Senior Store Planning Project Manager (Luxury)

Location: 5 days onsite in NYC
Duration: 3 months with potential to extend

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Store Planning Project Manager to oversee the design and implementation of premium retail environments across the North America network. This freelance position focuses on driving store planning initiatives from strategy through execution, ensuring each location reflects an elevated brand experience while meeting operational, budgetary, and schedule requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the full lifecycle of store planning projects, from concept and test fits through design development, construction documentation review, and project close-out.
• Transform brand and merchandising strategies into actionable floor plans, layouts, and fixture packages that optimize customer journey, capacity, and operational efficiency.
• Partner closely with internal Design, Construction, Visual Merchandising, Retail Operations, Finance, and Real Estate teams to align scope, timelines, and deliverables.
• Develop and manage project schedules, budgets, and planning milestones for multiple concurrent projects, proactively identifying risks and proposing mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate with external architects, consultants, and vendors to ensure design intent, technical requirements, and landlord criteria are fully integrated.
• Review and approve design drawings, fixture plans, details, and finish schemes; provide clear feedback to internal and external partners.
• Ensure compliance with building codes, accessibility standards, life safety requirements, and brand/store planning guidelines.
• Support construction teams during execution by clarifying design intent, resolving field issues, and reviewing shop drawings and change requests related to planning scope.
• Prepare project presentations, option studies, and executive-ready decks that communicate key decisions, trade-offs, and recommendations.
• Maintain accurate project documentation, including programs, test fits, layout iterations, approvals, standards updates, and as-built information.

Required Experience & Skills

• 6+ years of experience in store planning, architecture, interior design, or related fields, with direct retail store planning experience required.
• Proven track record managing multi-site rollouts, renovations, and new store openings in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Strong understanding of retail adjacencies, back-of-house planning, circulation, and operational requirements.
• High level of detail orientation with the ability to manage complex programs and multiple stakeholders while maintaining design integrity and schedule discipline.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD (required); experience with Rhino and SketchUp or similar 3D tools for spatial visualization strongly preferred.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design intent, planning logic, and trade-offs to both creative and business partners.
• Solid knowledge of construction methods, typical retail MEP implications, and landlord work letters as they relate to store layouts and planning decisions.

Preferred Background

• Experience working with luxury, premium, or high-end specialty retail brands.
• Background in corporate store planning departments or design/architecture firms supporting branded retail programs.
• Experience delivering projects in dense urban markets with complex landlord and permitting environments.

Candidates with luxury, beauty, or high-end retail backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Retail project experience is required.