Store Manager

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 150 locations across 17 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. Customers appreciate our unique shopping experience, complete with complimentary popcorn and coffee. At Rural King, we value our associates and strive to create a positive, rewarding workplace with growth opportunities, competitive benefits, and a people-first environment where dedicated individuals come together to serve rural communities passionately.

Benefits

• 401(k) plan with a 100% match on the first 3% of 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

Responsibilities

• Create and execute a business plan to achieve the store’s performance goals, including sales budget, market share, and omnichannel sales.
• Drive sales via online, print advertising, social media, mobile apps, and in-store engagement.
• Build revenue by equipping associates with product knowledge, operational understanding, sales, safety & loss prevention, store appearance, customer service, and merchandising.
• Enhance customer experience and drive sales through creative social media, store events, vendor and associate presentations, and customer trainings.
• Analyze online and physical store results, identify opportunities, and make decisions to drive sales and successful initiatives.
• Manage and grow BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store) sales with associates and customers.
• Collaborate with the District Manager and store associates to analyze operational processes, customer trends, and business results to achieve objectives.
• Teach and coach behaviors to build a high-performing team that delivers a best-in-class customer experience.
• Lead the team to achieve or exceed store goals and strategies with autonomy and independent judgment.
• Create and execute development plans to build associates' capabilities, measured by store operations success and feedback.
• Foster an optimistic, rewarding, and collaborative work environment to support succession and talent pipeline goals.
• Present business insights to the District Manager and Store Support to inform decisions.
• Uphold company processes, policies, values, and mission.
• Exemplify leadership principles taught in Thrive and reinforce these skills with managers.
• Manage the store budget for daily operations and initiatives tied to the P&L.
• Drive an outstanding associate experience through hiring, onboarding, performance feedback, and development.
• Hold the team accountable for performance, minimizing shrink, and reducing losses and risk while ensuring compliance.
• Ensure attractive, safe, and accurately priced merchandise displays.
• Maintain the building and grounds.
• Ensure the effectiveness of technology for a seamless customer experience across all channels.
• Demonstrate effective communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Maximize inventory, cash control, and loss prevention techniques.
• May be required to cross-train and perform other duties.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervise and direct assistant managers, department managers, and store associates.
• Authority over hiring, firing, promotions, and assignments of associates.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of retail management experience.
• Outgoing self-starter who enjoys working with people.
• Computer knowledge in Excel and Word.
• Proficient user of computer software systems.
• Ability to interact with the team in a fast-paced environment, remaining flexible, proactive, resourceful, and efficient.
• Ability to multi-task, coordinate, analyze, observe, make decisions, and meet deadlines in a detail-oriented manner.
• Ability to work independently without supervision.
• Ability to work a 50-hour workweek (10-hour shifts, 5 days per week) with varied hours, nights, and weekends as business dictates.
• Must meet federal requirements to qualify for a Federal Firearms License (FFL) and any applicable local requirements.
• Ability to access and use in-store computers, scanning systems, and wireless handheld units.
• Ability to participate in online applicant and new hire onboarding processes remotely.
• Ability to complete computer-based training.
• Use of general office equipment such as computers, telephones, copy machines, fax machines, and calculators.
• Ability to operate retail scanners, forklifts, pallet jacks, ladders, and other retail equipment.

Physical Requirements

• Good visual acuity.
• Ability to lift, push, and/or pull a minimum of 30 pounds repetitively and 31-50 pounds intermittently.
• Ability to stand and/or walk for long periods of time.
• Ability to use a ladder and/or pallet jack.
• Close vision for computer work.
• Repetitive wrist movements on a keyboard.
• Ability to walk up and down stairs multiple times per day.
• Ability to verbally communicate effectively and professionally with all audiences (in-person or via handheld transceiver).

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