The Program Manager, Brand Activation, will manage the development and execution of REI's Visual Merchandising brand strategies within the Stores Organization. This role is a key part of the Commercial Division. In this role, you will work closely with cross-divisional teams and vendor partners. You will model and act according to REI’s guiding values and mission.
This position is central to REI’s success, managing Visual Merchandising's Brand Activations for in-store projects. You'll identify assignments, coordinate project activities, and manage resources for both small and large initiatives. Supporting the execution of brand initiatives throughout the project lifecycle, you'll work with merchandising, marketing, and other teams. Key duties include budgeting, planning, intake, project management, resource allocation, optimization, maintenance, and risk and opportunity assessment.
Responsibilities and Qualifications
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.
Required Qualifications
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.Preferred Qualifications
Merchandising experience in the retail industry is a plus.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
$85,400.00 - $136,700.00 per year