Corporate Counsel – Commercial

Why Ace?

At Ace Hardware, our legal team works closely with business partners across the organization to provide practical legal guidance that helps move the business forward while managing risk appropriately. As Corporate Counsel, you'll support a variety of commercial, operational, and strategic matters throughout the company. This role offers the opportunity to work across multiple areas of the business, including commercial transactions, marketing, franchise operations, licensing, and other corporate initiatives. Whether you're already working in-house or coming from a law firm environment, you'll join a collaborative team where you'll continue developing your skills while supporting work that has a direct impact on the business.

What You'll Do

As Corporate Counsel, you will:

• Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on a wide variety of commercial agreements, including NDAs, vendor, services, technology, marketing, and procurement contracts.
• Partner with business leaders to provide practical legal guidance on day-to-day operations and business initiatives.
• Identify legal and business risks and help develop solutions that support business objectives.
• Advise internal stakeholders on procurement, marketing, advertising, promotions, licensing, and franchise-related matters.
• Support franchise operations, including matters related to franchise disclosure documents and franchise compliance.
• Assist with corporate transactions, strategic projects, and other growth initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions as opportunities arise.
• Support the resolution of commercial disputes and other business-related legal matters.
• Collaborate with outside counsel when specialized expertise is needed.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of contract templates, processes, and best practices.
• Perform special assignments or projects as assigned
• Build strong working relationships across the organization and serve as a legal resource to business teams.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for an attorney who enjoys solving problems, working collaboratively, and building strong business relationships. We're looking for someone with commercial contracting experience and a strong foundation who is eager to learn, broaden their expertise, and grow their career with Ace.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Active bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a law firm, corporate legal department, or a combination of both.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
• Sound judgment and the ability to provide practical, risk-balanced legal advice.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting commercial transactions, procurement, technology, marketing, or business operations matters.
• Experience supporting multi-state operations
• Experience working with franchise and licensing, is a plus but not required.
• Prior in-house experience is a plus but not required.

Growth at Ace

This role offers opportunity for growth and development within Ace's legal organization. Seeking candidates looking to grow their legal careers but possess strong commercial contracting skills, sound judgment, intellectual curiosity, and the potential to take on increasing responsibility over time. For the right candidate, this position can serve as a foundation for future advancement within the legal department, including progression to more senior counsel roles as experience and expertise grow.

#LI-MS1

Compensation Details:

$137700 - $160000 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 (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.

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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.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.