Ace Hardware Home Services Marketing Intern – Summer 2026, Full Time/Paid/12 Weeks

Compensation Details:

$22.00 per hour

Job Description:

Ace Hardware Home Services Marketing Intern – Summer 2026, Full Time/Paid/12 Weeks

About this Role:
Your primary focus as a Home Services Marketing Intern will be in the following areas:
 

Brand Building

Ace Hardware Home Services is Bringing Helpful to Your Home through a variety of services offerings like Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, Electrical, Handyman and Painting.  This new brand is emerging into markets and currently building brand equity across several locations.  Ace Hardware Home Services, with the power of the Ace brand, strives to be the best, most trusted provider of home preservation services.  We differentiate in the market with exceptional service, a commitment to our local communities, an investment in our teams and by being locally operated.  The marketing intern will drive best practices, brand consistency, speed to market and customization that makes each individual branch stronger in their local market.

• Work with marketing team, creative & agency team to assist with local & digital marketing planning and execution
• Develop hyper local media assets (billboard, sponsorships, radio, TV, direct mail, local social posts)

• Work with branch locations to drive brand awareness through local events including partnering with Ace Retailers on local events in shared markets

• Support digital growth via content development, social media initiatives, paid search, email, SEO, retargeting, Etc.
• Work with creative to create store signage and home services awareness materials
• Support initiatives for membership, loyalty programs and pilot programs
• Website strategies and continuous improvement
• Enhance services best practices guides and playbooks
   

Special Projects

• Support department and cross functional projects as assigned by Manager
   

The ideal intern will possess the following:

• Working towards a bachelor’s degree in the following area(s): Marketing and/or Business Administration
• Entering Senior year of college (Graduating Dec ’25 or May ’26)
• Solid understanding of key financials and operations of a small business
• Retail/customer service experience (Sales, visual merchandising, retail pricing a plus)
• Experience with MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point)
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Adaptability and ability to learn quickly in high-pressure environments
• Ambitious self-starter who has demonstrated the ability to contribute as an effective team member
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Demonstrated motivation and initiative to succeed
• Knowledge and interest in Ace Hardware Corporation
• Ability to work 40 hours per week, Monday -Friday for 12 weeks
• Willingness and ability to give presentations to colleagues, managers and directors

Why Ace?

Ace Hardware (headquartered in Oak Brook, IL) is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world with over 5,800 locally owned and operated stores in approximately 60 countries.  Since 1924, Ace has become a part of local communities around the world and known as the place with the Helpful Hardware Folks.

Ace has retained its #5 position in the annual Franchise Times Top 400 List in 2023.  Unmatched customer service is a cornerstone of the Ace Hardware brand. We are a 100-year-old retailer that supports its owners with programs that leverage their local expertise, giving them a distinct advantage over their big box competitors and has resulted in Ace retailers being named by JD Powers #1 in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retailers, 16 out of 18 years.  The Helpful Spirit transcends the enterprise with Ace Hardware Corporation consistently ranking amongst the top workplaces in Chicagoland.

Location Description
Ace Hardware corporate headquarters is about 20 miles west of Chicago and you’ll get the very best of city and suburban life – prestigious shopping, dining, recreation, performing arts and historical neighborhoods. Our brand new corporate facility opened in September 2023 and has state of the amenities such as a work-out facility, underground parking and upscale cafeteria.  We work in the office the majority of the week and enjoy everything our new facility has to offer together as a team.
 

2026 Summer Internship Program Overview

The Ace Internship program allows you to apply skills and knowledge you're learning in College today, while contributing in a hands-on environment to fit your career objectives, complement your academic work an