Ace Hardware Corp

Assistant Merchant

Ace Hardware Corp$76K — $90K *
Retail & Consumer Goods
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 2+ years of business experience, preferably in retail
  • Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and SAP

Responsibilities

  • Execute and support the current year plan as defined by the Merchant
  • Assist in category reviews and promotional planning processes
  • Manage retailer communication and customer service needs
  • Prepare for and support semi-annual conventions
  • Diagnose and resolve vendor service issues and assist in inventory planning
  • Lead SKU onboarding and SAP price changes under guidance
  • Manage special projects as assigned by DMM and Merchant

Benefits

  • Incentive opportunities based on company performance, averaging 122% payout
  • Generous 401(k) plan with company contributions averaging 10%
  • Comprehensive health coverage including medical, dental, and disability insurance
  • 21 days of vacation available immediately plus paid holidays
  • Annual Ace Cares Week for community volunteering and other charitable opportunities
  • Continuous development through training, tuition assistance, and coaching
  • Frequent employee engagement events and on-site services
  • Employee discounts on Ace products and various services
  • Paid parental bonding leave and adoption reimbursement
  • Access to an Employee Assistance Program for legal and financial resources
Full Job Description
The Job

As an Assistant Merchant, you are responsible for all aspects of support for a product category, including but not limited to category review support, promotional planning, show prep, retailer communication, SKU on-boarding, and maintenance and special projects as assigned.

The position is designed as a support role, as well as development step in all aspects of the buying department to prepare a candidate for full category responsibility as a Merchant I.

The Assistant Merchant:
  • Executes the current year plan that has been laid out by the Merchant
  • Is responsible for all aspects of support for a product category
  • Assists with teams' responsibilities and projects, including category reviews, promotional planning processes, show preparation, retailer communication, SKU onboarding and maintenance, and special projects as assigned.
  • Is expected to consider enterprise (retail, EJD, international) impact with all decisions.


What you'll do:

Category ReviewSupport
  • Support merchant in all phases of category review process
  • Request and prepare all category analytics
  • Participate in all aspects of vendor meeting prep, meetings, item selection, plan-o-gram build, marketing and execution to retailers

Promotional Planning Support
  • Support in organizing and securing all vendor marketing assessments
  • Assist in solicitation of monthly promotional items from vendors
  • Assist with promotional item submission forms, target pricing, correction notices and AD proofing

Retailer Communication
  • Support with daily retailer customer service
  • Assist with communication via ACENET to relay new programs, changes or issues
  • Assist with Merch CARE to prep Ace Care Center for calls and e-mails related to respective category

Convention Planning Support
  • Assist in selecting and inviting vendors to attend semi-annual convention
  • Lead prep of show materials including drop ship forms, as well as submission for Power Buys, Saving Showcase and New Arrivals
  • Assist in planning merchant area theme and execution for respective category

Inventory/Supply Chain Support
  • Assist in diagnosing and resolving vendor service issues
  • Assist in inventory planning for promotional items

Systems Support
  • Lead SKU on-boarding for department with respective merchandising SYSTEMS coordinator
  • Lead processing of department SAP price changes with respective merchandising SYSTEMS coordinator
  • Lead all item master data changes with article content team

Special Projects
  • Lead department and cross-functional projects as assigned by DMM and merchant


What you will need:

Knowledge, Experience, and Competencies:

Ace Assistant Merchant Competencies
  • Product passion - Natural and fanatical curiosity around product and retail marketplace, demonstrated and put into action.
  • Strategic thinking - has advanced business acumen to draw insights from gathered data.
  • Relationship Builder - Builds and leverages internal / external network (vendors, retailers, cross functional team members, etc.) to drive results and improve processes.
  • Results-oriented - Ability to drive results to and above plan with full accountability, proactively shifting efforts as trends and business variables change
  • Presentation skills - Ability to plan, assemble and present with excellence strategy, execution and updates to leadership, across the organization, vendors and retailers

Experience and Technical Requirements:
  • 2+ years of business experience
  • Retail experience preferred
  • Strong problem-solving skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Understand financial measures that impacts corporation
  • Demonstrate strong decision-making skills
  • Highly creative, flexible and adaptable with good follow-through
  • Proven ability to multi-task projects and meet deadlines
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, Power Point,
  • Knowledge of PCM, SAP and guided Ad-hoc reporting tools
  • Ability to travel 15%

#LI-JW1

Compensation Details:

$76300 - $90000 Per Year

About Ace Hardware Corp

Ace Hardware Corporation is a hardware retailers' cooperative based in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States. It is the world's largest hardware retail cooperative, and the largest non-grocery American retail cooperative.
Learn more about Ace Hardware Corp
Size
13,849 employees
Industry
Founded
1924
NASDAQ

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