Retail Execution Manager

at Ace Hardware in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States

Job Description

The Job

The EJD Retail Execution Manager is responsible for leading, developing, and training 5-8 Retail Execution field team members. This role is also responsible for establishing and training execution best practices to drive consistency and quality of project execution, and to help facilitate on time and within budget project completion. Additionally, the role will be responsible for core project planning functions, ensuring all project information has been communicated to the execution team, and serve as a liaison and strategic partner to assigned Sales Directors and RE PM on the scheduling and prioritization of core and ad hoc projects.

What you’ll do…

+ Lead, manage, and develop a team of 5-8 RE team members

+ Outline and communicate product delivery flow, project execution plan, and SOW

+ Establish and maintain direct communication with customers to ensure understanding of project timelines, milestones, and required inputs that enable us to execute on time and within budget

+ Serve as scheduling liaison for 2-3 Sales Directors on ad hoc project support for their regions & align on schedule with RE PM

+ Participate in project meetings & ensure all information is handed off to Execution Lead and Assistant Lead

+ Train field team members on best practices, spend time on site with every team member at least once per quarter, and be on site for kickoff and wrap-up of all major projects (3+ weeks)

+ Serve as field project lead for projects in your geographic proximity

+ Compile and communicate reporting on key project performance metrics

+ Attend Spring and Fall Edge events, provide PEET guidance and prospecting support for the Sales & BDM teams.

+ Help drive planning & execution process improvement and establish & document team best practices

What you need to succeed:

+ 7 years of store / assortment planning, visual merchandising, retail store leadership or other relevant experience; hardware industry experience preferred including 3-5 years of leadership experience; experience managing a remote team preferred

+ Additional 4 years experience required in lieu of a Bachelor’s degree

+ Proven results-driven, high accountability team leadership and talent development capability with a strong ability to motivate and inspire

+ Confident, self-motivated, and empathetic individual, with excellent interpersonal, written/verbal communication, and active listening skills with a proactive communication style and strong ability to quickly build trust with internal and external partners

+ Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally and inter-departmentally

+ Proven ability to manage multiple tasks, solve problems and meet deadlines

+ Entrepreneurial, strategic thinker with ability to influence, create, and implement processes and business solutions that will drive efficiency and scalability

+ Detail-oriented and extremely organized self-starter able to thrive is a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.

+ 25%-50% travel

Essential Functions of the Retail Execution Manager role:

The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

+ Certificates, licenses, registrations: Must have valid driver’s license and a good driving record.

+ Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

+ Required to stand, walk, sit, climb a ladder, and talk or hear. The employee is often required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

+ Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Compensation Details:

$115000 – $143500

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 / Emery Jensen Distribution 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 3 years resulted in incentives being paid out above 106.6% of your target opportunity!)

+ Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with a fully vested matching contribution the first year, in addition to an annual discretionary contribution (once eligibility requirements have been met). Over the past five years, company contributions (matching & discretionary) for fully eligible employees have averaged 7.5% of total 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

+ Company Car, phone and fuel card are provided for field-based positions

+ Flexible working arrangements (Non-Field positions can work from home up to 2 days per week)

+ 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 policies.

We want to hear from you!

Emery Jensen Distribution delivers wholesale products and best-in-class service to independent retailers in the Pro Lumber Yards, Home Centers, Paint, Hardware Stores, Decorating Stores, and E-retailer space. Our goal is to support sustainable and profitable growth for our customers by offering the broadest assortments, best pricing, and most knowledgeable team. We have national scale, a regional focus and the commitment to serve our customers and support each other. Come find out why a career with Emery Jensen Distribution is right for you.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Emery Jensen Distribution 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 preventio