People & Culture Manager chez BRATTLEBORO FOOD COOP

Description

The People & Culture (P&C) Manager is a key individual contributor of the Brattleboro Food Co-op (BFC) 

store management team reporting to the General Manager. The P&C Manager designs and delivers people operations that advance BFC’s Ends and Cooperative Principles—staffing, onboarding, training & development, performance management, employee and labor relations, compensation & benefits administration, HRIS and compliance—so our people, processes, and culture thrive in service to our community.

As a member of the leadership team Department Managers are responsible for helping the BFC meet our

stated Ends and are expected to model the Cooperative Principles and Values. 

Our Ends, as articulated by our Board of Directors are: 

1. An open, inclusive and welcoming marketplace
2. Access to and education about goods and nutritious food that are ecologically sound and responsibly sourced
3. An organization that contributes to a just and resilient local economy
4. An enterprise that engages in sustainable and regenerative environmental practices

The Cooperative Principles are:

• Open and Voluntary Membership.
• Democratic Member Control.
• Members' Economic Participation.
• Autonomy and Independence. 
• Education, Training, and Information. 
• Cooperation Among Cooperatives.
• Concern for Community.

The BFC believes in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Cooperative Values are: 

• Self-help
• Self-responsibility
• Democracy
• Equality
• Equity
• Solidarity

People

• The Brattleboro Food Co-op is proud to be a union workplace. Maintain a positive, professional relationship with Union leadership; be fully knowledgeable of the Union Contract and ensure consistent application.
• Coach managers on goal-setting, feedback, performance improvement, and respectful workplace practices; serve as a trusted partner on employee relations.
• Champion a welcoming, inclusive culture aligned to our Ends; coordinate recognition, engagement surveys, stay/exit interviews, and follow-through on action plans.
• Partner with hiring managers to plan staffing, recruit, interview, and select candidates; deliver consistent, values-based onboarding and 90-day check-ins.
• Build role-based training plans; coordinate safety, compliance, customer service, DEI, and leadership development.
• Lead or support timely, fair investigations; resolve conflicts; document outcomes; ensure confidentiality and due process.
• Keep staff informed on key business updates, policies, benefits changes, and opportunities; maintain two-way feedback channels.
• Keep staff up to date and informed of key business information, policies, and updates. Maintain departmental communication systems that encourages staff participation 
• Be a present, engaged, and active participant in Management Team meetings and activities
• Rotate Manager on Duty responsibilities (along with other members of the management team) and support special and off-site events. 

Process

• Maintain org charts, staffing plans, and job descriptions; support classification, internal equity, and wage progression consistent with policy and the Union Contract.
• Administer pay changes, premiums, incentives, and benefits; partner with Finance on payroll accuracy and audits; support open enrollment and benefits education.
• Administer HRIS (Paylocity) including recruiting, onboarding, time & attendance, performance, and reporting; maintain accurate, confidential personnel files.
• Maintain the Employee Handbook and departmental SOPs; ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations (e.g., FLSA, FMLA/leave, ADA, EEO, OSHA, ACA, NLRA, VT and federal requirements).
• Coordinate goal-setting, check-ins, feedback, and annual reviews; track probationary periods and progressive discipline.
• Partner on safety training and incident response; coordinate workers’ compensation, reasonable accommodations, and return-to-work.
• Provide timely people analytics (headcount, turnover, staffing time-to-fill, training completion, leave utilization, engagement trends) to support strategic decisions.
• Coordinate with benefit brokers, third-party administrators, and training partners; steward service quality and cost.
• Evaluate processes for efficiency and equity; standardize forms/templates; implement improvements that strengthen the employee experience and compliance.
• Other duties as needed to meet business demands.
  

Technology

• Utilize software and tools necessary for People & Culture operations as defined by the General Manager and BFC policies.
• Required platforms: Paylocity (HRIS, payroll/timekeeping, recruiting, performance), and other tools at the direction of the GM (e.g., learning management, scheduling, survey tools).
• Ensure data integrity, role-based access, and timely reporting; train managers and staff in proper system use.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, organizational development, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• 3–5+ years of progressive HR/People Operations experience; union environment experience strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of employment and labor laws (FLSA, FMLA/leave, ADA, EEO, OSHA, NLRA, ACA) and HR best practices.
• Experience with HRIS (Paylocity preferred), recruiting/ATS, timekeeping, and reporting/analytics.
• Demonstrated skill in coaching managers, facilitating training, conducting investigations, and handling sensitive information with discretion.
• Effective written and verbal communication; ability to build trust across diverse teams and community partners.
• Strong organization and project management; ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Availability for occasional evenings/weekends, MOD rotation, and off-site event support.