BASED IN: Amsterdam, NL

SUMMARY

In an exciting opportunity with a joint venture between American Eagle and Fox Group, the Buyer - EU will curate a commercially viable Europe assortment for AEO and/or aerie partnering with Global Merchandising and Geo Planning to meet the competitive and commercial needs of the European consumer. They will manage and spearhead in-season and future assortment strategy and opportunity with the cross functional teams' partnership.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partners with Geo lead, Planning and Inventory Planning to ensure product strategies pre- and in-season align with overall business strategy and drive toward our financial goals
• Manages EU B&M and digital buying only for AEO JV business
• Reports on the business through weekly business analysis and recaps
• Makes recommendations to respond to business due to changes in trend to maximize sales/margin opportunities
• Understands weekly/monthly business trends and utilizes this in conjunction with geo expertise to influence future season's line plan and product briefs
• Identifies key item opportunities to grow the business through product testing and hindsight
• Understands regional business trends (trend cycle, pricing, promotion, competition) to ensure key business drivers are available to support the business, as well as actions to drive future growth
• Innovate through trend ideas which allow AEO to lead and compete within the global market
• Responsible for all components of GTM deliverables incl. but not limited to: hindsight, seasonal strategy, product line plan, market weeks, and off-cadence bookings
  
  • Collaboratively works with the AEO and/or Aerie cross functional team to understand seasonal design direction, leading product ideas, and trend
  • Partner with Global Merchandising to brief programs for peak international business opportunities by territory
  • Conduct pre-market alignment calls with global merchandising to understand assortment direction, provide feedback and projections for any required programs to secure fabric and/or capacity
  • Ensure product assortment is commercially viable and aligned with AEO Brands' seasonal vision
  • Drives seasonal buy conversations during International Market through business and geography expertise
  • Partners with visual merchandising and creative services to align on product presentation standards and key looks in order to finalize the buy
  • In partnership with Global Merchandising, be informed on full product detail (incl. fit, fabric, price, costing, and int'l strategy)
  • Drive territory segmentation strategies to ensure the right product is in the right place, at the right time across stores and digital

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Total sales
• Margin performance
• Receipt management

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or equivalent required
• 5-7 years prior buying experience from a specialty retailer
• 2+ years of experience in a leadership role
• Experience leading teams in multi-store/multi-channel/specialty retail brands is required
• Experience with European markets is required
• Impeccable verbal/written communication and persuasion skills; proven ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment
• Excellent analytical and creative skills
• Demonstrated poise, tact and diplomacy (coolness and composure under strain, confidence without arrogance)
• Strong business acumen and strategic agility; demonstrated ability to immediately identify areas of the business that need attention as well as areas that do not; proven ability to support growth in a very fast growing and evolving business environment
• High degree of proficiency MS Office Suite, Outlook & Internet applications. Experience working with NuOrder or another Assortment Planning Tool is an asset
• Demonstrated collaborative skills and ability to work well within a team. Comfortable and effective when working with senior executives, including C-level
• Self-motivated with critical attention to detail, deadlines and reporting
• Understanding of fashion trends and how to interpret their seasonal stories/messages for the AE and Aerie customer in Europe. Keen sense of fashion exhibited through personal taste
• International travel is a must
• Ability to work outside of standard U.S. business hours is required

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.

*LI-AM1

Additional Information