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- Inventory Accounting Analyst
- Internet Program Manager, Paid Search Focus
- Manager of Marketing Analytics
- Senior G/L Accountant
- Store Development Project Engineer
- Lead Software Engineer
- Enterprise Architect

Are you looking to join a company where you can see your contributions? Work with professionals who truly care about the work they do? Find balance between work and life? YES, YES, and YES!

You may need to take a closer look at Recreational Equipment Inc.

We’ve been ranked 12th on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” (2009)

Learn more about us: www.rei.com

Brent plotted a course that would take us on a 40 mile loop around Jack Mountain in the North Cascades. The trip couldn’t have sounded more relaxing; alpine views, a casual 40 mile hike with a finale ending at Ross Lake, and not to mention perfect 4th of July weather. Equipped with a topo map, my husband’s barometric/altimeter watch, and notes from his extensive trail research we set off. I don’t like surprises, I went into this adventure thinking we had everything under control, our packs meticulously organized and cross-checked, the 5 day-forecast watched and reviewed daily until our departure day, communication to our families and Park Rangers managed. What could go wrong, just walking in the woods right?

Day one: A casual hike in the woods, IT WAS NOT– a lapse of memory of what an elevation gain of 5,000ft would really feel like- yes. We have done several hikes and ski tours involving mountains and elevation gain, but for some reason they became a distant memory. Instead of gradual and meandering incline up the mountain pass, it was miles of steepness. We reached what we thought was the top of the pass, but soon realized we had much further to go- how much further was the real question? We had been traveling for hours. Considering that we were in the National Forest; trail markings are not as visible (causing frustration for someone like me who likes measurement – distance hiked, elevation gained, miles per hour, some sort of validation that we were indeed in the right place. I was slowly loosing control over “the plan” and letting the wild, uncontrollable nature of the outdoors take over.

The second day our elevation gain/loss was 2400 feet, the descent was a steep scree pile – (Note: when the map says difficult for “stock” it means it is most likely difficult for people too.) Footing was problematic and our dogs were still struggling with balancing their weight with packs on. While it was entertaining to watch normally graceful Austrailian Shepherds negotiate their steps with uneasiness, it also grew an anxiousness; as one misstep could lead to a disasterous tumble down an unforgiving 700ft rock slide. We descended into a valley where snow intermittently covered the trail throughout the afternoon; we spent hours searching for trails. It played a cruel mental and emotional toll on us. We would go through the repetitious cycle of loosing the trail, experiencing the panic of “what if” — What if we can’t find the trail? What if we have to camp here? What if we get stuck out here? We were hardly in a situation where backtracking was an easy or inviting option. We negotiated wide open snowfields and dense forests keeping a close, nervous eye on whatever inkling of a trail we could locate. At this point we were 20 miles deep into the forest; we hadn’t seen even a trace of another hiking party to validate our trail or location. Miraculously, and I am not using miraculously lightly, we made our way out of the snow and scree zone. Thinking the end of the day was near a familiar smell loomed in the woods. Ahh campfire – we must be close. Or not. Fortunately, we did not encounter the direct forest fire but one was close. This new thought brought about a new panic within me that I never had even considered was a possibility.

