The Opportunity

Rising Tide Co-op is a profitable, community-rooted grocery store with more than $11 million in annual sales, 65 employees, and over 5,000 member-owners. Founded in the early 1970s and operating in its current location since 2009, Rising Tide is the anchor natural and local food store for the mid-coast Maine region — and a genuinely trusted institution in the community it serves.

We are looking for a skilled, values-driven General Manager to lead day-to-day operations, develop our people, and help us grow. This is a rare chance to run a financially healthy, mission-aligned business with a strong board, a loyal customer base, and deep roots in a beautiful part of the country.

The incoming GM will focus on three priorities in the near term: strengthening staff training and development, elevating each department’s offerings to our customers, and building more robust financial and HR infrastructure. Over the longer term, we want to expand the scope of what Rising Tide offers the community.

About Rising Tide

Rising Tide supports more than 300 local farmers and producers, keeping food dollars circulating in our community. We are consistently profitable and financially strong. We are a for-profit retail grocery cooperative — our mission is to strengthen the local economy and community, which includes member-owners, employees, customers, local farmers, and community partners.

The Board of Directors practices Policy Governance, a model that gives the General Manager broad operational authority while holding them accountable to clearly defined ends and executive limitation policies. You’ll have real autonomy to lead — and a board that is engaged, supportive, and focused on the right level of oversight.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Customer Experience

• Lead daily operations of a $11.2M retail grocery store across grocery, deli, produce, wellness, and administrative departments

• Ensure consistently excellent customer experience and shopping environment

• Maintain inventory aligned with customer expectations and Rising Tide’s philosophy of quality and local sourcing.

• Oversee facilities maintenance and capital planning to keep the store well-functioning and welcoming

People & Culture

• Hire, onboard, coach, and develop a team of approximately 65 staff

• Build a culture of trust, accountability, and engagement

• Ensure competitive, equitable compensation and strong benefits for all employees

• Maintain strict compliance with labor, health, safety, and HR regulations

Financial Management

• Develop and manage the annual operating budget and capital expenditures

• Monitor financial performance and adjust operations to stay on target

• Produce and present regular financial reporting to the Board

• Maintain appropriate internal financial controls

Community & Supplier Relations

• Sustain and grow relationships with 300+ local farmers and suppliers

• Serve as a visible, active member of the Damariscotta community

• Advance Rising Tide’s role as a community asset, especially in addressing food access and inequality

Board Partnership

• Serve as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors with regular, transparent reporting

• Interpret and implement Board policies with sound judgment and initiative

• Contribute to long-term strategic thinking about the Co-op’s direction and growth

What We’re Looking For

The strongest candidates will bring:

• Proven experience managing a full-service retail grocery operation; co-op background is a plus but not required

• Strong financial acumen — you read a P&L fluently, build budgets from scratch, and know how to course-correct when trends turn negative

• A track record of building, developing, and retaining teams — you’re a people-developer, not just a people-manager

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work constructively with a governing board

• Comfort with the technology systems used in modern food retail

• Experience in managing HR, insurance, and regulatory compliance

• Genuine alignment with co-op values, local sourcing, and community investment

• The vision and confidence to lead an organization through growth and change