Merchant Manager - AE Women’s Accessories

American Eagle Outfitters; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Associate Discount

Hybrid Schedule

In-Person connections at NYC HQ

Job summary

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. in New York City is seeking a Merchant Manager for AE Women’s Accessories to develop product strategy and drive financial performance from concept to in-store execution.

You will lead cross-functional teams with design, planning, merchandising, and production, negotiate with vendors, manage open-to-buy, and translate fashion trends into compelling assortments for the AE customer.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising, business, or equivalent.
• 6+ years buying experience at a specialty retailer.
• 4+ years in a leadership role.
• Experience managing third-party vendors and relationships.
• Strong analytical, budgeting, planning and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop AE Women’s Accessories strategy and buy merchandise mix.
• Collaborate with Design to forecast trends for the target customer.
• Establish seasonal plans for sales, markdowns, inventory and growth.
• Develop and execute financial plans by department and category.
• Achieve financial goals for sales, gross margin and comps.
• Coordinate with design, planning, merchandising, allocation teams and vendors.

Skills

Strong analytical

Budgeting

Project management

Strategic thinking

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or equivalent

Tools

MS Office Suite

Outlook

Internet applications

Job description

Title: Merchant Manager - AE Women’s Accessories

Reports To: DMM

Location: New York City, NY

About American Eagle

American Eagle is a youth culture brand grounded in denim. Our purpose extends beyond making the best jeans–we embrace self expression, culture, optimism and connection. Through the brand platform Live Your Life, we empower our community to be who they want to be all while wearing the clothes that make them most confident.

Get to Know the Role:

Responsible for developing and driving the product strategy and achieving the financial performance goals for Women’s Accessories. The responsibility extends from pre-concept through final product stages all the way to monitoring in store execution and performance.

What You’ll Do:

• Develop the AE Women’s Accessories strategy and buy merchandise mix to support and define the brand.
• Work closely with the Design team to interpret and forecast trends for assigned areas and divisions specific to the target customer.
• In partnership with Merchandise Planning, will establish beginning of season strategic plans for sales, markdowns, inventory, and growth opportunity.
• Strategically develop and execute financial plans by department, line, and classification working with internal business partners.
• Develop, drive and support achievement of financial goals for the Women’s Accessories categories, including sales, gross margin and comp plans.
• Communicate effectively to coordinate all functions of the design, planning, merchandising, allocation team.
• When necessary, negotiate with vendors to develop merchandise with the best possible price/value relationship in the marketplace using knowledge of fabric, cut/make/trim of a garment, and the best country to source that garment.
• Work in conjunction with planning to manage the Open To Buy as far as receipts, sales, margin, markdowns, and weeks of supply.
• Analyze performance and plans consistently to look for sales and margin opportunities that can exceed plan; quickly adapt to changes/trends occurring in the business and in the marketplace.
• Develop and maintain a “fast” pipeline of chase third party and internal product to react to business and industry trends.
• Work with design, technical design, product development, production, marketing, web, and visual merchandising partners to achieve strategic product and financial goals for the department.
• Maintain high awareness of the AE and Accessories specific customer, of competition relative to product quality/value relationship, and of fashion trends in the global marketplace.
• Maintain and work closely with Third Party Vendors to develop a comprehensive third party assortment on a seasonal basis. Identify new third party vendor opportunities and lead outreach.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What You Bring:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or equivalent required.
• 6+ years prior buying experience from a specialty retailer.
• 4+ years experience in a leadership role.
• Experiencing managing third party vendors and maintaining long‑term relationships.
• Curious and passionate individuals will be most successful in this and future roles.
• Strong product and trend perspective.
• Understanding of fashion designer labels and how to interpret their seasonal stories/messages for the AE customer both domestically and internationally.
• Excellent analytical and creative skills to challenge the planning and design sides of the organization.
• Demonstrated poise, tact and diplomacy (coolness and composure under strain, confidence without arrogance).
• Risk Taker - Carefully considers risk/reward, ready to try new ways of doing things to improve learning.
• Forward Thinking/Innovative – Not satisfied with the status quo, ahead of the times, advanced views, creating something like nothing done or experienced before.
• Persuasive - Able to motivate others through the appropriate use of interpersonal styles and communication methods to gain acceptance of a product, service, or idea.
• Strategic – Possesses the ability to conceptualize and understand risks facing a business as well as the ability to create a strategy surrounding a specific opportunity. Build creative solutions and plans that meet objectives and maximize impact.
• Strong analytical, prioritizing, interpersonal, problem‑solving, presentation, budgeting, project management (from conception to completion), & planning skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Travel is required, including the potential for international travel.
• High degree of proficiency MS Office Suite, Outlook & Internet applications.
• Demonstrated collaborative skills and ability to work well within a team.

Perks: Why You’ll Love it Here

• Generous Associate Discount: Treat yourself to the best our brands offer!
• Summer Fridays (For Pittsburgh, NYC and Remote Corporate Associates): More time for the sun and the weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
• Casual Dress Code: Come as you are (and stay comfy).
• Hybrid Schedule: Enjoy a blend of home‑office focus and in‑office collaboration.
• In-Person Connection: While we love our digital tools, we love our people even more! To keep our culture thriving, in‑person presence is required at one of our Pittsburgh or NYC headquarters, distribution centers or field locations for interviews, orientation and periodic quarterly meetups.
• FOMO (Fun Office Moments Only) Events: Exciting company‑wide events you won’t want to miss!

Pay/Benefits Information:

• Actual starting pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to relevant experience and location.
• Subject to eligibility requirements, associates may receive health care benefits (including medical, vision, and dental); wellness benefits; 401(k) retirement benefits; life and disability insurance; employee stock purchase program; paid time off; paid sick leave; and parental leave and benefits.
• Paid Time Off, paid sick leave, and holiday pay vary by job level and type, job location, employment classification (part‑time or full‑time / exempt or non‑exempt), and years of service.For additional information, please clickHERE.
• AEO may also provide discretionary bonuses and other incentives at its discretion.

Get to Know AEO

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) is a leading global specialty retailer with a portfolio of beloved apparel brands including American Eagle, Aerie, OFFL/NE by Aerie, Todd Snyder and Unsubscribed.

Rooted in optimism, inclusivity and authenticity, AEO’s brands empower every customer to celebrate their unique personal style by offering casual, comfortable, timeless outfitting and high‑quality products that are made to last. In addition to a robust e‑commerce business, we operate stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with merchandise available in more than 30 countries through a global network of license partners.

At AEO, we believe in the power of our people and our brands. Our Better Togetherculture creates a mutual desire to succeed–inspiring our community to excel, while driving future growth for the business and associates. Through experience, exposure and education we empower associates to build their unique career journey.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access at AEO

We remain committed to building an inclusive culture that is welcoming and fosters a sense of belonging for everyone. Please see more about our initiativeshere.

AEO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to complying with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity ("EEO") laws. AEO prohibits discrimination against associates and applicants for employment because of the individual's race or color, religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or partnership status, domestic violence or stalking victim status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This applies to all AEO activities, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, performance evaluation, discipline and discharge. AEO also provides reasonable accommodation of religion and disability in accordance with applicable law.