We made it to our next stop Devil’s Pass – things seemed to be looking up, not as much snow or route finding, we set-up camp, hung the bear bag, made our Tasty Bite, and settled in for a night of sleep. However, sleep didn’t come easy- a guard dog named Junior Banks was on duty, growling at the strangers in the night, causing me mini-heart attacks every hour on the hour. Morning came soon enough, and we were ready to get on with the day, and a new set of adventures. We set off on the trail that we were on the day prior; we ran into a “Y” in the road which was consistent with the maps directions, but something didn’t feel right , he stopped us in our tracks because things didn’t make sense, according to the map, our elevation and compass we were walking in the wrong direction, the mountains that should have been on our right were on our left, it didn’t add up. I didn’t see another trail and what about the “Y” in the road? Markings and directional signs are luxury in the National Forest, and while I have a slight bitterness about it, it really forces those who traverse these areas to know how to read maps, listen to instincts, and watches. Not bad skills to have. Brent sensed that we were going in the wrong direction; he cross-referenced his instincts with the tools we had and made the executive decision to turn around. The “What if” panic settled in again – What if this wasn’t the trail? What if it was? How do we even know what is right? We hiked back to our original campsite and started searching….searching….searching….and miraculously, a lightly trodden trail caught my attention near a few trees, I followed it with my eyes into deeply forested woods, then a SIGN…..no really, a wooden, worn sign reading: To Devil’s Dome  Water 900 Feet  Deception Pass .

Were our worries over from there, not hardly but we were making it through. We deemed this the trip of “Expecting the Unexpected”, no promises, no guarantees. We referred to everything in less certain terms…i.e. “I hope this is the trail” verses “This is the trail”… “I think the campsite may be in 2 miles” verses “The campsite according to the map is in 2 miles”. Finding peace in the only thing that was for certain, that the wild can not be planned nor controlled, the unexpected will happen. While we can measure, calculate, predict, risk-mitigate, plan, prepare – the wild is just that, wild — unbridled, uncontrolled, unplanned, exciting, satisfying, dangerous, fun, and challenging.

This trip helped me to leverage strengths I never thought I had, leaning on perseverance, steely mental-focus; finding confidence in my ability to manage through the uncontrolled and unexpected. I felt pride not only conquering the tremendous feat of a challenging 4 day – 40 mile backpacking trip but the strong sense of satisfaction of letting go of control, and allowing natural ability, instinct, and courage to take the front seat allowing my own natural characteristics and abilities play out.

Climbing Devil’s Dome wasn’t fun, the 5200 foot descent to the lake, was not fun either – but, wow, sitting with my battered, blistered feet in the cool, pure water of Ross Lake knowing that I just tackled something that I never thought I could = Gratifying.

www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/my-wife-wont-camp/

FIND OUT: Why People Really (Really) Love Working at REI!

www.rei.com/jobs

The Manager of Online Program Management and Site Optimization contributes to the success of REI by leading the Program Management and Site Optimization teams to attain REI Online’s business goals of achieving an optimal online customer experience.

As the Manager of this group and a key member of the management team, you will be responsible for driving significant growth in REI’s consumer website by conceiving, prioritizing, and executing development projects that ensure the highest levels of satisfaction among our customers. You have the primary responsibility for providing direction to your team, establishing work process and priorities, communicating cross-divisionally and evaluating proposed solutions that grow REI’s competitive advantage as a leading retailer of quality outdoor gear and clothing.

Responsibilities:

• Monitor user feedback and industry trends, collect requirements, develop functional specifications, coordinate and refine technical and UI designs, and deliver high-quality projects on-time.
• Oversees the program management of a portfolio of Online programs and projects that supports annual Online business plans and line of business goals.
• Drives strategic vision and implementation of Online operations functions including site performance charter, impact of IT processes and projects, and support for Online analytics and other tools. Contributes to future vision of operations technology and systems which significantly impact the effective execution of Online business processes.
• Accountable for the successful completion and implementation of assigned projects, meeting deadlines, budgets and company standards. Ensures effective project documentation and monitors and tracks performance in terms of scope, schedule, budget, staffing resources and business client satisfaction.
• Contributes to Online strategic planning, applying current knowledge and future vision of project and program management which significantly impact the effective execution of Online business processes
• Expands and adapts REI’s project management methodology to meet emerging trends, technologies, and market changes.
• Oversees and/or provides stakeholders with accurate, timely and relevant information about the status of projects, personnel and activities within the team.
• Partners in developing, designing, integrating and implementing systems and processes that contributes to the successful execution of Online projects and programs.

–    Collaborates with Online leaders on continuous process improvement initiatives.

