People & Culture Manager

Middlebury Natural Foods Co-Op; Middlebury (VT); On-site; USD 92,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Group health insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Flexible spending account

Paid time off

Paid holidays

401(k)

Profit-sharing bonus program

Paid parental leave

Life insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Co-op Membership

Staff discount

Hiring bonus

Job summary

Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op is seeking a People & Culture Manager to lead HR programs for our 100+ staff in a fast-paced retail setting. The role reports to the General Manager and partners with department leaders to support a dynamic, collaborative workplace.

You will drive recruitment, employee relations, performance management, compensation, benefits, and training to sustain our mission-driven culture.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of HR leadership across recruitment, employee relations, performance, compensation & benefits, and organizational development.
• Experience supporting organizations with 100+ employees.
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Experience in retail, grocery, hospitality, manufacturing, healthcare, or fast-paced environments.
• Knowledge of employment law and HR best practices.
• Experience with HRIS/payroll systems (Paylocity a plus).
• Degree in HR management or related field; professional HR certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Recruitment and Hiring across departments.
• Employee relations and coaching for managers and staff.
• Performance management and coaching processes.
• Compensation and benefits administration and governance.
• Leadership support and development across teams.
• Training and onboarding systems implementation and improvement.
• HR compliance and policy administration.
• Workplace culture, engagement, and change management.
• Organizational communication and cross-department collaboration.

Skills

HR leadership

Recruitment

Employee relations

Performance management

Compensation & benefits

Organizational development

Leadership

Communication

Change management

Education

Degree in HR management or related field

PHR/SPHR/SHRM certification

Tools

Paylocity

Job description

For 50 years, Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op has existed to serve our community through healthy food, support for local producers, environmentally sustainable practices, and cooperative ownership. Today, over 7,000 member-owner households and a growing community of shoppers rely on our Co-op each week. In the last year alone, we directed over $7 million toward Vermont producers and contributed more than $100,000 through food access discounts, food shelf donations, and community giving initiatives.

We are looking for a thoughtful, experienced, and emotionally intelligent People & Culture Manager to help lead and support the people who make this work possible.

This is an opportunity to help shape workplace culture, leadership development, communication systems, employee support structures, and organizational health inside a mission-driven business that serves both people and purpose.

The People and Culture Manager

reports directly to the General Manager and works closely with department leaders across the organization. You will support a staff of more than 100 employees in a fast-paced retail environment that is collaborative, dynamic, and continuously evolving.

You Will Lead And Support

• Recruitment and Hiring
• Employee relations
• Performance management and coaching
• Compensation and benefits administration
• Leadership Support and development
• Training and onboarding systems
• HR compliance and policy administration
• Workplace culture and engagement
• Organizational communication and change management

You will serve as both a strategic partner and a trusted day-to-day resource for managers and staff alike.

The ideal candidate understands that strong workplace culture is built through consistency, accountability, compassion, clarity, and trust.

Who You Are

You are someone who can navigate complexity with steadiness and professionalism

You are a strong listener, a clear communicator, and someone who can balance empathy with accountability. You know how to support leaders while also advocating for healthy systems and sustainable workplace practices.

You are comfortable navigating difficult conversations, organizational change, and competing priorities while maintaining confidentiality, emotional intelligence, and sound judgment.

Preferred Qualifications

We are looking for candidates with:

• At least 5 years of HR leadership experience across multiple HR disciplines including recruitment, employee relations, performance management, compensation and benefits, and organizational development
• Experience supporting organizations with 100+ employees
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
• Experience in retail, grocery, hospitality, manufacturing, healthcare, or another fast-paced operational environment
• Knowledge of employment law and HR best practices
• Experience with HRIS/payroll systems (Paylocity experience is a plus)
• Degree in Human Resources management or related field
• PHR, SPHR or SHRM certification

Compensation & Benefits

Starting salary: $92,000 - $100,000, depending on experience

Additional Benefits Include

• Group health insurance
• Optional dental and vision insurance
• Flexible spending account (FSA)
• 3+ weeks paid time off
• Paid Holidays
• 401(k)
• Profit-sharing bonus program
• Paid parental leave
• Life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Co-op Membership
• Staff discount
• $500 hiring bonus after 6 months employment

To learn more about our amazing community, you may want to explore this link: https://experiencemiddlebury.com

Salary: $92000 - $100000 per year