General Manager

Position Summary

The General Manager is responsible for driving operational excellence, sales growth, and leadership development across multiple store locations. This role ensures consistent execution of company standards while building a high-performance, customer-focused culture.

A core component of this role is leading and scaling the Business-to-Business (B2B) program by developing store teams, driving accountability for commercial growth, and ensuring alignment between retail operations and contractor-focused sales execution.

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Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Organizational Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Store Managers and leadership teams to build a high-performance, accountability-driven culture
• Ensure Store Managers effectively lead and develop B2B Sales Representatives (direct reports at store level)
• Establish clear performance expectations and coaching cadence across all leadership roles
• Conduct performance reviews, talent development planning, and corrective action management
• Drive alignment between retail operations and B2B execution to ensure total business success

Retail Operations & Execution

• Oversee all store operations ensuring adherence to Ace Hardware standards and procedures
• Ensure execution of:
• Planograms (POG compliance)
• Promotional and seasonal merchandising
• In-stock and inventory accuracy standards
• Maintain organization, cleanliness, and operational efficiency across stores
• Enforce inventory best practices including receiving disciplines (LFO/FIFO)
• Ensure compliance with all safety procedures and incident management protocols

Customer Service & Culture

• Champion the Ace Hardware “helpful” service culture across all locations
• Set and enforce clear customer service expectations and accountability standards
• Ensure teams are trained, engaged, and consistently delivering exceptional customer experiences
• Promote a culture of urgency, ownership, and continuous improvement

Sales & Financial Performance

• Drive results across:
• Retail sales
• B2B sales
• Gross margin
• Payroll management
• Inventory control and shrink
• Partner with Store Managers to review budgets, performance, and corrective strategies
• Use financial and operational data to guide decision-making
• Balance performance across retail and B2B channels for total business optimization

Strategic Growth & Market Leadership

• Execute company initiatives and continuous improvement efforts
• Identify opportunities to grow both retail and B2B segments
• Support expansion initiatives, including new stores or acquisitions
• Align execution with long-term company growth strategy

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Business-to-Business (B2B) Program Ownership

Structure & Accountability

• Provide leadership and accountability for B2B Sales Representatives across all locations
• Hold Store Managers accountable for the performance, execution, and development of their B2B reps
• Establish consistent B2B standards, expectations, and reporting processes across all stores

Customer & Market Development

• Strengthen relationships with contractors, property managers, and commercial accounts
• Ensure B2B reps actively engage in:
• Job site visits
• Relationship building
• Local business networking
• Drive local market penetration through targeted outreach and partnerships
• Monitor competition and position stores to win commercial business

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Weekly Executive Recap & Communication

• Provide a structured end-of-week recap to ownership and leadership team including:
• Sales performance (retail + B2B) vs targets
• Key wins and challenges by store
• B2B pipeline status and account development updates
• Staffing and leadership updates (hiring, performance, risks)
• Operational issues, risks, or execution gaps
• Highlight action plans for the upcoming week with clear priorities
• Maintain consistent, transparent communication to ensure alignment across leadership team

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Qualifications

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent required; Bachelor’s degree preferred
• 3–5+ years of retail management experience (multi-store leadership preferred)
• Experience leading teams in retail, service, or sales environments
• Strong understanding of retail operations and customer service

Preferred

• Retail experience and multi-store management
• Experience with B2B or commercial sales programs
• Financial management experience (budgets, payroll, margin control)
• Experience with retail systems and inventory tools

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Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and coaching ability across multiple layers
• Ability to manage both operations and sales performance simultaneously
• Data-driven decision-making and accountability mindset
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Strong organizational and execution discipline
• Results-oriented leadership style

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Working Conditions

• Flexible schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays
• Regular travel between store locations
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods

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Salary

• $85k-$100k depending on experience
• Bonus of 20-40% based on corporate performance for profit share

We are your local hardware store and we are a part of your community. Ace Hardware has over 5,000 stores around the world with the majority of those stores independently owned and operated by local entrepreneurs. These hard working men and women are part of the fabric of your community. They are small business owners who are local and loyal...just like it ought to be. While others have become large and impersonal, at Ace, we've remained small and very personal. That's why we say a visit to Ace, is like a visit to your neighbor.