REI

Compensation

Full Description

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.