Job DescriptionTitle: Staff Engineer - Planning Systems
Reports To: Manager - Engineering
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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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Applications will be accepted until the Apply Before date (if applicable), but may be extended based on applicant volume.
