About us

Rural King is America’s Farm and Home Store, providing essentials to the communities we serve. With a wide array of necessities ranging from food and feed to farm and home products, Rural King serves over 140 locations across 14 states and is constantly expanding. Our annual sales exceed $2.5 Billion, and our heart beats in Mattoon, IL, home to our corporate office, distribution center, and flagship store.

One thing our customers appreciate is our unique shopping experience, complete with complimentary popcorn and coffee. It's just one way we show our appreciation for their support.

At Rural King, we value our associates and strive to create a positive, rewarding workplace. We offer growth opportunities, competitive benefits, and a people-first environment where dedicated individuals come together to serve rural communities passionately. Join us, and you'll find not just a job but a chance to grow professionally, contribute meaningfully, and make a difference in the lives of those we serve.

How we reward you

401(k) plan that provides a 100% match on the first 3% of your contributions and 50% of the next 2%

Healthcare plans to support your needs

Virtual doctor visits

Access to Centers of Excellence with Barnes Jewish Hospital and Mayo Clinic’s Complex Care Program

15% Associate Discount

Dave Ramsey’s SmartDollar Program

Associate Assistance Program

RK Cares Associate Hardship Program

24/7 Chaplaincy Services

Company paid YMCA Family Membership

What You’ll Do

The Director of Integrated Marketing leads the marketing planning team and serves as the hub of omnichannel marketing strategy development to drive key company initiatives. They will lead the operationalization of marketing planning and activating the Rural King brand through comprehensive seasonal and key category planning, end to end creative, program and event planning, building marketing planning processes, supporting the execution of those plans, and on-going management of related support resources and key activities. The Director of Integrated Marketing works closely with both marketing leadership and key cross-functional leaders to maintain continuous alignment and ensure strong go-to-market execution that delivers on desired customer experiences / business results.

• Media Strategy- develop integrated go to market customer data informed media strategies built through partnership with external agencies. Leverage traditional and digital media designed to acquire new customers, expand existing customer share of wallet and drive traffic to our store and online websites.
• Marketing Calendar Management – develop and maintain RK strategic marketing calendar, aligning cross functionally with how RK will activate the brand across the different seasons and events in a way that supports key company initiatives to drive maximum impact and return
• Creative Strategy – work with VP, internal RK creative teams, external agencies and other cross functional leaders, to develop meaningful and differentiated messaging and proof points for the RK brands, and brief the creative team appropriately.
• Business Planning – support both cross functional business planning and related internal marketing planning timelines (calendar and beyond) and work activities, understanding how to develop multichannel marketing support to drive key initiatives.
• Promotional Integration – work closely across cross functional teams and internal marketing stakeholders to integrate merchant planned promotions as/where relevant across marketing channels
• Marketing Planning Process- design and lead end to end planning to ensure strategic planning work is developed and executed.
• New Store Planning- own and execute enhanced marketing programs to open and establish new RK stores in the market they serve.
• National/Local sponsorships and events- partner with external organizations to develop sponsorships that elevate RK visibility for current and potential new customers. Partner with stores to locally support sponsorships and events that help stores establish relationships locally.
• PR strategy- partner with external agency partners to develop and execute RK PR strategy- both to activate the brand through exemplifying our commitment to our customers through stewardship and philanthropy, and also to plan corporate response plans to emergencies.
• Agency management- leads relationships with RK external agency partners in the areas of marketing planning, brand/EB brand creative, and media optimization.
• Budget Management- serves as the hub for market budget planning, aligning spend with strategic priorities. Collaborates with internal marketing peers in digital, CRM and operations to ensure RK marketing budget stays on plan. Responsible for leading vendor CO-OP collection activities, partnering with merchant, finance, accounting teams to stay current with collection of funds and adjusting budgets as necessary.
• Leads associates in a way that exemplifies the leadership principles taught in Rural King’s Thrive Leadership Program.
• Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members and peers.
• Establishes strong working relationships with the management team, providing a strategic voice, working effectively and transparently in a partner-like fashion.
• Provides guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring subordinates’ progress.
• Identifies developmental needs of others on the team and coaches them to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Creates a climate of engagement and productivity by empowering others and encouraging them to contribute ideas and make decisions.
• Inspires productivity by establishing a clear vision, maintaining two-way communication, and distributing the workload in an organized manner.
• Provides a hands-on passionate approach to the job while enables and promotes an inclusive and diverse team and working environment.
• Uses discretion and independent judgment in daily decisions while maintaining a high level of confidentiality and professionalism.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Yes

Essential Qualities for Success

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing or Business Related Field
• 10+ Years leadership experience in retail
• 5+ Years with leading teams as a manager
• Leadership experience in marketing planning in a retail environment
• Demonstrated ability to influence and build alignment at and across multiple levels of the organization
• Strong business acumen and analytic skills
• Excellent verbal and written interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor team members.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.
• Demonstrated behaviors must reflect integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality

Physical Requirements 

• Ability to maintain a seated or standing position for extended durations.
• Capability to lift 15 pounds periodically.
• Ability to navigate and access all facilities.
• Skill to effectively communicate verbally with others, both in-person and via electronic devices.
• Close vision for computer-related activities.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

The pay range for this position is $108,000 - $150,000 annualized and is bonus eligible. Exact compensation is determined by factors such as relevant geographic location, education, certifications, experience, job level, shift, and organizational needs. To learn more about our benefits, review here https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:14539c15-191a-4b77-9c13-f6ccfce10094.