The Role
The Staff Engineer leads the MP&A Engineering team in architectural solutions and hands-on development, focusing on integration strategies and technical leadership in retail planning applications.
Summary Generated by Built In
Title: Staff Engineer - Planning Systems
Reports To: Manager - Engineering
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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:
We are seeking a Staff Engineer to join our Merchandise Planning and Allocation (MP&A) Engineering team. This is a Technical Lead / Architect position. We are looking for someone that has a strong technical background in Enterprise Retail Systems and modern Data Flow [cloud/data] architectures. This candidate will lead the MPA team in Solution and Integration architecture for key initiatives while contributing individually with builds and support. This is a blended role, evenly split between architectural/leadership and hands-on development.
What You Will Do:
- Serve as the primary technical authority for the MP&A team.
- Lead the design and architecture of MP&A applications: MFP, Allocation, and Assortment Planning.
- Define and implement integration strategies for the MPA team across key initiatives in Assortment Planning, Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP), Fulfillment, and enterprise systems including Core Merchandising, WMS, Production & Sourcing, and Data Platforms.
- Ensure scalability, security, and high performance across all MP&A solutions.
- Partner with business users, functional leads, and vendors to translate requirements into effective technical solutions and troubleshoot any issues
- Establish and promote best practices in coding, testing, integration, and version control (Bitbucket/Git).
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers and analysts on the team.
- Own the end-to-end engineering lifecycle: design, development, QA/SIT/UAT, performance testing, and deployment.
- Provide Level 3 production support, including root cause analysis and permanent fixes.
- Drive technical solutions across MP&A applications, writing performant code in SQL, PL/SQL, Python, Java, Shell and others as needed to support integrations, features, and enhancements on underlying databases like Oracle, PostgreSQL or Big Query.
- Build and maintain ETL data pipelines and other automation processes, adapting to evolving business needs and technologies.
- Tackle diverse technical challenges across systems and applications, learning new tools or technologies as needed to deliver robust solutions.
What you will bring:
- 10+ years of IT experience in retail systems, with a strong preference for Planning & Allocation. Having a retail IT background is a must.
- Proven experience in technical architecture for enterprise retail solutions.
- Strong understanding of the retail application ecosystem and their relationships (e.g., Core Merchandising, Planning, Allocation/Fulfillment, PLM, WMS).
- Proven track record of leading technical teams, including cross-functional groups and vendor partners.
- Hands-on integration experience between retail applications, data warehouses, and external SaaS-based applications.
- Strong technical proficiency with retail data models and databases (Oracle, PostgreSQL).
- Expert-level SQL skills.
- Hands-on coding ability in languages like Python , PL/SQL, Java, or Linux Shell scripting.
- Hands-on experience development with modern integration architectures like dataflow pipelines, preferably with Apache Airflow or similar orchestration frameworks.
- Solid understanding of integration patterns (batch, APIs, and real-time).
- Proficiency with Agile/DevOps tools (JIRA, Confluence, Bitbucket/Git).
- Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills
- Experience with cloud platforms and data warehouses like BigQuery or Snow Flake.
- Knowledge of batch scheduling tools like Control-M, plus
- Specific experience with Blue Yonder/JDA applications (Fulfillment, Enterprise Planning, Assortment Planning), plus
- Familiarity with Core Merchandising (RMS/Island Pacific), WMS, or OMS systems, plus
Perks:
- Generous employee discount
- Summer Fridays
- Casual dress code
- Hybrid schedule
- FOMO events (Exciting company-wide events)
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 click here.
- AEO may also provide discretionary bonuses and other incentives at its discretion.
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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 Together culture 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 initiatives here.
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.
Applications will be accepted until the Apply Before date (if applicable), but may be extended based on applicant volume.
Skills Required
- 10+ years of IT experience in retail systems
- Proven experience in technical architecture for enterprise retail solutions
- Hands-on integration experience between retail applications and external SaaS-based applications
- Strong SQL skills
- Experience with cloud platforms like BigQuery or Snowflake
- Familiarity with Core Merchandising, WMS, or OMS systems
American Eagle Outfitters Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about American Eagle Outfitters and has not been reviewed or approved by American Eagle Outfitters.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as comprehensive, spanning medical, prescription, dental, and vision, with added services like telemedicine and expert second opinions. Additional offerings like HSA/HRA/FSA options, prescription savings programs, and wellness supports increase perceived plan breadth.
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Parental & Family Support — Family-focused benefits include parental leave, caregiver leave, adoption and surrogacy assistance, and backup care for children, elders, and pets. Fertility management benefits and pregnancy-related support are also described as included, signaling a broad family-building and caregiving design.
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Retirement Support — Retirement and wealth-building options include a 401(k)/Roth 401(k) with company match and an employee stock purchase plan with a company match. Life and disability benefits are also described as available, adding to the overall financial-protection package.
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The Company
What We Do
Shop American Eagle men's and women's jeans, tops, bottoms, activewear, loungewear and more. Find hoodies, t-shirts, jeans, shorts, and more in additional sizes and styles at AE.com
