Principal Information Architect

REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)•Seattle, WA

About The Position

At REI, we believe product data is a strategic asset that fuels exceptional member and customer experiences. We’re seeking a Principal, Information Architect to lead our product data strategy and governance- ensuring our product data is reliable, discoverable, high-quality, and aligned with the Co-op’s strategic goals. This role blends deep technical expertise in metadata, ontology, cataloguing, and data product mindset with strong stakeholder leadership, change management, and program execution. You’ll collaborate closely with Product Management, Analytics, and Senior Leaderships to shape the evolution of REI’s product data ecosystem – playing a key role in REI’s positioning in agentic AI experiences. Together, you’ll transform expert knowledge into production-grade data that powers experiences for millions of outdoor enthusiasts across our digital e-commerce platforms.

Requirements

10+ years of experience shaping product data ecosystems for digital products or e-commerce, with proven success in information architecture and governance.
Bachelor's degree in information science, or related field. Advanced degree or relevant certifications (e.g. CDMP) preferred.
Demonstrate track record of designing and implementing taxonomy, ontology, and metadata frameworks, including designing schemas, lineage maps, and systems of record.
Strong communications and business acumen: able to translate business requirements into architectural and governance solutions and communicate effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Strong strategic thinking and systems mindset, comfortable navigating ambiguity and prioritizing investments for long-term value creation. Align initiatives to drive measurable outcomes.
Experience in implementing AI-enhanced content solutions such as ML classification, semantic search, or conversational AI systems and ability to align architecture strategies with emerging technologies such as agentic commerce.
Experience with tools/ platforms for data catalog, metadata management, ontology/ taxonomy management (Semaphore SmartLogic), data quality, lineage, etc
Proven leadership in cross-functional environments, influencing senior stakeholders, and driving alignment across engineering, analytics, and product teams.
Change management and culture-building skills, championing data as a shared asset, and fostering organization adoption.
Experience in agile, user-centric environments, with a track record of delivering impactful data-driven solutions for large-scale digital ecosystems.
Experience in best practices product data governance for e-commerce and digital platforms.

Nice To Haves

Track record on aligning information architecture strategies with emerging technologies such as Gen AI agentic commerce.

Responsibilities

Determines and drives the Digital Division-wide information architecture vision and strategy, shopping design of new products, processes, and operational plans that impact the division. Translates this vision into actionable development for near-term (12-18 months) and long-term (3+ years) horizons.
Owns and evolves the architecture for complex, multi-domain data ecosystems, including data models, taxonomies, metadata schemas, lineage maps, and systems of record. Anticipates emerging business needs and technology trends to ensure adaptability and scalability.
Leads the development and operationalization of a comprehensive division-wide data governance framework, defining roles, stewardship models, and controls for data quality, security, and accessibility. Establishes standards for cataloging, metadata management, and lineage tracking to enable transparency and trust across the enterprise.
A strategic connector between business objectives and technical execution, translating complex requirements- spanning compliance, analysis, and AI/ML)- into architecture and governance solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes and accelerate decision-making.
Influences and aligns senior stakeholders across multiple lines of business, ensuring architectural decisions support divisional priorities and enterprise goals.
Recognized as a subject matter expert with extensive technical and professional knowledge, typically requiring 10+ years of experience and advanced education. Sets enterprise standards and best practices and is sought out for thought leadership on information architecture and governance.
Solves unique and highly complex problems, improving entire systems and processes through innovation and systems thinking. Proactively identifies and resolves systemic data challenges, leveraging insights to optimize value streams and enable advanced analytics capabilities.
Coaches and mentors information architects and data practitioners. Leads organizational change through advocacy, education, and divisional influence.