About This Role

The Retail Projects – Store Merchandising Project Analyst will work alongside the Retail Projects Merchandising Project Manager to provide scalable, high-quality retail merchandising resources to support in-store retail capital projects (new stores and renovations).  

You will be responsible for managing the day-to-day relationships and requirements of Ace’s 3rd Party Merchandise Services Organizations to provide scalable merchandising services needed and the quality required to meet the needs of Ace Hardware Corporation's capital projects. In addition, you will work directly with the Project Managers and Regional Project Managers on pricing and scheduling of merchandising teams.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the process of managing, assigning, and negotiating with Merchandise Service Organizations (MSO) for all store projects. The right skill set for the project at the best possible price.
• Successfully manage strong relationships between Ace Hardware and our MSO teams. This role is the conduit between Ace and our service providers.
• Assist in maintaining proper standard operating procedures for retail projects, training MSO to ensure quality projects, cost containment, and timeliness of completion.
• Responsible for managing the merchandising appointment calendar (MAC) used by field project managers to plan upcoming projects.
• Continually evaluate systems, guidelines, etc. that impact the capital project pipeline to anticipate the ability to meet the current needs and in the future.
• Develop curriculum and lead training seminars for new and existing MSOs, driving consistency & quality to our retailers when executing projects.

Who You Are

You have the ability to manage several vendor relationships shifting priorities, and can manage through challenging situations. You love supporting stakeholders with the critical resources to complete capital projects successfully. You have been successful at creating and maintaining strong vendor relationships while achieving competitive requirements.

Required Skills

• A minimum of 3 years of retail or vendor management experience with a strong background in communications and negotiations
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred (commensurate experience considered)
• Must have research, analytical, planning and organization skills
• Demonstrated leadership abilities by leading without direct reports / open to coaching
• Excellent interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills
• Proven ability to work horizontally and vertically across an organization of diverse teams and leadership styles.
• Problem-solving skills with the ability to take a multitude of tasks and take clear, logical, and efficient action steps
• Results-oriented with a proven track record of accomplishments
• Ability to travel to meetings and conventions, Travel expectations up to 40%
• Excellent software skills, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook, and project management software

Preferred Skills

• Vendor negotiation experience across multiple vendors and project types
• Experience with Smartsheet – workflow management software

Compensation Details:

$88400 - $110700 Per Year

Why should you join our team?

We live our values - W.E.L.I.G.H.T (Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility, and Teamwork). Gratitude. Humility. Love. You don’t often see values like these in most corporate statements, but Ace is different. These things are important to us. They represent our commitment to the company, our employees, to Ace retailers and to the Ace brand.

In addition to providing our employees a great culture, Ace also offers competitive benefits* that address life’s necessities and perks, many of which expand and improve year after year, including:

• Incentive opportunities, based on role/grade level (rapid company growth over the past 5 years resulted in incentives being paid out at an average of 122% of your target opportunity!)
• Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with a fully vested matching contribution the first year in addition to quarterly contributions and annual discretionary contribution (once eligibility requirements have been met). Over the past 5 years, company contributions (matching, quarterly & discretionary) for fully eligible employees have averaged 10.4% of total eligible compensation.
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision and disability – up to 26 weeks short-term disability and long-term disability) & life insurance benefits for you and your dependents
• 21 days of vacation immediately available (prorated in the first year) and up to 6 paid holidays depending on the month of hire
• Your career at Ace is more than just a job. It’s a chance to be part of something meaningful. We help locally-owned businesses thrive and make an impact in their communities – and we support our employees in doing the same by offering an annual Ace Cares Week, 20 hours off work per year to volunteer at an organization of your choice, opportunities to help Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Ace Helpful Fund through the Ace Foundation
• Ace invests in every employee we hire, with a key focus on development and coaching. We offer on-site classes, facilitator-led courses, and a generous tuition assistance program, plus a performance management approach that goes beyond the typical annual review
• We know the work environment matters. That’s why Ace holds frequent campus events like Employee Appreciation Week, vendor demos, cookouts, and merchandise sales
• We bring them to you! Services such as mobile spas, auto maintenance, car wash and detailing, dry cleaning, dentists, eye doctors, flu shots, recycling and more!
• Employee discounts on Ace merchandise (including top brands like Weber, Traeger, Yeti, Craftsman, DeWalt and more), travel, fitness, computers and thousands more
• Birth/Adoption bonding paid time off
• Adoption cost reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to free visits to therapists and lawyers, guidance on financial matters, elder and childcare, and assistance with tickets to entertainment events
• Identity theft protection

* Benefits are provided in compliance with applicable plans and policies.

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We want to hear from you!
When most people think of career opportunities with Ace Hardware, they often think of the helpful cashiers and sales associates at their local store. However, have you also considered the people behind the scenes who select, promote, ship and process the invoices for more than 75,000 products? Maybe you haven't, but we'd like you to. Because together we help our customers take care of their homes. Come find out why a career with the Ace Hardware Corporation is one of America's best kept secrets.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Ace Hardware Corporation is committed to a policy of promoting equal employment opportunities. The company recognizes the importance of diversity and leveraging the skills and talents of all people to the mutual advantage of each individual and the organization. The company is committed to the prevention of employment discrimination related to race, religion, color, sex (including sexual harassment), gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability and military or veteran status, sexual orientation or any other action covered by federal or applicable state/local laws.

Disclaimer

The pay range for this position starts as listed in the job posting, but could be higher based on education and experience. Please note, compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each opening. We take into consideration the minimum requirements outlined in the job description, such as an individual’s education, training and experience, the position’s work location, required travel (if any), and external market conditions when determining the final salary for potential new hires.

Be aware that salary estimates published via alternate online job boards may not be a true representation of the actual pay range offered for this position. Please refer to the Ace position description for the accurate starting pay range information and feel free to discuss this with a Talent Acquisition professional if you are chosen to move forward with an interview.

This written “Position Description” is not intended to cover all aspects of the position listed. It is meant to cover the basic/general essential job functions of a particular position. Ace Hardware Corporation reserves the right to change job duties, including essential job functions, according to business necessity.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.