REI is a different kind of company. As a co-op, we put purpose before profits and act in the long-term interests of our members. We believe time outside is fundamental to a life well lived, and as a member of the User Experience team, you’ll contribute to REI’s mission to connect every person to the power of the outdoors and engage them in the fight to protect it.

Our designers strive to deliver customer-centric experiences that are inspiring, inclusive, human, purposeful & trustworthy.

REI is looking for a Director, Digital Product Design with strong design, communication, and leadership skills. In this role, you will lead and manage User Experience (product/platform), Content Design and Research teams for web, mobile web, and our iOS and Android Apps to ensure our products and features are valuable for our customers, employees, communities, and business. As a key strategic leader, you will partner closely with cross-functional partners to prioritize digital-first customer centric outcomes within the customer journey, create a compelling vision, and drive initiatives across multiple departments. This role will also lead the Digital Product Design community of practice at REI.

The ideal candidate will be a well-rounded Digital Product Design leader who can foster a culture of continuous learning and experimentation through product analytics, qualitative research, problem framing, opportunity mapping and test & learn experimentation.

As a key digital leader, you'll work closely with senior cross-functional partners to elevate design thinking across the co-op and industry. You'll identify and measure new opportunities for inspiration, expertise, and curation differentiation within our member and non-member experiences.

Candidates will be experienced in advocating human-centered design, testing business assumptions, mitigating risks and driving evidence-informed decision-making across their organization.

Leading the Way (team leadership, coaching and development responsibilities for this “manager of staff”)

• 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.

Your Planning & Navigating Requirements (the plans the job is responsible for creating and executing, and how the job ensures they are implemented)

• Lead the development and refresh of a multi-year product vision and strategy and annual goals for shifting user needs resulting in simple highly valued experiences across digital that influences the company strategy and drives initiatives across multiple departments.
• Directs and communicates broadly the Vision of the digital experience and is responsible for the look and feel of REI’s website and mobile channels. Ensures consistent execution of brand strategy and positioning for all digital properties.
• Leads digital creative reviews and design sprints to drive continuous improvement and innovation within the customer journey experience.
• Build and manage a diverse and inclusive User Experience team, sets clear goals while balancing short term development with long-term growth.
• Provides coaching, direction and leadership support to employees in both personal and organizational goals.
• Designs and scales the organization, removes barriers to execution and equip the team for success in their goals.
• Fosters a strong, collaborative design community of practice.
• Fosters a culture of creativity, design excellence, accountability and testing.
• Partners with cross-functional peers to drive collaboration and vision across the company to build alignment on priorities.
• Builds relationships with senior leaders and cross-functional partners to shape our overall strategy – plans and leads decision-making forums.
• Leads the development of company programs, procedures, methods and practices to promote REI key messages.
• Effectively communicate team's product goals and connect related projects across the company so that outcomes or joint decisions can be resolved quickly.
• Partners closely with compliance and develops a proactive strategy around any regulatory environments.
• Responsible for the developing, monitoring, and attaining the annual expense budget and goals for the digital product design division within Digital Commerce.

Required Skills & Experience

• 15+ years’ of proven experience in User Experience, interaction design, Service design, Digital Creative Design or similar.
• 10+ years’ experience in User Experience management, collaboration, communicating and influencing design strategy
• A broad understanding or e-commerce with deep market knowledge, competitor analysis, and benchmarking based on business goals and customer needs.
• Proficient at building and shipping features/products at an OMNI level, leading the end-to-end experience across a variety of platforms.
• Demonstrable track record in leading strategic thinking across a division, developing goals, identifying opportunities and outcomes while continuously developing strong relationships with cross-functional peers.
• Deep understanding of user-centered research along with experience defining and governing customer experience, brand, and interaction standards.
• Experience driving digital transformation projects and programs, developing and articulating a compelling vision in support of multi-year objectives.
• Executive presence, able to recruit and grow top talent with proven ability to lead and grow a team of designers, researchers, strategists, writers, and managers.
• Bachelor’s degree in Design, HCI, Interaction or similar area, or equivalent practical experience.
• Builds capacity of individuals and teams through effective employee development, involvement, communication, and supervision efforts.
• Creates a strong, mutually supportive work spirit and culture where people can do their best.
• Establishes trust and inspires others.
• Makes effective organization and people decisions in a manner consistent with REI's values and ethics.
• Delivers on commitments and holds others to same.
• Champions the organization and advocates solutions in the overall Company's best interest.
• Uses business knowledge, innovative thinking, and sound judgment in the solution of problems or the pursuit of business opportunities.
• Consolidates information from various sources including feedback from others to reach sound decisions.
• Considers the ultimate impact of decisions and actions on internal and external customers.
• Effectively plans and executes changes.
• Willing and able to work in Issaquah, WA office as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Effectiveness in working across organizational boundaries to define, manage, and prioritize work.
• Organizational and analytical experience.
• Experience working on a product from inception to shipment.
• Experience supporting mobile sites including responsive and adaptive sites.

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.