Lead Print Operator

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.

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

As a Lead Print Operator, you will be responsible for operating and optimizing production equipment, establishing workflows, leading and growing the production floor, and driving quality, efficiency, and growth.

Production Oversight & Equipment Operation

• Operate, set up, and continuously optimize major print and finishing equipment.
• Monitor production throughout each job. Ensuring adherence to job specs (color accuracy, substrate alignment, finishing quality) and timely completion.
• Troubleshoot mechanical, material or workflow issues immediately to minimize downtime and waste.
  
  

Workflow, Process & Quality Management

• Ensure all pre-flighting preparation and printing of print jobs meet customer’s specifications.
• Own end‑to‑end workflow: from job receipt, file prep, schedule/planning, production, finishing/packaging, to staging/shipping.
• Develop, document and refine standard operating procedures, quality checkpoints, equipment maintenance schedules, and work‐flows scalable for growth.
• Implement quality assurance routines: inspect output at key phases, log defects, review waste metrics, propose and implement corrective measures.
  
  

Inventory, Maintenance & Vendor Management

• Manage consumables and materials (inks, media, laminates, tapes, finishing supplies) track inventory levels, reorder as needed, maintain supplier relationships.
• Coordinate service and vendor support as required to keep production running smoothly.
  
  

Team Leadership & Growth

• Lead, train and mentor production staff and assistants as volume and team size grow. Establish a high‑performance culture around accountability, safety, quality, and operational excellence.
• Provide guidance on job scheduling, workload balancing, and cross‐team coordination with Rual King associates.
  
  

Entrepreneurial & Strategic Contribution

• Bring a “startup within a company” mindset. Comfortable building systems and adapting processes as the business evolves. Contributing to strategic decisions around equipment, workflows and team composition.
• Work closely with senior leadership to expand the business's operational capabilities.
• Lead associates in a way that exemplifies the leadership principles taught in Rural King’s Thrive Leadership Program.
• 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

Yes

Essential Qualities For Success

• At least 3 years of print production experience in a lead or senior operator role required or equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Demonstrated experience operating large format/industrial printing equipment, finishing tools and managing workflow in a production environment.
• Strong mechanical aptitude, troubleshooting ability, attention to detail, and high standards for print/finish quality.
• Proven ability to take ownership of complex operations, build processes and work independently with minimal oversight.
• Entrepreneurial mindset: comfortable with establishing infrastructure, defining roles, improving workflows, and scaling operations.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills; ability to train, motivate, and lead others.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Comfortable navigating computer systems and software to assist customers or manage activities.
• Excellent verbal and written interpersonal and communication.
  
  

Preferred Experience

• Experience with VDP software and digital store fronts, digital prepress/file prep, color management and finishing workflows.
• Comfort working cross‐functionally with marketing, retail/merchandising teams and taking initiative beyond pure print operations.
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Ability to maintain a seated or standing position for extended durations.
• Able to lift 50 lbs, stand long hours, and work in a production/print shop environment (including noise, chemicals, etc).
• 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 $60,000 - $70,000 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.