Retail Operations 2025 Summer Internship (Full Time/Paid/Hybrid) - Ace Hardware Corporation

Compensation Details:

$22.00 per hour

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.

Job Description:

Are you interested in becoming Ace helpful?

Ace has been named a Top Workplace in Chicago and we’re looking for the best people to help us fulfill our vision of being the best, most helpful hardware stores on the planet. We’re focused on the future, looking for new and better ways to compete in today’s marketplace. At Ace, we like to say that we have a soft heart, a steel spine — and we like to win. People are the foundation of what makes Ace great, and we’re always looking for ways to improve the employment experience for Ace team members. What we can promise you is that you will gain a sense of accountability and ownership by working hard to build Ace’s continued success, and your own. You’ll enjoy a competitive, fast-paced and friendly work environment. And, you’ll take pride in serving our Ace retail stores and their customers in neighborhoods across the country and around the world.

2025 Summer Internship Program

The Ace Internship program allows you to apply skills and knowledge you're learning in College today, while contributing in a hands-on environment to fit your career objectives, complement your academic work and enhance your learning. Here’s what you will take away from your experience this summer:

• Real hands-on experience in your assigned department/function with day-to-day projects, responsibilities, accountabilities and deadlines.
• Opportunity to partner with other interns over the summer on a Capstone project, presenting your findings and recommendations to Ace’s Leadership
• Q & A with Ace’s CEO and Senior Leadership team
• Resume Workshop to help you prepare for future opportunities
• Opportunity to volunteer through the Ace Hardware Foundation
• Teambuilding activities and more.

Your internship experience at Ace will give you the knowledge and skills future employers will look for! Want to hear more? Please review our Glassdoor comments from former interns!

About this Opportunity

We are looking for a collaborative business partner with exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving skills to support the growth and development of our 5,000+ domestic stores and to optimize the process to open our 170+ new stores. As the Corporate Retail Operations Intern you will research, develop and implement processes for one or more critical business capabilities to support our Field Team.   Our field team is made up of 225+ team members that are supporting the day-to-day activities of our stores.   You will have the opportunity to collaborate with leaders across sales, merchandising, supply chain, customer service, accounting, IT and other functional departments.  Your work will ensure that all Ace internal departments are aligned with our direction and strategy. You will partner directly with our Operations, Project Management and New Business teams to ensure that the processes you build are consistent, repeatable and scalable for our business.  Ultimately, you will gain broad experience in general business operations and exposure to multiple business functions.

The candidate will support our vision to be the most helpful field organization in Retail and investment opportunity of choice by:

• Research business capabilities needed to support project remodels or new store growth
• Connect cross-functionally with key stakeholders to complete projects
• Evaluate Retail Readiness site (support platform for the field teams) and provide input, ideas and partake in updates
• Participate in weekly team meetings and share work updates
• Develop standard operating procedures and documents
• Provide support to all teams within the department

The ideal intern will possess the following:

• Working towards a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Economics, Finance, Business Administration or related
• Entering Senior year of college
• Inquisitive – research and interview
• Critical Thinker - consultant
• Logical – build process
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ambitious self-starter who has demonstrated the ability to contribute as an effective team member
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Demonstrated motivation and initiative to succeed
• Knowledge and interest in Ace Hardware Corporation
• Ability to work 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday for 12 weeks in the summer
• Willingness and ability to give presentations to colleagues, managers and directors

Why Ace?

From the start of your Ace Hardware career, you’ll appreciate why we’re known as “The Helpful Place.” Helpful means living the Ace values: winning, excellence, love, integrity, gratitude, humility, and teamwork. Helpful is the key to our success and is ingrained in everything we do. We are stronger together and work as ONE to be the helpful place across our communities, retail stores, retail support centers and corporate offices. Join us and share our passion for making a positive impact on every customer we touch.

#LI-JW1

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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
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.

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