Senior Project Manager, Merchandising Operations

REI Co-op works together to find better ways to work. The goal is to help people enjoy the outdoors. Working for the co-op means doing your best work. Support is given to help you live your best life. You also help shape the future of the outdoors for people and the planet.

This role contributes to REI’s success by applying expert Project Management practices to develop, advance, and facilitate end-to-end Merchandising business rhythms, initiatives, and ad hoc priorities. The individual in this role is accountable for managing small to large scale cross-functional projects with moderate to high risk, ambiguity, and complexity, so that they are completed on time, within scope and within budget. They apply strategic thinking and previous experience to determine a course of action, prioritize work with minimal assistance, and communicate progress, risks, and performance against project plans to key stakeholders. They resolve operational problems through collaboration with project teams to minimize delays. In addition, they work independently and serve as a resource and mentor to less experienced program and project managers by educating best practices in project management, portfolio visibility, governance, and operational excellence, while modeling and acting in accordance with REI’s guiding values and mission.

Responsibilities

• Develops and refines Merchandising project and portfolio management processes that align priorities, tasks, governance, and communication across divisions
• Collaborates with Merchandising, Marketing, Digital, Stores, Visual Merchandising, Finance, and other divisions as needed to define initiative success and execute plans to achieve outcomes
• Advances process innovation, identifies and effectively communicates areas of opportunity to streamline Merchandising planning, governance, and execution processes
• Manages and ensures completion of end-to-end project tasks across multiple REI divisions to support Merchandising priorities and business milestones
• Utilizes analytics, feedback, and business insights to inform prioritization, identify risks, and support clear recommendations
• Ensures project teams have clear goals, objectives, milestones, decision points, and success measures consistent with business priorities and financial goals
• Ensures schedule alignment between key cross-divisional workstreams, dependencies, operating cadences, and business timeframes
• Manages progress of Merchandising projects and communicates status, risks, dependencies, decisions, and next steps to management and stakeholders on a regular basis
• Provides project management documentation and reporting at appropriate stages of the work, including, if applicable, intake, project charter, work breakdown structure, project plan, project logs, status reports and lessons learned documentation
• Ensures continual alignment between key cross-divisional stakeholders, surfacing conflicts, capacity constraints, risks, and decision needs early
• Provides process insight and guidance to cross-divisional leaders on key Merchandising initiatives, ad hoc projects, and operational priorities
• Provides thought leadership to cross-divisional partners regarding project direction, prioritization, governance, and planning
• Liaises with cross-functional divisions and internal departments to connect work across teams and support process improvements
• Leads change management for responsible areas, including communication, stakeholder engagement, and adoption planning
• Collaborates with cross-functional partners and leadership to ensure continued engagement, understanding of key deliverables, and timely follow-through on actions and decisions

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Business or equivalent degree
• 5+ years’ experience as a Project Manager concurrently managing multiple small to large cross-divisional projects in a fast-paced environment
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) preferred
• Advanced knowledge of project management methodology
• Advanced knowledge of Merchandising functions, planning functions, information technology systems, and implementation process
• Advanced Problem-solving skills: ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions

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.