MANAGER / ASSISTANT MANAGER

The Ace Hardware is always looking for talented, experienced individuals to join our team. Work with a West Michigan owned small business with advancement opportunities, where we are all a family.

About ACE HARDWARE
Grand Rapids ACE Hardware & CJS Ace Hardware are locally owned and managed. Staff are part of a family and have many opportunities to advance their pay and careers. Many of our staff have years of experience in customer service and helping solve DIY projects. As affiliates the Ace Hardware family, these West Michigan locations are part of 5,000 stores providing customers with a broad product selection and award winning service that only comes from being locally owned. We are your neighbors and love providing you with the very best products and service.

General Summary

The Store Manager / Associate Manager is responsible for ensuring superior customer service in their store. They must develop associates at all levels, drive sales and profitability, and maintain effective expense and payroll budget management. They will also ensure compliance with effective inventory management and merchandising practices and all store policies and procedures.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Customer Service
Provide positive representation of store.
Proactively assist customers in solving problems.
Greet customers throughout the store. Thank customers when finished and when they are leaving the store.
Provide a friendly, outgoing demeanor; work well with customers as well as associates.
Ensure all calls and pages are answered promptly, courteously and effectively.
Work to resolve problems with the customer and have stores best interest taken into consideration.
Possess excellent product knowledge and knowledge of store layout and location of products.

Store Operations
Ensure a positive, professional and safe work environment for all associates.
Supervise the general operations of the entire store.
Ensure compliance with all practices, policies and procedures necessary to manage inventory shrink. Monitor shrink numbers and take corrective actions.
Ensure receiving, checking in, stocking of merchandise for the store is being done completely.
Responsible for maintenance of back stock levels.
Oversee and assist with the daily maintenance, orderliness and cleanliness of the sales floor, stock room and outdoor merchandise areas.
Ensure forklift operations and receiving is completed in a safe and efficient way.
Ensure monthly cycle counts and negative on hand reports are being completed.
Ensure signage is current in the entire store.
Provide a clean and orderly sales floor, including end caps and ad goods merchandised.
Ensure special orders and rain-checks are being completed properly.
Ensure ad signage and products are ready for the customers.

Store Support Operations
Assist District Manager with the budget process for sales and expenses.
Manage payroll and other controllable expenses.
Responsible for the implementation of Store Support programs.
Attend trade shows and seminars with company guidance.
Responsible for successful Loss Prevention, Safety and Internal Audits.
Assist with special projects within the district as set forth by the District Manager.

Hiring and Training of Associates
Conduct management staff meetings.
Ensure effective training and development of all associates.
Recruit prospective associates for possible management positions throughout store.
Manage and support the hiring, scheduling, reviewing, rewarding and coaching of all store associates including management.
Actively recruit and promote the advancement of store associates.

Leadership
Become an integral part of the community in which you live and work through civic organizations and being community minded.
Challenge all associates to think of ways to better merchandise product, control expenses and increase sales.
Lead by example; be approachable by all associates and customers.

Other Essential Requirements

Experience
A college degree and formal retail experience preferred.

Physical Demands
Standing, walking, lifting (up to 45lbs)
All candidates are required to have prior retail, customer service and leadership experience. Potential management candidates will invest a significant initial employment period learning AWOR (Ace Way Of Retailing) and individual store operations. Store Managers are always promoted from within (existing store associates).
Candidates currently employed by an Ace Hardware affiliated store or by the Ace Hardware Corporation must have approval by their superior before applying for this position.