Public Relations & Media Relations Manager

The Job

The Public Relations & Media Relations Manager will be responsible for promoting and protecting the Ace brand through all consumer public relations efforts, including but not limited to, establishing, building and managing relationships with media and influencers, managing all crisis management situations with media, increasing the levels of consistent industry PR as well as developing innovative and disruptive consumer public relations campaigns for Ace Hardware.

What You’ll Do

• Consumer PR Strategy and Execution– Develop and execute the strategy for innovative and disruptive PR campaigns to generate awareness and consideration of Ace for paint, power, grills and home preservation while reinforcing brand purpose, including success criteria and measurement. Provide direction and insight to internal and external stakeholders and resources working on multiple projects simultaneously in support of FF4 goals.
• Media Pitching and PR Materials Development- Act as a spokesperson for the company by conducting media outreach to consumer lifestyle publications, broadcast outlets and industry publications. Establish, build and maintain relationships with key media contacts and influencers. Develop press releases, key message and other materials as necessary.
• Strategic PR Partner – Build relationships with internal stakeholders to coordinate multiple outreach efforts and campaign launches. Serve as liaison between company CMMs and various PR agencies to determine key business drivers and translate into PR opportunities. Coordinate and provide strategic guidance to social media manager on announcements, campaigns and influencer outreach related to PR opportunities. Provide strategic communications and PR counsel as needed.
• Local Store PR & Content – Manage, strengthen and grow existing local PR and content program designed to drive awareness of key brands in markets around all stores while highlighting the local store and owners and driving visibility based on how consumers search for products seasonally and year-long.
• Crisis Management – Establish a complete crisis management process and response plan based on multiple potential scenarios. Lead the process and response both internally and externally for each crisis Ace encounters. Handle statements with media and social outlets as applicable as well as monitor media and consumer sentiment from start to finish.
• Media Monitoring – Develop weekly, and in some cases daily, Ace and competitor media monitoring reports; reports include both business and consumer PR related coverage will be circulated to company leaders including Officers and Directors. Select which news items should be featured on company intranet and external-facing newsroom.
• Reporting - Analyze and develop regular reports to merchandise/recap PR campaign performance and media coverage for leadership team. Stay up to date on public relations metrics.

What You Will Need

Knowledge, Experience, and Competencies:

Experience And Technical Requirements

• Minimum 7-10 years of experience in large brand public relations at an agency or on the client side
• A bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing or related degree
• Experience in strategic decision-making and PR execution working with traditional media relations, influencers, media partners, vendors, and content creators. Existing relationships across media is a plus
• Demonstrated ability to develop innovative and disruptive PR campaigns
• Experience in media training spokespeople and/or serving as a company spokesperson
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and deadline-oriented environment
• Must be an effective and confident communicator, with expertise in AP Style writing
• Proven track record of managing multiple programs and execution teams from concept through implementation and measurement
• Broad knowledge of current events, industry and business news
• Solutions-oriented
• Experience with managing budgets
• Foundational understanding of risk and crisis management experience
• Experience in managing multiple agency relationships
• Ability to work on cross-functional teams.
• Ability to work independently, self-motivated and results oriented.
• Superior attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal communication skills for managing business partner relationships
• Retail industry or franchise experience a plus

Compensation Details

$100000 - $130000

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.

Benefits

In addition to providing our employees a great culture, Ace also offers competitive benefits* that address life’s necessities and perks, many of which expand and improve year after year, including

• Incentive opportunities, based on role/grade level (rapid company growth over the past 5 years resulted in incentives being paid out at an average of 126% of your target opportunity!)
• Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with company contributions, averaging 9.6% per year of eligible earnings over the past 5 years
• 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

Ace Hardware Corporation and its subsidiaries are 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.