Merchant Manager - AE Men's

About the role

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

Responsibilities

• Develop the AE Men’s strategy and buy merchandise mix to support and define the brand
• Work closely with 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 Aerie apparel, swim and sleep categories, including sales, gross margin and comp plans
• Communicate effectively to coordinate all functions of the design team, planner, merchandise analyst, and assistant
• 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 execute major test floorsets with ongoing management and communication with design team to execute the in-season testing process
• 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 customer, of competition relative to product quality/value relationship, and of fashion trends in the global marketplace

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or equivalent required
• 6+ years prior buying experience from a specialty retailer
• 6+ years experience in a leadership role

Qualifications

• Able to work in a hybrid environment, meaning that some work may be performed remotely but certain essential functions must be performed in-person/in-office based on the needs of the business
• In person/in-office collaboration is required, the frequency of such in-person/in-office collaboration (e.g., portion of week, entire week) is dictated by business needs

Skills

• Aggressive and passionate individual
• Keen sense of fashion exhibited through personal taste
• Understanding of fashion designer labels and how to interpret their seasonal stories/messages for the Aerie 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

Benefits

• Generous Associate Discount
• Summer Fridays (For Pittsburgh, NYC and Remote Corporate Associates)
• Casual Dress Code
• Hybrid Schedule
• In-Person Connection
• FOMO (Fun Office Moments Only) Events
• Pay/Benefits Information