About Us:

Mid-States Distributing is the leading Farm, Ranch, and Home Retail Organization. Our 71+ year old company is owned by 29 independent Farm, Ranch & Home retailers (“Members”) who operate approximately 700 stores across the US and Canada with combined annual sales in excess of 7.5 billion dollars. Our member/owners retail items such as agriculture parts & supplies, petroleum products, hardware & tools, pet food, lawn & garden, animal health supplies, apparel & footwear, sporting goods, and various other products for the Farm, Ranch, and Home.

We are looking for enthusiastic people who like to win! We place a tremendous amount of emphasis on creating a dynamic and positive company culture. Most of our employees will tell you that Mid-States is the best place they’ve ever worked. We value high-energy people with positive mental attitudes who believe in the concept of “serving to wow”! Our consumers are primarily rural people raising kids, pets, cows, and crops so traditional values like God, family, and patriotism are important virtues. So, if you are enthusiastic, competitive, have a great attitude, have excellent written and verbal communication skills, like to build strong relationships, like to win, and refuse to eat meat grown in a lab – Mid-States may be the place for you! If you are not, please apply with our competitors!

POSITION OVERVIEW:

We are looking for a well-rounded designer who makes excellent design choices, has strong fundamentals, and the ability to bring ideas to life across print and digital channels. You will collaborate closely with others in Marketing, including Creative Services and Private Brand team members, to deliver work that is thoughtful, on-brand, and commercially effective. This role is for a designer who can think conceptually, execute with precision, and move comfortably between brand-building, packaging, campaigns, and day-to-day production work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and execute design for multi-channel marketing initiatives across print, web, email, social media, and in-store environments
• Translate strategic direction and creative concepts into compelling visual solutions for branding, consumer packaging, campaigns, websites, POP/POS, print collateral, advertising, and social content
• Design and produce packaging systems and brand assets that balance creativity, clarity, and retail performance
• Contribute to the development and evolution of brand identities, design systems, and brand guidelines to ensure consistency across all touchpoints
• Collaborate daily with Creative Services leadership, Private Brand teams, Marketing, and Category teams to move projects from concept through final production
• Prepare production-ready files for both print and digital execution, ensuring accuracy, quality, and adherence to specifications
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, maintaining organization, momentum, and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment
• Incorporate feedback thoughtfully and efficiently while maintaining high creative standards
• Support ongoing creative needs across the Mid-States portfolio as priorities shift throughout the year

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE:

Portfolio submission is required to be considered for this role. Candidates must provide a portfolio or work samples demonstrating relevant design experience.

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field preferred, but not required with equivalent experience
• Approximately 5 or more years of professional design experience, with flexibility based on portfolio strength
• Strong conceptual thinker with a brand-first mindset and a sharp eye for typography, color, layout, and composition
• Portfolio demonstrating high-quality work across branding, consumer packaging, campaigns, and multi-channel marketing
• Proven experience designing for both print and digital, including packaging and retail-facing materials
• Experience building and working within design systems and brand guidelines
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage deadlines and shifting priorities
• Collaborative, adaptable, and comfortable working in a team-based creative environment
• Self-motivated and accountable, with a strong sense of ownership over assigned projects

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Generally, the job requires 80% sitting, 10% walking, and 10% standing. This job is performed in a generally clean environment. The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: some lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling, some stooping and significant fine finger dexterity.

TRAVEL:
Some travel involved

OTHER DUTIES:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

A few words from our COO:

I have had the pleasure to work for some incredible companies during my career, but Mid-States is truly the best company I have ever worked for. Lead by our dynamic CEO, Tom Mahlke, our team strives to provide a unique, exciting, fun, and fulfilling work environment for our staff. Things like drama, laziness, and entitlement have no place in Mid-States, which makes Mid-States a refreshing place to work. We offer competitive salaries, have a fantastic benefits package, and believe in rewarding those who produce. We serve a wonderful industry, and we are financially sound and growing rapidly. If you are an enthusiastic, high-energy person with a positive attitude and the skills described above, you may have just found the last job you will ever apply for! I look forward to meeting you. – Jeff Rash, COO