–    Collaborates with line of business partners to develop processes & roles to support emerging business needs.

–    Contributes to the development of the Online technology roadmap in collaboration with BA and IT partners.

• Manage a team of 10

 
Qualifications:

• A strong background (5+ years) in product or program management is required; e-commerce and website development experience are highly desired.
• 3+ years building and leading teams.
• Demonstrated knowledge and application of project management principles and methodology – Agile/ Scrum preferred.
• Application of web analytics preferred.

Recreation is our business, and REI offers a great work environment that balances hard work with time off to play. We offer an excellent compensation package, flexible benefits, an outstanding retirement plan, incentive program, relocation assistance, a generous merchandise discount to help you enjoy your free time, and – most importantly – a work environment where respect for the individual and teamwork are our fundamental employee values.

If you’d like to be rewarded for initiative, effort, and creative thought, come join us!

REI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The role of Manager of Online User Experience contributes to REI’s success by creating and managing REI’s online user experience strategy and execution. The ideal candidate has a strong background in user research and testing, information architecture and interaction and a proven ability to create a user experience program in a collaborative environment. This job provides direction to teams, establishes work priorities, communicates cross-divisionally and evaluates proposed solutions that grow REI’s competitive advantage as a leading retailer of quality outdoor gear and clothing. Leads high-impact Online development initiatives, and acts as an Online representative in cross-divisional forums. Evangelizes user research and user centered design for best in class customer experiences. Models and acts in accordance with REI’s guiding values and mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES
• Creates, defines and manages the user research and user experience strategy and execution for REI websites.
• Ensures REI’s commerce and community sites utilize the most efficient and effective user centered methodology and interaction processes
• Works with cross divisional teams to contribute to maximizing and improving cross channel customer experiences
• Works closely with Site Production, Program Management and Marketing Research to develop user-centered features
• Documents interaction solutions and designs in deliverables that include scenarios, user-flows, personas, site architectures, interaction notes and wireframes
• Ensures maintenance of a cohesive user interface as it evolves by contributing to a style guide and/or pattern library.
• Establishes benchmarking indicators and competitor analysis
• Observes and analyzes website use and creates positive user experiences based on quantitative and qualitative customer behavior and feedback
• Contributes to site navigation, customer interaction and task flow definitions to the enhance customer experience
• Leads user experience audits and heuristic evaluations. Drives user research, user testing and interaction design
• Conducts usability tests, including analyzing and presenting findings. Collaborates with web analytics, business intelligence and product teams to perform multi-variant testing and clickstream analysis.
• Provides guidance in best-practices for user centered design
• Contributes to Online strategic planning, applying current knowledge and future vision of user research and user centered design which significantly impact the effective execution of REI’s customer experiences

REQUIREMENTS
• 5+ years experience with user research, information architecture, interaction design and user research of websites and/or web-based products and services
• Deep understanding of user-centered design methods and techniques
• 2+ years experience building and leading teams preferred
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams to promote open communication and teamwork
• Strong knowledge of related disciplines such as information management, content strategy and brand communications
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate effectively in small and large groups at all levels of an organization
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Experience in working on multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in order to document and present strategies, standards, and concepts to both business and IT audiences
• Degree preferred in related discipline: information architecture, interaction or interface design, human-computer interaction (or equivalent)
• Previous eCommerce experience preferred

Recreation is our business, and REI offers a great work environment that balances hard work with time off to play. We offer an excellent compensation package, flexible benefits, an outstanding retirement plan, incentive program, relocation assistance, a generous merchandise discount to help you enjoy your free time, and – most importantly – a work environment where respect for the individual and teamwork are our fundamental employee values.

If you’d like to be rewarded for initiative, effort, and creative thought, come join us!

REI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

So, now that social media tools have been welcomed into the mainstream — what is the the next hot thing? Just wondering —

http://tinyurl.com/REI-JobList