Visual Merchandising Working Student (Werkstudent) — Central Europe

• Reports to: Visual Merchandiser Manager, Central Europe
• Location: Hamburg office (hybrid), with regional travel
• Department: Global Marketing
• Type: Werkstudent (Working Student) — fixed-term, part-time
• Working hours: Up to 20 hours per week during the lecture period; increased hours may be possible during semester breaks, depending on availability and legal requirements.

About Stressless and Ekornes

Ekornes is the largest furniture manufacturer in the Nordic region, headquartered on the west coast of Norway. We design and produce furniture marketed under the brands Stressless®, Svane®, and IMG®. Stressless® is among the most recognised furniture brands in the world, and we’re committed to bringing comfort into everyday life — combining heritage, innovation, and global reach.

Ekornes operates sales offices in 13 countries and collaborates with over 4,000 retailers serving 48 markets worldwide. We have eight manufacturing facilities located in Norway, the USA, Thailand, and Lithuania, and employ approximately 3,000 people.

About the role

Most visual merchandising working student roles mean dressing one store window. This one is different: you’ll sit inside a regional marketing team responsible for the in-store experience across 800+ studios in seven European markets, working directly alongside our Visual Merchandiser as a real second pair of hands — not fetching coffee, but actually contributing to how a global brand shows up at retail.

It’s a rare chance to see the full picture early in your career: how brand standards get translated into physical space, how a rollout gets planned and delivered across multiple countries, and how marketing, sales, and retail partners work together to make that happen. You won’t own studios or retailer relationships independently — you’ll learn by doing, with guidance, on work that genuinely matters to the business.

What you will do

1. Visual merchandising support

• Support the Visual Merchandiser Manager in tracking and reviewing studio setups.
• Help prepare layout concepts and visual materials using designated VM software, with training provided.
• Assist with maintaining an up-to-date overview of studio status across the CEU region.
• Help prepare briefing materials for retailers, sales staff, instore VM and service providers.

2. Project coordination support

• Support tracking of timelines, milestones, and deliverables for studio installations and rollouts.
• Help maintain project documentation, trackers, and administrative records.
• Assist with coordination between internal teams and external suppliers under guidance.

3. Events, campaigns & trade fairs

• Support preparation and logistics for trade fairs and in-store campaigns.
• Help ensure visual brand consistency across event materials.
• Assist other departments in bringing the in-store and event experience to life.

What you’ll learn

This working student role is built to teach, not just to occupy you. By the end, you should walk away with:

• How to read and apply brand and VM guidelines at scale — across hundreds of locations, not just one.
• Hands-on exposure to space planning and visualization tools (Pcon) used by professional VM and retail design teams.
• How a multi-country rollout actually gets planned, sequenced, and delivered — timelines, suppliers, risk, and the inevitable real-world surprises.
• What it takes to run a trade fair stand or campaign activation from the inside, end to end.
• How a regional marketing organization works day to day — how VM, sales, marketing, and country teams depend on each other.
• Direct mentorship from an experienced Visual Merchandiser, with real feedback on real deliverables.
• A genuine reference point for your CV: regional, cross-border retail experience with a recognised global brand — not just one store, one season.

What we’re looking for

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor or Master’s programme, for example Marketing, Retail, Design, or Business.
• An interest in visual merchandising, retail, or brand experience.
• Structured, organized, and detail-oriented working style.
• Good communication skills and enjoys working with different teams.
• Fluent in German and English, both written and spoken.

Technical skills (training provided)

You don’t need prior experience with these — we’ll help you get there:

• Pcon – for space planning and product visualization.
• Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel and PowerPoint – for reporting and presentations.
• Canva – for presentations and collaterals.

• Travelling: Occasional regional travel possible, depending on project needs.
• Duration: Part-time working student role, in line with university requirements.

What we offer

A seat at the table, not the sidelines. You’ll work on live projects with real deadlines and real visibility — your work will show up on actual retail floors across Europe. You’ll be mentored directly by the person responsible for VM across the region, get structured exposure to the tools and processes professionals in this field use every day, and finish with a concrete, regional-scale story to tell future employers. For the right person, this is also a natural stepping stone: where capacity allows, strong performance in the working student role can open the door to future opportunities within the team.

Why Stressless® / Ekornes

• Be part of a trusted Scandinavian brand with 90 years of craftsmanship and innovation.
• Join a collaborative and international environment within the Global Marketing organization.
• Enjoy a company culture built on respect, quality, and long-term thinking.