Reports to: Marketing Director EU
Fixed-term contract until February 2017
EMEA HQ, Geneva, Switzerland
Hybrid mode (2 days/week home-office)
Start date: at the earliest convenience
OUTGROWN YOUR OWN BACKYARD? COME PLAY IN OURS.
At Columbia Sportswear, we’re as passionate about the outdoors as you are. And while our gear is available worldwide, we’re proud to be based in the Pacific Northwest, where natural wonders are our playground.
Every product we make and every task we undertake is inspired by the famous words of our founder Gert Boyle: “It’s perfect. Now make it better.” As pioneers of relentless improvement, we are constantly evolving.
Discover a world of diversity within our team of 700+ across 13 European countries, united by the common goal of elevating Columbia to the pinnacle of outdoor brands in Europe. Our omnichannel approach seamlessly integrates Columbia and Sorel brands' engaging in-store and online experiences.
We believe the outdoors is ours to protect and strive to keep our planet healthy. We believe in empowering people to experience the outdoors to the fullest.
And we believe in you.
About The Position
We are looking for a Retail Marketing Manager to join our European Marketing team in Geneva on a temporary contract until February 2027.
In this role, you will lead the retail marketing strategy across our European retail ecosystem, covering Partner Stores (franchise), Columbia-owned outlets, and shop-in-shops or concessions within our wholesale partners.
Your mission will be to ensure a consistent and effective omnichannel retail marketing approach, connecting brand initiatives with the realities of our retail network and supporting the expansion of Columbia’s retail footprint across Europe, including new store openings and key flagship projects.
You will manage a small team of 3 marketing enthusiasts and act as the key link between Retail, Brand Marketing, Sales, and our global teams in the US, ensuring our retail marketing initiatives support both brand visibility and commercial performance.
How You’ll Make The Difference
Build and lead the seasonal retail marketing calendar
* Develop and execute the retail marketing activation calendar for Europe, ensuring alignment with brand campaigns, commercial priorities, and retail operations.
* Translate high-level marketing initiatives into concrete retail activations across stores and partner networks.
* Ensure a consistent omnichannel approach across outlets, partner stores, concessions and shop‑in‑shops.
Support Columbia’s retail expansion across Europe
* Play a key role in supporting new store openings and major retail projects, including flagship locations and strategic partner stores.
* Collaborate with retail, sales and marketing teams to ensure strong retail visibility and impactful launch activations.
* Contribute to the development of scalable retail concepts that can support our growing retail network.
Act as the voice of Retail Marketing
* Maintain strong collaboration with global retail and brand marketing teams in the US, ensuring the needs of the European retail network are represented.
* Work closely with European business leaders to ensure marketing initiatives support retail performance.
* Facilitate information sharing, best practices and synergies across teams.
Lead and prioritize within the retail marketing scope
* Manage and develop a team of 3 retail marketing specialists.
* Provide clear direction and priorities to support business objectives and retail growth.
* Act as a key decision‑maker when it comes to prioritizing projects and allocating resources.
Manage the retail marketing budget
* Oversee the European retail marketing budget, including outlets and retail activation programs supporting wholesale partners.
* Evaluate investments, negotiate with partners and ensure marketing spend delivers measurable impact.
YOU ARE
* An experienced Retail Marketing professional who understands how marketing supports store performance.
* Comfortable operating in a fast‑paced, international environment with multiple stakeholders.
* Highly collaborative, able to build strong relationships with both store teams and senior leaders.
* Structured and pragmatic, able to prioritize initiatives and make clear decisions.
* A strong communicator capable of influencing partners across functions and regions.
YOU HAVE
* Around 8+ years of experience in Retail Marketing, ideally within an international brand.
* Experience working with retail networks, including owned stores, franchises, or wholesale retail environments.
* Exposure to omnichannel retail marketing strategies.
* Experience managing marketing budgets and prioritizing investments.
* Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work with diverse stakeholders across marketing, retail and sales.
* Experience leading or mentoring team members.
Perks & Benefits
Significant discounts on Columbia and Sorel products
Soft mobility policy (Geneva office only)