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 130 locations across 13 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 Lead Developer will be responsible for the technical design, development, and optimization of Rural King’s headless HCL Commerce v9.1 platform. This role plays a key part in shaping the company’s e-commerce experience by overseeing back-end commerce services and integrations that support the React/Next.js front-end architecture. The Lead Developer will partner closely with Project Management for delivery coordination and collaborate with external vendor development teams to ensure scalable, secure, and high-performing commerce capabilities that align with Rural King’s omni-channel retail strategy.

• Lead the design, development, and enhancement of solutions within HCL Commerce v9.1 (headless) to support e-commerce, order management, and customer experience goals.
• Partner with the Project Management team to ensure alignment of technical milestones with project timelines and deliverables.
• Provide technical oversight and code review for vendor-led HCL Commerce development, ensuring adherence to best practices and Rural King standards.
• Collaborate with front-end development teams using React and js to integrate headless APIs and ensure smooth end-to-end functionality.
• Support development and optimization of REST APIs and data models that connect HCL Commerce with other enterprise systems.
• Work with integration teams leveraging tools such as Oracle Integration Cloud and IBM Sterling OMS on Cloud to ensure data synchronization across systems.
• Participate in architecture and design discussions to guide decisions on scalability, performance, and extensibility.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to commerce services, APIs, and integrations.
• Develop and maintain detailed technical documentation, including integration specifications, deployment notes, and architecture diagrams.
• Mentor vendor developers and internal technical partners to ensure consistent code quality and platform understanding.
• Use discretion and independent judgment in daily decisions while maintaining a high level of confidentiality and professionalism.
• Actively participate in learning initiatives offered such as training programs, workshops, and webinars. Leverage these opportunities to acquire new knowledge, refine existing skills, and stay current on the latest developments.
• Provide friendly, proactive, and professional internal and external support to others, assisting with inquiries, concerns, and issues promptly and effectively.
• Demonstrate behaviors that exemplify Rural King’s Values: People First, Integrity, Attitude, Initiative, Teamwork, Accountability, and Continuous Improvement.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities

No

Essential Qualities for Success

• 5–7 years of experience developing and supporting HCL Commerce (v9.x) or similar enterprise e-commerce platforms.
• Proven experience working with headless commerce architecture, microservices, and API-driven integrations.
• Hands-on experience with React and js front-end integrations, or strong familiarity with their interactions in a headless setup.
• Solid understanding of e-commerce data flows including catalog, pricing, promotions, cart, and checkout processes.
• Experience integrating with enterprise systems such as IBM Sterling OMS on Cloud and Oracle Integration Cloud.
• Strong collaboration skills with both internal stakeholders and external vendor teams.
• Proficiency in Agile methodologies and experience using Jira or similar tools for tracking and documentation.
• Excellent problem-solving, debugging, and performance optimization skills.
• Effective communicator capable of bridging technical and non-technical discussions.
• Self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, multi-system, omni-channel retail environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to convey ideas, instructions, and information clearly and concisely.
• Demonstrated ability to actively listen, ask relevant questions, and provide thorough and articulate responses.

Physical Requirements 

• Ability to maintain a seated or standing position for extended durations.
• 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 $107,000 - $130,000 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.