Carrier Relations Manager

At Ace, we're a place where your help is not only wanted, it's encouraged and celebrated. A Chicago Tribune Top Workplace four years in a row. A place focused on the future, looking for new and better ways to compete in today's marketplace. A place with an iconic history, a promising future and a competitive spirit. We like to win.

Our people are the foundation of what makes Ace great. We're looking for the best people to help us fulfill our vision of being the most helpful hardware store on the planet. Join a competitive, fast-paced and friendly work environment and gain a sense of ownership, building on Ace's continued success, and your own.

The carrier relations manager will set the transportation sourcing strategy for Ace resulting in the best balance of service level and cost. The carrier relations manager is the key contact to our transportation partners and is responsible for measuring and coaching our carriers to best in class performance, as well as the key contact for internal stakeholders on any carrier related inquiries or needs.

You will be part of a winning team that enjoys:

• Comprehensive health coverage and life benefits along with prescription drug, dental, vision and flexible spending accounts.
• Generous 401(k) Savings and Retirement Plan which includes a company match, and other company contributions.
• Vacation Days
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Generous merchandise discount program; and
• Business casual dress every day!

What you'll do:

• Set carrier sourcing strategy for ACE Hardware taking into consideration cost, performance, and lead time impacts.
• Support the integration of Ace private fleet into network and strategy to maximize RSC non-delivery revenue while maintaining cost and service goals. Collaborate with finance to align on and execute fleet lane rate strategy.
• Manage all transportation sourcing activities for Ace Hardware including evaluation of frequency and technology used to support.
• Define internal metrics and define format for carrier scorecards and set up recurring meetings with carriers for scorecard reviews
• Lead scorecard review meetings with carriers on a recurring schedule to resolve issues and drive top performance
• Take feedback from the internal stakeholders on carrier issues and follow through to resolution with carriers up to and including establishing relationship with senior level (Dir / VP) carrier contacts for escalation as needed.
• Stay up to date on industry trends and evolving strategies by reading industry insights, networking with peers at other companies, and participating in industry forums (example: RILA, CSCMP, etc.)
• Serve as advocate on behalf of carriers for internal stakeholders and overlapping projects to ensure internal processes are executed consistently, setting up carriers for success

What you need to succeed:

• 7+ years of experience specifically including transportation, carrier or vendor performance management, or procurement
• Experience designing and implementing carrier or vendor scorecards
• Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or equivalent field
• Excellent communication and organization skills
• Experience leading carrier RFP process and understanding of different strategies and approaches for sourcing Intermodal and Dry Van business
• Experience leading negotiations with LTL and small parcel carriers
• Preferred experience with BluJay TMS, Lean, Six Sigma

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.

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 (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.