Market Development Manager - CA

Ace Hardware Corporation; United States; On-site; USD 103,000 - 129,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentive opportunities

401(k) matching

Health coverage

Vacation and holidays

Company car

Tuition assistance

Employee discounts

EAP

Job summary

Ace Hardware Corporation seeks a Market Development Manager to recruit, educate, and motivate candidates and to pursue opportunities with Ace retailers, investors, and potential acquisitions.

The role emphasizes market diligence, ACE advocacy, and collaboration with Directors, Regional Managers, and Project Managers to create momentum in target markets. Hybrid travel-heavy, with strong business acumen and negotiation skills required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in retailing, franchising, real estate or market development work.
• College degree in business preferred but not required
• Ability to develop, secure, and close a new store and/or conversion opportunity
• Strong negotiation skills
• Strong presentation skills to a variety of audiences including investors, brokers, lenders and Ace retailers
• Interpersonal ability to create trust and understanding
• Business acumen – understand business and retail economics
• Understanding of lease negotiation
• Knowledge of financing opportunities and processes
• Balance between store density and cannibalization for Ace brand
• Franchise intelligence and competitive landscape
• Ability to build coalitions with Retail Operations leadership
• Proficient in MS Office
• Willingness to travel 3-4 days/week

Responsibilities

• Recruit, educate, and motivate potential candidates and ACE retailers, investors, and acquisition prospects.
• Develop market plans, forecast sales, and secure LOIs for opportunities.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to finalize site acquisitions and financing.
• Deliver market analyses and proformas to gain approvals.
• Pursue opportunities in new markets, real estate site options, and lender relations.
• Provide leadership in ACE advocacy across the market and stakeholders

Skills

Retailing experience

Franchise development

Real estate market development

Negotiation

Presentation skills

Interpersonal skills

Business acumen

Lease negotiations

Financing knowledge

Market density & cannibalization

Franchise intelligence

Cross-functional coalition building

MS Office

Willingness to travel

Education

College degree in business (preferred)

Tools

MS Office

Job description

What you’ll do

Recruit, educate, and motivate potential candidates. This includes sales, the development of a business plan and consulting with existing Ace retailers, new investors and competitor conversion or acquisition candidates. It is the ability and accountability to determine when to say ‘yes’ and (equally important) when to say ‘no’. The MDM is the front line accountability on determining prospect business acumen, character, competence, and financial wherewithal, and finalizing and/or closing the opportunity. Execute the technical operating procedures from Interest-to-Application. As the expert in the field, they are responsible for everything from demographic work, trade potential, sales forecasting, site audit, and the expansion area notification process, creating the proforma and securing approval from all stakeholders, executing the letter of intent (LOI), assisting with securing financing, and completion of the Ace membership application following the Standard Operating Procedures. “Develop the market”. This position is required to pursue every opportunity in a market as it relates to potential candidates (new investors, existing Ace retailers, conversion prospects or acquisitions), open markets, real estate site possibilities, lender relationships, broker relationships and public relations. The MDM is the lead on creating momentum in a market through the combination of their market diligence and their Ace advocacy with these various stakeholders.

What you need to succeed

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in retailing, franchising, real estate or market development work
• College Degree in business preferred but not required
• Ability to develop, secure, and close a new store and/or conversion opportunity
• Strong negotiation skills
• Strong presentation skills to a variety of ‘audiences’ ~ including wealthy investors, real estate brokers, lenders and existing Ace retailers
• Interpersonal ability to create trust, respect and understanding
• Business Acumen – understand the economics of business and retailing (Ability to interpret Business Financials)
• Understanding of the lease negotiation process
• Strong grasp of capitalization and financing opportunities, methods and processes
• Understanding of the balance between the benefit of store density and cannibalization and the resultant ramifications of these on the Ace brand
• Franchise intelligence – understanding of our “franchise” competitors and how to uniquely position Ace against these other investment choices
• Ability to create strong, respected coalitions with Retail Operations including the Director, Regional Manager, Project Manager, and District Manager
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Ability to work flexible hours and extensive travel overnight (3-4 days/week)

Compensation Details

$103000 - $128600 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.

• Incentive opportunities, based on role/grade level (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% 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
• Company Car, phone and fuel card are provided for field-based positions
• 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! 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

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.

Additional Information

Ace Hardware is the largest retailer‑owned hardware cooperative in the world with over 5,800 locally owned and operated hardware stores in approximately 60 countries. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries operate an expansive network of distribution centers in the U.S. and have distribution capabilities in Ningbo, China; and Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico. Since 1924, Ace has become a part of local communities around the world and known as the place with the helpful hardware folks.

For more information, visit acehardware.com or newsroom.acehardware.com.