Department Specialist: Lawn & Garden-191 Ellicott City, MD

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.

About Westlake Ace Hardware

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 Job Summary

The Department Specialist – Lawn and Garden will maintain a proper in-stock level of merchandise and strive for product knowledge in all areas of the store to enhance customer service and serves as the immediate interface with customers in the lawn and garden area.  Department Specialists will also assist in maintaining clean and orderly merchandise presentation and overall store cleanliness.

* Good understanding and knowledge of outdoor power tools, hand and power tools, lawn and garden seeds, soil, fertilizers, indoor and outdoor plants, paint and paint related products and, grills and grill related products.  Highly proficient using computers and poses the ability to quickly learn software used at Ace Hardware.  Applicant must possess excellent customer service skills.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Project a positive representation of Westlake Ace Hardware.
• Project a friendly, outgoing demeanor; work well with customers as well as associates.
• Greet customers entering and throughout the store. Proactively assist customers in solving problems.  Thank customers when finished and when they are leaving the store.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers and be extremely diligent with follow-up
• Ensure all calls are answered promptly, courteously and effectively.
• Possess good product knowledge and knowledge of store layout and location of products.

• Forward any customer complaint that cannot be handled to a member of management.

Store Operations

• Ensure accurate receiving, checking in and stocking of merchandise in the Lawn and Garden area.
• Work with management staff to ensure preventative maintenance and repairs are completed in order to maximize and protect all physical assets (i.e. building, fixtures and equipment).
• Assist with daily maintenance, orderliness and cleanliness of the Lawn and Garden area.
• Assist with overall maintenance of the store.

• Responsible for maintenance of back stock levels in assigned department(s).

• Communicate any Store Support Center issue to General Manager for follow up.
• Participate in store meetings.
• Communicate any merchandising, cost control or sales ideas to General Manager.
• Be professional in appearance and actions.
• Provide assistance and coverage for other departments as assigned or requested.
• Operate forklift and reach truck with proper training.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• 2+ years successful retail sales experience.
• Able to work weekends, with limited time off between Labor Day and New Years.
• Driven, energetic professional with strong commitment to customers.
• Ability to learn quickly and retain information.
• Attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to explain outdoor power tools, hand and power tools, lawn and garden seeds, soil, fertilizers, indoor and outdoor plants, paint and paint related products and, grills and grill related products to customers or managers.

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 or GED equivalent.
• Good understanding and knowledge of outdoor power tools, hand and power tools, lawn and garden seeds and fertilizers, indoor and outdoor plants, paint and paint related products, grills
• Applicant must possess excellent customer service skills.
• Ability to stand for long periods, walk, bend, stoop, climb, and lift equipment or heavy parts weighing up to 50 pounds

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.

Compensation Details

Starting at $17 /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.