REI

Manage and drive execution of visual merchandising projects by coordinating cross-divisional teams, vendor relationships, budgets, and schedules to ensure alignment with business goals and timely delivery. | Requires 5+ years operational and strategic experience with vendor and brand partnerships, strong communication skills, project management software proficiency, budget management, and ability to work in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment. | Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. REI is committed to inclusivity and outdoor access for all, and they are seeking a Program Manager for Brand Activation to manage visual merchandising strategies within their Stores Organization. This role involves coordinating cross-divisional teams, managing project activities, and ensuring the successful execution of brand initiatives throughout the project lifecycle. Responsibilities • Drive execution in all project stages throughout the year. Maintain open communication and awareness with cross-divisional partners, including the REI in-store experience team. • Proactively provide project updates on key milestones and deliverables to ensure alignment and awareness. • Collaborate with store design, fixture, marketing, and visual merchandising teams. Deliver visual strategies for REI's store visual programs. Align these strategies with overall business goals. • Manage administrative tasks for VM projects, such as schedules, assignments, and action plans. Ensure clear communication and teamwork for on-time, quality, and on-budget project delivery. • Own and drive content collection and delivery on various intake forms and datasheets across a wide variety of work. • Manage vendor relationships, leveraging resources and finding ways to collaborate for REI's differentiation. • Define and manage VM program execution processes with the Project Management (PMO) team and VM Program and project manager cohorts. Ensure clear descriptions of inputs, hand-offs, outputs, and timelines. Focus on daily actions that support key success metrics. • Innovate and identify opportunities for solutions to problems, possibly serving as a key decision-maker for the overall program aim. • Act as a key project liaison between internal, cross-divisional, and third-party partners. Manage project timelines, dependencies, issue resolution, and asset delivery. This may also include creating and managing SOWs with Creative Agencies. • Ensure accurate resource allocation within a project schedule. Proactively address resource concerns and advocate for the team to reduce capacity issues. • Motivate and coordinate project teams across departments to deliver first-class projects from planning to deployment. Emphasize cross-divisional planning, execution, and recap phases. Include ROI examination when applicable. • Share expertise and best practices with other program managers. Manage direct reports, if needed, to guide visual merchandising strategies and business goals. • Provide oversight and root cause analysis of issues affecting program performance. • Partner with peers from other divisions to align programs with seasonal and annual marketing and merchandising plans. Ensure programs support strategic goals. • Manage both external and internal business relationships with vendors, clients, strategic partners, and agencies. • Evaluate partnership opportunities and proposals for strategic relevance, business needs, and alignment with REI's core values. • Handle purchase orders and manage receiving, reviewing, and auditing invoices, RFQs, RFPs, etc., for visual merchandising and store graphics initiatives. • Leverage Smartsheet, Workfront, and other work management tools daily. Use them to store project requirements, schedules, documentation, and resource time tracking. This may involve leading or supporting tool releases. • Work in a fast-paced team environment, demonstrating exceptional multitasking skills and the ability to prioritize tasks. • Build, forecast, and track budgets for all assigned programs and associated components. Skills • 5 years of operational and strategic experience working with vendor and brand partnerships. • Comfortable communicating and navigating ambiguity with a large cross-divisional and external network. • Experience producing high-level leadership decks summarizing and detailing work within applications such as Figma and PowerPoint. • Solid foundation in managing operating costs at both program and project levels. • MAC/PC proficiency, including Microsoft Office Applications. • Experience utilizing project management software and scheduling tools, such as SmartSheet, WorkFront, and SharePoint. • Ability to be productive and flexible in a fast-paced environment. • Excellent verbal and written communication skills. • Acute attention to detail. • Ability to collaborate up, down, and across the organization. • Ability to navigate ambiguous, evolving role definitions, serving multiple work groups and personalities. • Merchandising experience in the retail industry is a plus. Benefits • Generous employee discount • Access to health benefits • A retirement savings plan • Accrued time off Company Overview • At Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), we exist to inspire and enable life outside for everyone. It was founded in 1938, and is headquartered in Kent, Washington, USA, with a workforce of 10001+ employees. Its website is https://www.rei.com/. Company H1B Sponsorship • REI has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 2 in 2025, 12 in 2024, 12 in 2023, 13 in 2022, 18 in 2021, 12 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.

