General Manager in Training (Springfield, IL)

About Ace Retail Group

Ace Retail Group (ARG), is a division of Ace Hardware Corporation that owns and operates several Ace brands, including Westlake Ace, Great Lakes Ace, Buikema’s Ace, Outer Banks Ace, Dennis Company, and Breed & Company. ARG is one of the largest hardware retailers in the United States and has two headquarters located in Lenexa, KS and Farmington Hills, MI. ARG’s origins date back over a century and operates over 250 neighborhood stores located throughout the United States. Great people make ARG stand out in our industry, and we are looking for individuals who strive for personal and professional growth, and who want to work with a company founded on (and still led by) our solid Core Values of: Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility and Teamwork.

General Summary

The General Manager in Training (GMIT) is responsible for training and developing in all store operations in order to prepare the individual to promote into a General Manager position within an assigned store.

Essential Training & Development

(Learn & Execute the Following Essential Duties)

Customer Service

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

Store Operations

• Assist and help supervise the “general operations” of the entire store.
• Responsible for ordering and maintaining desirable product inventory levels while ensuring store profitability.
• Receiving, checking in and stocking of merchandise.
• Develop and maintain appropriate back stock levels.
• Verify forklift operations and receiving is completed in a safe and efficient way.
• Confirm weekly price changes are being completed.
• Ensure monthly cycle counts and negative on hand reports are being completed.
• Verify signage is current in the entire store.
• Ensure ad signage and products are ready for the customers.
• Validate special orders and rain-checks are being completed properly.
• Develop and ensure compliance with all practices, policies and procedures necessary to manage inventory shrink. Monitor shrink numbers and take corrective actions when necessary.
• Assist and help manage direct preventative maintenance and repairs in order to maximize and protect all physical assets (i.e. building, fixtures and equipment).
• Provide assistance in the overall general maintenance of the store such as daily maintenance, orderliness and cleanliness of the sales floor, end caps, ad goods merchandised, stock room and outdoor merchandise areas.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Store Support Operations

• Learn and assist with the P & L and other corresponding reports.
• Assist District Manager and General Manager with the budget process for sales and expenses.
• Assist with the management of payroll and other controllable expenses.
• Assist and help monitor the implementation of Store Support programs.
• Attend trade shows and seminars with company guidance.
• Train on what effective successful Loss Prevention, Safety and Internal Audits should look like for our retail stores.
• Assist with special projects within the district as set forth by the District Manager.

Hiring and Training of Associates

• Assist and help lead weekly management staff meetings.
• Ensure effective training and development of all associates.
• Assist with the recruitment of prospective associates for possible management positions throughout Westlake Ace Hardware.
• Assist in the hiring, scheduling, reviewing, rewarding and coaching of all store associates including management.
• Actively recruit and promote the advancement of Westlake associates.

Leadership

• Manage all aspects of store operations in the absence of the General Manager.
• Create a positive, professional and safe work environment for all associates.
• 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

Ability to exhibit and incorporate our Core Values into daily decisions and interactions with others:

• WINNING – In business, money is the score. To win, we must perform, compete, and have fun. At Ace, we win through people- our strength is being helpful.

• EXCELLENCE – Excellence honors God and inspires people. We aspire to be the best, to continuously improve and to inspire others by giving the team our very best.

• LOVE – Love the people, love the work and love the results.

• INTEGRITY – For Ace to win, we need to be able to trust each other. And trust will require us to be honest, reliable, caring, of high character and of unquestioned ethics.

• GRATITUDE – We recognize that we are blessed to be in the business of serving others.

• HUMILITY – We strive for greatness with a humble, modest and respectful attitude.

• TEAMWORK – We will fight the natural tendency for control and credit in favor of collaboration and mutual success, recognizing that…Together, we are Ace.

Minimum Skills, Requirements and Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent required.
• Must have a minimum of 5 years of previous retail management experience, hardware experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of computers and Microsoft Office.
• Standing, walking, lifting (up to 50 pounds) and climbing.
• Ability to travel as required.
• Ability to relocate preferred.

Compensation Details

Starting at $22.00 per hour.

For a full list of benefits and open positions, please visit us at: https://acehardware.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ARG_External

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Equal Opportunity Employer
Ace Retail Group 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 discharge, or any other action covered by federal or state laws.