Color Designer

REI; Washington; On-site; USD 65,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discount

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

REI is seeking a Color Designer to shape product color and storytelling across seasons. You will build palettes, ensure on-brand color for outdoor gear, and partner with Product Strategy, Design, Materials, and Marketing to keep color language consistent.

You bring 4–5+ years in color or related design, a Bachelor’s in Product Design or equivalent, and proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign) and MS Office.

Qualifications

• 4-5+ years of experience in color, apparel, product, or material design.
• Bachelor's degree in Product Design or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Skill in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign) and MS Office.
• Strong eye for color, detail, and visual quality across products.
• Ability to manage deadlines and work within a product calendar.
• Clear communication and ability to collaborate across teams.

Responsibilities

• Support seasonal color strategy and storytelling at the category level.
• Build and manage color tools, including palettes, standards, and matching.
• Research trends and create mood boards and seasonal color direction.
• Partner with cross‑functional teams to align color with product goals.
• Maintain color libraries and update digital files and PLM systems.
• Follow timelines and support the color process from concept to delivery.

Skills

Color design

Cross-functional collaboration

Deadline management

Attention to detail

Visual storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Product Design

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign

MS Office

Job description

Overview

At REI, we believe great design helps people connect with the outdoors. As a Color Designer, you shape how our products look and feel through color. You create palettes that are inspiring, on-brand, and right for our customers.

You partner with teams across Product Strategy, Design, Materials, and Marketing to build strong color stories for each season. You also track trends, support seasonal themes, and keep color tools and files accurate. Your work helps deliver a clear and consistent REI design language.

Responsibilities and Qualifications

• Support seasonal color strategy and storytelling at the category level
• Build and manage color tools, including palettes, standards, and matching
• Research trends and create mood boards and seasonal color direction
• Partner with cross‑functional teams to align color with product goals
• Maintain color libraries and update digital files and PLM systems
• Follow timelines and support the color process from concept to delivery

Qualifications

• 4-5+ years of experience in color, apparel, product, or material design
• Bachelor's degree in Product Design or related field, or equivalent experience
• Skill in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign) and MS Office
• Strong eye for color, detail, and visual quality across products
• Ability to manage deadlines and work within a product calendar
• Clear communication and ability to collaborate across teams

What You Bring

You are curious about trends, materials, and the outdoor industry. You think about the customer and how color impacts their experience. You stay organized, solve problems, and adjust as needs change. You enjoy working with others and sharing ideas to improve the product.

Closing

At REI, we believe the outdoors is for all. We are committed to becoming a fully inclusive, anti‑racist, multicultural organization (https://www.rei.com/newsroom/article/rei-antiracist-multicultural-fully-inclusive-commitment). 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 (https://foryourbenefit-rei.com/) for a detailed overview of benefits plans by employee profile.

Pay Range

$64,600.00 - $103,500.00 per year