Provide strategic leadership and operational guidance for REI’s Western stores division, driving store performance, employee engagement, and executing company strategies. | 7+ years regional leadership in retail or equivalent, strong strategic planning and execution skills, leadership and coaching capabilities, and ability to manage multi-region physical store operations. | Overview The Divisional Vice President (DVP) of Stores - West is responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational guidance for REI’s stores and the stores organization. As one of only two DVPs, this role oversees the Western half of REI’s operating regions and physical stores and is a critical leader in driving the strategy and execution of REI’s physical store experience operations. The DVP is directly accountable for monitoring and achieving division and overall store performance goals across revenue, membership, operational KPIs, profitability targets, employee engagement, team development and driving continuous improvement to strategies and tactics as necessary to consistently achieves or exceeds them. The leader will play a key role in driving REI’s transformation agenda across REI’s stores by ensuring divisional strategies are developed to achieve the Co-op’s long-term membership goals, increase growth opportunities, and ensuring our stores, our employees, and offerings reflect the outdoor needs of the communities, members, and customers in the markets we serve. This leader will help ensure REI is achieving its equity, diversity and inclusion goals and building a deep pool of diverse leadership talent to position the Co-op for growth and operational excellence. This leader will act as a positive change agent in support of the co-op and stores transformation plan driving a more active and strategic voice from the stores organization across the commercial division and the Co-op, while increasing accountability and bias for action. This leader is a strategic operator with experience leading multi-region networks of physical stores, driving organizational change, leading strategic thinking, developing, and managing field teams, and delivering results. Location - this role is remote, however we need the person to live in market. At REI Co-op, we believe time outside is fundamental to a life well lived and exist to inspire and enable a life outside for everyone. To deliver on that promise, we are working with our 14,000+ employees, 25 members and the broader outdoor community toward a reality where everyone has the opportunity to be themselves, to access opportunities and find their place in the outdoors. For us, that means: • Investing in work that removes the barriers people and communities face to getting outside. • Delivering relevant products, experiences, and expertise to equip and inspire a new generation of outdoor stewards. • Cultivating a workforce that reflects the demographics of the markets we serve. • Leading the industry’s efforts to welcome people and communities historically underrepresented into outdoor media and culture. Responsibilities And Qualifications Leading the Way • As a member of the Leadership Forum, develops a deep understanding of, effectively communicates and broadly supports execution of company strategies and priorities. • Translates company strategies into actionable divisional plans and executes successful delivery. • Works cross-divisionally to drive execution of specific divisional and company strategies, initiatives and projects. • Strengthens retail staff’s access and connection to leadership through annual store visits and district conference calls; drives engagement and builds trust in REI’s leaders. • Identifies and communicates key responsibilities and practices to ensure the organization promotes a successful attitude, confidence in leadership, and teamwork to achieve business results. • Supports the implementation of company programs, procedures, methods and practices to promote REI key messages. • Challenges and inspires employees to achieve business results. • Ensures employees adhere to legal and operational compliance requirements. • Oversees training and development of employees directly and indirectly managed and makes effective staffing decisions. • Conducts and ensures the completion of performance reviews. • Provides coaching, direction and leadership support to employees in order to achieve department, company and customer results. • Establishes and maintains visibility within the department. • Monitors operational statistics, reports trends, variances and issues, and takes appropriate action Planning & Navigating • Contribute to the definition and execution of store strategy in alignment with overall Co-op strategy and priorities. Ensure full fleet strategy translates to regional strategies and vice-versa • Guide regional leadership teams to develop region-specific strategies that localize Co-op wide strategies and priorities while optimizing the Co-op’s opportunity at the regional level • Monitor and achieve division and overall store organization performance goals. Drive adjustments to strategies and tactics as necessary to achieve division and Co-op goals. • Ensure all stores consistently achieve or exceed revenue, membership, operational KPIs and profitability goals through effective use of short and long-term planning and expense control • Deliver consistent high standards of customer experience in stores in accordance with the Co-op Way and service standards across stores. • Partner closely with Real-estate to identify new store and relocation opportunities within the division and manage real-estate portfolio to achieve division growth goals. • Support Co-op wide initiatives with direct leadership participation • Build annual plans and budgets • Collaborate cross divisionally to ensure support and execution of regional and all store strategies • Partner with other leaders within the Commercial organization and across the Co-op to define and execute Co-op wide strategies and tactics to achieve the Co-ops goals. Professional Qualifications And Experience • 7+ years in regional leadership experience or equivalent. • Bachelor's Degree or master’s degree (Business or related field). • Proven experience in establishing vision and goals; developing strategic plans and leading cross-divisional teams in accomplishing key strategic initiatives. • Comfort with ambiguity and a dynamic business landscape. • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks and projects, to prioritize, and adapt to a changing environment. • Strong relationship-building skills and experience working closely with cross-functional partners to influence and operationalize key strategic initiatives. • Ability to think strategically, define business opportunities, collect, interpret, and analyze abstract information and create strategic value-added solutions. • Establishes trust and inspires others. • Demonstrated experience of cross-divisional partnership and collaboration to lead in a matrixed environment. • Creates a strong, mutually supportive work environment and culture where people can do their best. • Ability to embrace, facilitate, and drive change through the operations. • Must possess strong leadership and coaching skills and the ability to capitalize and apply those skills. • Experience and proven success in motivating a team to deliver differentiated customer experiences and solve customer issues. • Consolidates information from various sources including feedback from others to reach sound decisions. • Must have strong communication skills (verbal & written), including strong relationship building skills. • Successful in fostering and working as part of a diverse and inclusive team. Builds rapport with all kinds of people inside and outside the organization. • Ability to build a culture of innovation by promoting risk-taking and creativity. • Develop and enhance cultures of continuous improvement and data-driven decision making, leading to improved KPIs and customer experiences. Has built programs and processes • A growth mindset coupled with a bias for action and sense of urgency. • Establishes, models and drives accountability. Provides management oversight and support, establishing a culture of accountability. • Uses business knowledge, innovative thinking, and sound judgment in the solution of problems or the pursuit of business opportunities. • Ability to travel as required. Closing At REI, we believe the outdoors is for all. We are committed to becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural organization. We know that there's strength in our diversity - that each employee brings unique skills, experiences, and perspectives. Every day you are driving change, fostering a culture of respect, and knowing you're backed by benefits that support your whole life. To work towards this commitment and fulfill our brand promise of inspiring and enabling a life outside for everyone, we seek employees who demonstrate different ways of working, create a sense of belonging, and actively listen and learn. Pay Transparency We are committed to practices that promote pay equity and transparency. As required by applicable Pay Transparency laws, REI provides a range of compensation for roles that may be hired in locations under these requirements. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include a wide array of factors, including: your specific skills and experience, geographic location or other relevant factors. REI offers all regular employees a generous employee discount, access to health benefits, a retirement savings plan and accrued time off. Click here for a detailed overview of benefits plans by employee profile. Pay Range 220,000 - 275,000