Program Manager - DC Flow Modeling & Simulation

American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) moves more than 200 Million units annually through its distribution center (DC) network. Our DCs service both retail stores as well as eCommerce customers and almost the entire inventory at each of our DCs is truly omni, in that they can be used to fulfill any channel. A complex operation revolving around automation, labor, miles of conveyance systems, sortation and tight SLAs requires “Operational Precision” driven by data, modeling and optimization. As a senior manager leading these efforts, you will focus on building capabilities that will enable AEO to have a digital twin of our DCs that can be used to understand, analyze and optimize the flow of units through the DCs. On the tactical side, you will enable real-time monitoring and control of flow that based on balancing of activities across the sections of the DC. On the strategic side, the simulation and optimization models you build will help AEO understand the bottlenecks in the system and opportunities to improve by focusing on labor, throughput, queues and capacity. You will help AEO realize productivity improvements, better balancing, improved SLAs and delay capital investment needs. You will understand the needs for peak and provide the DC GMs with a plan to maintain no more than one-day backlog during peak. You will bring the sophistication and tools required for AEO supply chain team to truly understand the life-cycle of every unit that flows through our distribution centers. You are expected to be an analytical thinker while being able to explain the work in a simple language. You will inspire your team and lead efforts to deliver sound results; exceeding customer expectations, optimizing spend, delivering innovation while being part of a strongly engaged team.

Your responsibilities include:

• Understanding AEO’s supply chain and supply chain data; especially within the four walls of the DC; using data to drive key insights in order to drive foundational changes within the supply chain and optimize process/outputs/results. 
• Designing and owning methods to analyze, model and simulate DC data and product flow; providing KPIs and driving initiatives 
• Convert data to information and then to insights enabling strategy definition and execution
• Collaborating within your team and other teams to deliver a globally optimal approach that benefits the overall supply chain and the company; improving speed, cost and service through proactive planning and operational excellence
• Being proficient in statistical/analytical/modeling approaches in order to provide insights to AEO’s supply chain; demonstrating subject matter expertise and assisting others in digesting the output of these models 
• Striving towards quick turnarounds – don’t make perfect the enemy of progress
• Enabling planning as well as the implementation of DC flow optimization projects
• Fostering collaborative relationships with various leaders and team members; displaying role model leadership, thought leadership and alignment with the Company’s core values and strategies 
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications: 

• Master’s degree required in operations research / industrial engineering or similar field. PhD preferred
• Minimum of 6 years’ experience working with supply chain management/logistics. Understanding of modeling/simulation packages, warehouse management systems and DC operations.
• Demonstrated ability in working with data, performing analysis and converting the analysis to actionable insights
• Prior experience leading data and analytics centric business initiatives and driving action across business functions
• Understanding of supply chain concepts such as inventory, transportation and forecasting
• Retail experience is a plus, while not required 
• Experience working with SQL, Python, R, Gurobi, SC Guru etc 
• Strong communication including written/verbal; experience presenting to large audiences including top leadership  
• Ability to build trust and effectively influence at all levels of the organization  
• Ability to travel to distribution centers  and 3PL providers (US and/or Canada) as required 

About Us:

Our people come first. We employ more than 30,000 associates throughout the world and we believe that a truly diverse workplace is the result of an inclusive culture. It’s about more than simply bringing together people who are different, it’s about celebrating what makes us REAL.

We strive to be an employer of choice - a place where people are excited to come to work because they believe in what we do, enjoy working with each other, and have fun doing it.  

Learn more at www.AEO-Inc.com

We celebrate the diversity of one through the inclusion of many. That’s what makes us REAL

American Eagle Outfitters is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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