Vice President

Vice President of Retail Construction & Field Execution

Confidential Search | Neverland Worldwide

Neverland Worldwide is conducting a confidential executive search on behalf of a large national retail services organization seeking a Vice President of Strategic Services with significant experience leading retail construction, new-store fixturing, store remodels, fixture installations, overnight installation programs, and multi-site field execution. The strongest fit has experience with traveling teams and the ability to set new store fixtures and run full merchandising remodels.

This is a high-level leadership position for an executive who understands both the strategic demands of running a national operation and the realities of executing complex retail programs inside stores. The ideal candidate has led large, distributed teams and managed complex, multi-location programs while remaining actively engaged with the field teams responsible for delivering the work.

This is not a desk-only executive role. The right leader will spend significant time traveling to stores and working alongside field crews, installation teams, and field leadership. They will build a strong bridge between executive leadership, client stakeholders, and the boots-on-the-ground teams—ensuring the people executing the work have the support, communication, resources, and direction they need to succeed.

Candidates should bring direct experience with retail construction, new-store fixturing, overnight installations, remodels, rollouts, or similar construction-related retail programs. Experience in merchandising or retail services is valuable, but this role requires meaningful hands-on knowledge of installation and field execution.

About the Role

The Vice President of Strategic Services will lead large-scale retail programs spanning multiple markets and store locations. Programs may include new-store openings and fixturing, store remodels, refreshes, fixture installations, overnight installs, resets, site surveys, store mapping, site readiness, punch lists, closeout processes, and other complex field initiatives.

This executive will be responsible for connecting strategy with execution. They will work closely with clients, internal operations, project leadership, field managers, installation crews, labor partners, and executive stakeholders to ensure programs are delivered safely, profitably, consistently, and on schedule.

A major priority will be establishing a strong presence in the field. The VP will regularly visit stores, observe installation work firsthand, engage directly with crews, identify operational challenges, and work with field leaders to improve execution. They must be comfortable moving between executive-level client conversations, financial and operational planning, and practical discussions with teams working overnight installations and demanding store schedules.

The ideal candidate is an approachable, accountable leader who earns the trust of both senior stakeholders and frontline teams. They know that strong field performance comes from more than processes and dashboards—it comes from clear expectations, capable leadership, effective communication, and an executive who understands what is happening at the store level.

What You'll Lead

• National field and project leadership: Lead a large, distributed field and project organization supporting complex retail construction, new-store fixturing, remodel, rollout, and installation programs.
• Hands-on field engagement: Travel to store locations and work alongside field teams regularly, observing execution, understanding challenges, and helping resolve issues directly.
• Installation crew leadership: Provide direction and support to traveling installation crews performing new-store fixturing, overnight installations, remodels, and other multi-location programs.
• Program execution: Oversee new-store setups, fixture installations, store remodels, refreshes, resets, site surveys, store mapping, site readiness, punch lists, and closeouts.
• Bridge between leadership and the field: Build strong relationships between executive leadership, project management, field management, and frontline crews. Ensure field feedback informs operational decisions and that expectations are communicated clearly in both directions.
• Field leadership development: Support and develop project executives, directors, project managers, field managers, supervisors, coordinators, and installation teams.
• Client partnership: Build trusted relationships with national retail clients across construction, store development, operations, merchandising, procurement, and executive leadership.
• Operational systems and accountability: Develop and improve systems for project planning, labor de