Ace Hardware Looking for Director, International Human Resources at Oak Brook, IL Full Time

The Director of International Human Resources is accountable for creating strategies to continually optimize HR to align with and support business growth engines and recruit, retain and develop the diverse, top talent needed to achieve AIH’s strategic goals. The Director leads an HR and Admin team that is responsible for the oversight of 5 international offices (Mexico, Shanghai, Dubai, Singapore and Panama), 2 freight forwarding centers (Florida and California) and the U.S.-based AIH team at the corporate headquarters. He/she will ensure high level of HR service is met to strategic and appointed business partners throughout the organization. Additionally, the position will participate in recruiting and onboarding all senior manager AIH roles.

The Director of International Human Resources also acts as the strategic business partner to the global management team, including the Vice Presidents of Finance, Sales, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Business Development, Country Manager in Mexico, and Sourcing Director in China. The Director has overall responsibility for human resources-related issues and activities including (but not limited to) all employee engagement initiatives, leadership development, succession planning, performance management practices, employee relations, compensation and benefits (foreign locations), the expatriation process, recruitment and HR project completion for all AIH U.S. and internationally based employees. This position will be the change agent for the business and will continually assess and anticipate HR-related needs and proactively seek viable solutions. The position will lead small Human Resources Team (centralized and decentralized) ensuring the “people strategy” for Ace International is at the forefront of the business.

What you’ll do:

Strategic Planning

• Establish vision and set direction for AIH HR function and HR team
• Establish strategic goals, programs and initiatives that support AIH’s business and HR needs
• Lead large-scale talent management initiatives with leadership and HR team members
• Continually optimize HR to support business growth engines

Leadership

• Manage HR team (3 direct reports: HR Manager Shanghai, HR Manager/Executive in Panama and an Executive Assistant in Oak Brook ), systems, and all resources (internal/external) to adequately meet AIH’s business needs
• Oversee talent acquisition and employee on-boarding process for international population, policy development and revisions, management education and determine foreign-based teams’ compensation levels.
• Aligns on the strategic direction of the department and creates goals for team based on this direction.
• Train, develop and coach direct reports

Employee Engagement

• Provide leadership guidance and support for all employee engagement strategy and initiatives for the Ace Hardware International culture. This includes partnering with Human Resources Corporate regarding execution of the annual survey, communication of results and all activities related to becoming a top workplace for all international locations. Setting the strategy around employee engagement is a top priority.

Business Partner Relationships

• Develop and maintain successful working relationships with all corporate and international leadership to influence and provide effective HR processes, advice and support for staff. Provide proactive coaching, consultation and direction to management in areas of staffing, employee relations, succession planning, organizational development/training, policy administration, performance management and overall organizational effectiveness.
• Work with AIH leadership to determine their HR needs. Make recommendations and develop related programs as needed.

Performance Management

• Provide guidance to staff on performance issues; consult on the development of performance goals; providing guidance on coaching discussions; drafting constructive criticism or development feedback for inclusion in performance conversations.
• Provide the same support to managers and team members as they navigate through performance issues to ensure that “how” that job is getting done is as important as meeting the goals and expectations of the roles.

Talent Acquisition

• Recommend and maintain an organizational structure and staffing levels to accomplish company goals and objectives

• Develop staffing strategies and implement plans and programs to identify talent within and outside the company for open positions. Identify appropriate and effective external sources for candidates ensuring diverse candidate slates and with an eye to build talent bench strength
• Measure effectiveness of sourcing options and provide input into new sourcing options while maintaining a budget

Foreign Processes Management

• Manage Global Mobility/Expatriate strategy based on business objectives
• Provide strategic and operational leadership in the development, implementation, administration and communication of compensation programs
• Implement and administer benefit plans, policies and programs, including medical/dental/vision/life, for AIH’s international locations
• Maintain expertise of international HR policies, programs, laws and issues related to management of global employees, reducing risk and ensuring regulatory compliance

Training/Orientation

• With team, design and develop training materials and conducts training for managers and supervisors related to HR practices – policy education, interviewing, corrective action, performance management and retention practices.

Employee Relations/Policy Interpretation

• Create, maintain and administer HR policies, procedures, and practices through training, coaching, one-on-one communication and policy interpretation.
• Recommend new approaches, policies, and procedures to effect continual improvements in efficiency of department and services performed.
• Oversight to all employee relations issues for AIH corporate, regional and field populations and determine the best corrective action solution for each unique situation. Will also participate in final termination decision-making meetings. Respond to all employee relations issues / concerns and conduct employee relations investigations as required in both domestic and foreign locations.

Reporting and Trends

• Lead the creation and delivery of all reports, decisions and results of department in relation to established goals. Communicate HR impact to the bottom line by having a comprehensive understanding of the AIH financial plan.
• Identify workforce and environment trends and help to develop and implement appropriate proactive strategies
• Report on international headcount, recruitment practices and separations as scheduled.
• Maintain compliance with U.S. federal and state regulations and international country-specific laws concerning employment.

What you will need:

Knowledge, Experience, and Competencies:

Experience and Technical Requirements:

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in a HR leadership role resolving complex issues
• Experience leading global Human Resource professionals in a multi-site environment, preferably in retail, in the U.S., China, Middle East and Central America
• Working knowledge of all major Human Resource disciplines
• Demonstrable experience as a strategic partner to management with proven ability to drive the HR strategy, consult, coach, communicate and add value at all levels of the organization
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in meeting the challenges of employees working abroad
• Experience and ability to work effectively with a wide variety of cultures, countries and teams. Work with the nuances of specific local cultures to make informed decisions.
• Thorough and advanced knowledge of U.S. and international HR laws, practices, policies, and agreements as they relate to immigration, labor law, taxation, and other statutory requirements for US, local and third-country nationals
• Strong business acumen with the a bility to think globally, strategically and objectively to effectively translate business strategy into HR initiatives.
• Experience working within fast paced, complex, corporate and international environments
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, communications, research, negotiations, persuasion, analytical, problem solving, resourcefulness and influential staff development skills.
• Detail orientated self-starter able to handle heavy, priority shifting workload with minimal supervision.
• Passionate, do what it takes attitude.
• Must be able to travel domestically and internationally as the business requires (up to 30%)
• Must be able to work extended hours when necessary
• Bachelor’s Degree in HR or related field or combination of education and experience
• HR Professional certification (i.e., PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP) preferred

Compensation Details:
$144600 – $187900 per year

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 (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) & life insurance benefits for you and your dependents
• 21 days of vacation immediately available (prorated in the first year)
• 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.