Director of Operations at Willing Hands Enterprises in Norwich, VT

Are you a strong operational leader passionate about nourishing the community?

Willing Hands is seeking a Director of Operations to provide senior leadership for our core operations. This role ensures our warehouse, fleet, facilities, and food recovery efforts run safely and smoothly, so that fresh, nourishing food reaches thousands of neighbors across the Upper Valley every week.

If you’re a strategic, hands-on operational leader who enjoys building strong teams, managing complex logistics and budgets, and supporting mission-driven work rooted in equity, sustainability, and community impact, we’d love to speak to you!

Position Title:

Director of Operations Dated: 06/26/26

Classification:

Exempt, Full-time

Job Tier and Salary Range:

Director Level $85,000 to $95,000, depending on experience

Supervisor:

Executive Director

Willing Hands’ Mission is to reduce food waste and expand equitable and reliable access to fresh food. Willing Hands grows, gleans, and recovers nourishing fresh food and distributes it for free to our neighbors in need through a network of 85 human service organizations in the greater Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire.

Job Summary: The Director of Operations ensures that Willing Hands’ core operational functions, including but not limited to warehouse operations, facilities, fleet, and food recovery logistics, run safely, efficiently, and in alignment with the organization’s mission. In partnership with the Executive Director, this position supports long-term operational planning, informs and manages the organization-wide expense budget, and participates in financial reporting. The role will also ensure compliance with safety and food-handling standards and help maintain the organization’s infrastructure. In a senior leadership position, the Director of Operations supports organization-wide systems development and supervises staff, serving as a key internal leader across multiple departments. This position serves on the Willing Hands Management Team.

Key Accountabilities (reason for being) (percentages as applicable):

• Warehouse and Delivery Operations - Oversight of all warehouse and delivery operations, including supervising the Operations Manager and supporting the operations team in SOP development, leading food recovery logistics, food sourcing, food pickup, and delivery. (50%)
• Capital Asset Management and Planning - Responsible for facilities and fleet management, including safety, maintenance, and capital planning. (10%)
• Organizational leadership - Contribute to organization-wide strategic planning and support the development team by providing operational insight and impact information. (10%)
• Financial Management - With the Executive Director, oversees all organizational budgeting and expense management. With the management team, leads short-term financial planning. (30%)

Supervisory Responsibilities: Logistics Coordinator, Delivery Coordinator, Operations Coordinator (2), Warehouse Coordinator, Part-time Driver

Duties/Responsibilities:

Operations, Warehouse, and Delivery

• Ensure warehouse workflows support safe, efficient sorting, packing, and storage of fresh food.

• Work with the Operations Manager and Delivery Lead to maintain effective delivery routes and schedules.

• Uphold food safety procedures and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

• Support the development of clear, written SOPs across operational areas.

• Supports stewardship of existing and new food recovery partners.

Facilities, Fleet, and Infrastructure

• Manage maintenance and inspection schedules for all vehicles, refrigeration, and buildings.
• Create or maintain checklists and tracking systems for routine facilities upkeep.
• Support long-term planning for equipment and vehicle replacement.
• Oversees IT systems and IT assets.

Duties Cont.

Organizational Leadership & Staff Support

• Provide consistent supervision, coaching, and annual evaluations for direct reports.
• Help develop organization-wide systems that improve clarity, communication, and safety.
• Support implementation of the organization’s strategic plan in collaboration with the Executive Director.
• Foster a positive, mission-focused, safety-oriented workplace culture.

Fiscal Responsibilities

• Oversee the development and manage the organization’s annual operating and capital budgets.
• Work with team leads to monitor departmental expenses, update projections, and provide monthly reports.
• Provide operational cost information needed for grant reporting and for tracking in-kind and restricted funds.
• Track spending on fleet, facilities, and equipment to support accurate forecasting.

Organizational support

• Serve on committees as assigned, including Strategic Planning.
• Serve on the Management Team.
• Other related assignments as necessary.

Skills/Abilities:

• Strong experience with financial management and operational leadership in a nonprofit or small-business setting.
• Proven ability to supervise and support diverse teams across multiple functional areas.
• Clear communicator with strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to translate complex operational needs into simple systems and checklists.
• Comfortable balancing office-based work with hands-on operational oversight.
• Commitment to safety, equity, and mission-driven decision making.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism.

Required and/or preferred Education and Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in an operations leadership role, with non-profit experience preferred.
• Strong operational leadership experience, preferred in nonprofit, agricultural, food systems, logistics, or small-business environments.
• Experience with warehouse, logistics, farming, and food systems is helpful but not required.
• Experience supervising staff and managing multi-department systems.
• Ability to translate complex operational needs into simple systems and checklists.
• Comfortable blending office-based planning with hands-on operational oversight.
• Proficient with computer systems and technology.
• Clear communicator with strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Budget development, expense management, and financial reporting experience required; nonprofit finance preferred.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism.
• Commitment to safety, equity, and mission-driven decision making.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

• Prolonged periods of computer work.
• Occasional ability to lift, move, or inspect materials in warehouse, farm, or fleet environments.
• Ability to move between the office, warehouse, and off-site locations as needed.

General Expectations of all Staff

• Understand and support the mission of Willing Hands as expressed by the Board
• Greet the public through all channels of communication with courtesy and respect
• Coordinate and integrate efforts with staff working on other Willing Hands programs
• Work in a safe manner and report any safety hazards to the Executive Director
• Maintain workstation and office in a clean manner
• Practice good work habits of flexibility, efficiency, punctuality, dependability, and confidentiality
• Strive to grow existing skills and learn new ones
• Employ good communication skills by sharing information, listening to others, and giving positive input
• Work as a team member by helping others and making suggestions for improvements

Benefits and Work Environment

• 4 weeks of Earned Paid Time Off in the first year

• 12 Paid Holidays

• 100% Employer Paid Health Care, Dental, and Vision available

• 403b Retirement plan with 3% discretionary employer match after 6 months

• Employer Paid Family and Medical Leave up to 8 weeks for eligible employees

• This position is based in our Norwich office

• Mileage is reimbursed at the current federal reimbursement rate for all approved work travel with a personal vehicle.

• Opportunity to set professional development goals with a supervisor

• Regular meetings of Willing Hands staff

• We care deeply about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable work environment

Willing Hands is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender or gender identity, race, religion, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, or disability with respect to employment, volunteer participation, and the provision of services.