Job Description

Job Location White River Junction, VT 05001 Position Type Full Time Salary Range $48.66 - $82.72 Hourly

We are a cooperative; cooperation is at the heart of everything we do. At our Co-op, we believe cooperation means creating space for everyone. We strive to bring individuals together from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences to achieve shared goals. We practice kindness and foster a workplace where respect, acceptance, equity, honesty, and belonging are more than values, they are lived every day.

Why? Because connection strengthens us. It helps us build the ecosystem we want to work in and be part of.

And…because kindness matters! Kindness nurtures community, and communities thrive when we all work together. If you’re passionate about community and making a difference, we’d love to work with you.

The Director of Finance is a key member of the senior leadership team, providing strategic financial leadership and executive-level management to ensure the long-term financial health and sustainability of the Hanover Co-op. Reporting to the General Manager, the Director of Finance serves as a trusted advisor, offering financial insight, foresight, and counsel to support organizational strategy, operational decision-making, and mission alignment.

This role is responsible for setting the Co-op’s overall financial strategy while also ensuring the sound execution of core finance and accounting functions. The Director of Finance balances high-level strategic leadership with appropriate oversight of day-to-day financial operations, ensuring strong systems, controls, and people are in place to support a resilient and values-driven organization. This role emphasizes executive sponsorship, trust, and delegation, empowering functional leaders to own strategy and execution within their domains.

The Director of Finance works closely with the leadership team on business operations, strategic planning, and financial stewardship, and has direct responsibilities to the Board of Directors, including financial reporting, governance support, and long-range financial planning. This role also provides executive oversight of the Co-op’s Network IT and Retail IT functions, ensuring technology systems support operational effectiveness, data integrity, and long-term organizational goals.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Financial Leadership & Planning
   1. Partner with the General Manager and leadership team to develop and execute a comprehensive financial strategy aligned with the Hanover Co-op’s vision, mission, values, and long-term goals.
   2. Conduct forward-looking financial analyses, scenario planning, and modeling to identify trends, opportunities, and risks before they appear in financial reports.
   3. Develop and recommend short- and long-range financial objectives, including operating and capital plans, and identify strategies to achieve them.
   4. Ensure capital investment decisions are evaluated through both financial and values-based lenses, supporting the Co-op’s triple bottom line commitments.
   5. Secure adequate operating funds at minimum cost, invest surplus funds strategically, and maintain the Co-op’s reputation as a financially sound and well-managed organization.
2. Financial Operations, Controls & Stewardship
   1. Provide executive oversight of core finance and accounting functions, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant financial operations, including budgeting, accounting, reporting, treasury, accounts payable and receivable, and audit coordination.
   2. Lead the annual operating and capital budgeting processes, ensuring strong collaboration with department leaders and adherence to approved budgets.
   3. Compare monthly and quarterly financial performance against plans and standards, interpret results, and communicate insights clearly to management and the Board.
   4. Establish and maintain sound financial policies, procedures, and internal controls to safeguard assets and ensure compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
   5. Ensure timely preparation and filing of all federal, state, and other required financial reports, taxes, and regulatory filings.
   6. Act as the primary liaison with independent auditors during the annual audit process.
3. Board, Governance, and External Relationships
   1. Prepare and present regular financial reports, including a Treasurer’s Report, to the Board of Directors, providing clear interpretation of financial performance, position, and risks.
   2. Support the Board in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities by providing financial guidance, budget planning frameworks, and long-term financial outlooks.
   3. Manage banking relationships, borrowing arrangements, and debt covenants, and assess the Co-op’s cash requirements and liquidity position.
   4. Ensure adequate insurance coverage is in place to protect the Co-op from liability and other financial risks.
4. Technology & Systems Oversight
   1. Delegate clear authority for the leadership and day-to-day management of the Network IT and Retail IT functions to the Associate Director of IT, affirming their role as the organization’s primary technology leader.
   2. Serve as an executive sponsor to the Associate Director of IT by ensuring governance structures, resources, and risk management frameworks are in place to support secure, reliable, and resilient technology systems.
   3. Partner with the Associate Director of IT to advocate for the strategic, values-aligned use of technology in support of financial stewardship, retail operations, and enterprise-wide decision-making.
5. People Leadership & Organizational Partnership
   1. Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing finance team, fostering a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement.
   2. Coach and educate leaders and employees across the cooperative to build financial literacy and shared understanding of the financial drivers of the business.
   3. Serve as a collaborative partner to leaders throughout the organization, translating financial information into actionable insights that support operational and strategic goals.
   4. Model cooperative values through transparent communication, positive leadership, and relationship-building with employees, members, and Board members.

Qualifications

Required Skills/Experience and Attributes:

1. Bachelor’s degree in accounting, or equivalent experience - additional training in economics and finance a plus
2. 10 years or more experience in management and a working knowledge of retail
3. Strong communication and team building skills
4. Demonstrated entrepreneurial abilities
5. Expertise in financial software applications
6. Ability to build effective relationships with leadership/employees and serve as the principal finance contact and expert for the organization
7. Excellent follow through

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employees are people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds. We share a common passion for our member-owned Co-op, communities, and for improving people's lives.

Diversity not only includes race and gender identity, but also age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion and many other parts of one’s identity. Every point of view helps shape our success, and fostering inclusion is everyone's responsibility.