Director of Product Research, Testing and Quality

Overview

At REI, we design and deliver products that help people enjoy life outside. As Director of Product Research, Testing and Quality, you will lead how we test, validate, and improve our Co-op Brands products.

You’ll guide teams across research, testing, quality, and compliance. You’ll help ensure every product is safe, durable, and built for real outdoor use. You’ll also partner with leaders across design, supply chain, legal, and retail to set clear standards and improve how we work.

This role leads our Magnusson Lab and Prototyping Shop, where ideas turn into tested, ready-to-use products. You’ll help shape strategy, build strong partnerships, and use data to support better product decisions.

Responsibilities and Qualifications

• Set strategy for product research, testing, quality, and compliance across Co-op Brands
• Lead and develop teams in research, test engineering, and quality assurance
• Manage lab and prototyping operations, including budgets and external partners
• Develop and enforce seasonal plan for product teams to leverage product specific research methodologies, including field testing to simulate intended end-users in the intended environment and context.
• Inspire and protect team competencies in creation of innovative test methods and requirements that accurately predict intended end use and customer experience, and when appropriate, advocate, share and standardize these techniques through supply chain and industry partnerships.
• Foster an enterprise approach to Product Quality function through partnership with strategic leaders of divisions accountable for product quality investigation, disposition and remediation.
• Set strategic direction and governance for Product Compliance, ensuring regulatory, safety, and compliance requirements are integrated across the product lifecycle.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in product creation, including research, testing, and quality
• 8+ years leading teams in technical or product-focused roles
• Experience working across functions like design, supply chain, and operations
• Strong knowledge of product testing, safety standards, and quality systems
• Skilled in setting strategy and using data to inform decisions
• Ensure high scientific aptitude on team through strong understanding of standards, best practices and systems to support work assignments that have wide variety and complexity; possess and share overview knowledge of adjacent functions
• Apply vision for product technologies, materials, manufacturing methods and other concepts to strategically plan quality assurance and performance validation programs for future consumer product needs

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

$140,300.00 - $228,600.00 per year

• Set strategy for product research, testing, quality, and compliance across Co-op Brands
• Lead and develop teams in research, test engineering, and quality assurance
• Manage lab and prototyping operations, including budgets and external partners
• Develop and enforce seasonal plan for product teams to leverage product specific research methodologies, including field testing to simulate intended end-users in the intended environment and context.
• Inspire and protect team competencies in creation of innovative test methods and requirements that accurately predict intended end use and customer experience, and when appropriate, advocate, share and standardize these techniques through supply chain and industry partnerships.
• Foster an enterprise approach to Product Quality function through partnership with strategic leaders of divisions accountable for product quality investigation, disposition and remediation.
• Set strategic direction and governance for Product Compliance, ensuring regulatory, safety, and compliance requirements are integrated across the product lifecycle.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in product creation, including research, testing, and quality
• 8+ years leading teams in technical or product-focused roles
• Experience working across functions like design, supply chain, and operations
• Strong knowledge of product testing, safety standards, and quality systems
• Skilled in setting strategy and using data to inform decisions
• Ensure high scientific aptitude on team through strong understanding of standards, best practices and systems to support work assignments that have wide variety and complexity; possess and share overview knowledge of adjacent functions
• Apply vision for product technologies, materials, manufacturing methods and other concepts to strategically plan quality assurance and performance validation programs for future consumer product needs

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.