.
• Regular travel required for store visits, retail activations, Concept Store support, events and partner meetings.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and public holidays when required for retail events and activations.
• Own vehicle and valid driver's license essential.