Employee Engagement Specialist
ACE Hardware•Oak Brook, IL
•$66,000 - $76,000
About The Position
The Employee Engagement Specialist partners closely with the Employee Engagement Manager to bring engagement programs and events to life. This role plays a hands-on part in shaping the employee experience by executing meaningful initiatives that connect employees to Ace’s mission, values and purpose. This position leads the company’s volunteerism program and supports employee events and recognition efforts, enhancing the employee experience and fostering engagement. This role sits within Human Resources and contributes directly to retention, culture and engagement.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- 1+ years of experience in Human Resources, nonprofit work, event planning or corporate social responsibility
- Strong event planning and project management skills
- Experience supporting recognition or engagement programs
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to collaborate across teams and departments
- Strong organizational and time‑management skills
- Comfortable presenting to groups and working with leaders
- Proficiency in Canva, Copilot and Microsoft Office
Responsibilities
- Lead and grow Ace’s employee volunteerism and community involvement programs
- Manage and execute annual and quarterly volunteer initiatives, including Ace Cares Week
- Develop communications, support materials and sign‑up processes for volunteer programs
- Support planning and execution of employee engagement events, serving as a liaison with internal partners
- Work with the Events Team and Ace Hardware Foundation Team with employee events and opportunities
- Support company recognition programs and related initiatives such as articles, awards and internal programs
- Partner with the Communications Team to promote engagement programs and drive participation via internal channels
Benefits
- 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
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Number of Employees
501-1,000 employees
