Aerie - Merchandising Team Leader (Assistant Manager)

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

40% employee discount AE/Aerie

Seasonal discounts with Floorsets

Merchandise prize Contests

Job summary

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. in Walnut Creek is seeking a full-time Merchandising Team Leader to guide the store’s merchandising strategy and train a team of merchants to uphold AEO visual standards, drive sales, and keep the floor guest-ready.

You’ll lead floorset execution, replenishment, and KPI-driven planning while modeling the company values and coaching for ongoing development. This role emphasizes leadership, teamwork, and delivering an exceptional guest experience.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in retail merchandising and store operations.
• Ability to coach and develop a high-performing team.
• Strong communication and guest-service focus.

Responsibilities

• Act as the go-to Merchandising Leader for strategy development and execution in-store.
• Lead floorset execution and replenishment to meet brand standards and guest readiness.
• Coach team to deliver best-in-class guest experiences and drive sales.
• Hire and train talent to ensure adequate staffing and development.
• Provide real-time coaching, performance feedback, and planning to meet KPIs.
• Maintain visual standards and safe, asset-protective store operations.

Job description

YOUR ROLE

As the full-time Merchandising Team Leader, you are the Store Team Leader's "go-to" in developing and implementing the Merchandising strategy for the store. Your passion lies in training and coaching your team into great merchants delivering AEO brand Visual standards every day. Through your leadership, your team always nails floorset execution, and rocks merchandising and marketing brand standards. You ensure the store is always "guest ready" through effective replenishment. Most importantly, you represent our company values and bring your REAL self to work every day.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• You have a passion for driving sales: As a key LOD (Leader on Duty), you're an expert at driving sales by maximizing Fitting Room and Salesfloor productivity and building guest loyalty through a best-in-class guest experience. You contribute to the overall financial success of the store by analyzing reporting and daily trends to make strategic business decisions. You're the Store Team Leader's right hand in developing short and long-term business plans to drive key KPIs.
• You're a merchandising innovator : You coach your team to deliver an outstanding guest experience by ensuring your store is always representative of AEO Brand Standards. You ensure your store stays in tip-top shape by #leading day-to-day merchandising, sell-through adjustments and replenishment. You have a keen eye for merchandising opportunities and are always ready with a game plan to take action!
• You're a people leader: You're all about motivating and inspiring your team through AEO's core values. You're a role-model leader and you always hold your team accountable to rocking AEO's customer service standards, especially on the Salesfloor and in the Fitting Room.
• You've got an eye for talent and a love of training: You make it a top priority to recruit and hire strong talent to ensure the store is always staffed to meet business needs. You take pride in training and developing your team to ensure they continue to provide outstanding service to the best of their abilities.
• You know that teamwork makes the dream work: You know that building a great team requires you to consistently provide ongoing performance feedback through real-time coaching. You make team touchbases, development plans, and performance reviews a priority and you drive associate engagement by celebrating your team's outstanding performance - #winning!
• You're an operational innovator : You're a natural at executing and innovating daily operational procedures, you support the team in maintaining visual standards throughout every zone in the store, and most importantly, you ensure the Fitting Rooms are always guest-ready and rocking AEO Brand Standards.
• Integrity is your middle name: You ensure store safety standards are maintained, you're committed to Asset Protection standards, you always adhere to AEO's policies and procedures, and you do the right thing - always.

YOU'D BE GREAT FOR THIS ROLE IF:

• You love AE and Aerie products!
• You've led teams in a retail management role previously - #practicemakesperfect!
• You can multi-task and have attention to detail; priority-setting and time management are your strong suits.
• You know how to lead and develop teams and have a general understanding of employment law.
• Business acumen? You've got it!
• You have flexible availability - you're available to work when the guest shops!

OUR ASSOCIATES LOVE AEO BECAUSE:

• They work with REAL people - there's nothing like your #AEOFamily.
• They're given opportunities for development, the chance to learn new skills, and are offered great potential for career advancement.
• They receive 40% off product at both AE & Aerie year-round (plus additional seasonal discounts with new Floorsets!)
• They participate in store contests for the chance to win FREE merchandise and other exclusive prizes.