Chief Administrative Officer

Position Summary:

Reporting to the President & CEO, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) serves on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and provides enterprise leadership over Human Resources, Information Technology, Purchasing & Warehouse, Facilities, and Internal Audit.  The CAO leads the enterprise risk management (ERM) cadence and insurance procurement/claims program; governs policy, internal controls, data governance, and business continuity; and strengthens cross-functional execution to support NHEC’s mission and NH Broadband’s growth.  A qualified incumbent may serve as Corporate Counsel (Track B option) to centralize legal and regulatory support services.  This position is responsible for the Audit Committee.

Responsibilities and Essential Functions:

Enterprise Leadership, Governance & Strategy

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and SLT; translate strategy into executable administrative roadmaps.
• Own administrative policy governance and decision rights across HR, IT, Procurement/Warehouse, Facilities, and Internal Audit.
• Set standards, KPIs, and operating rhythms for administrative functions.

Enterprise Risk Management & Insurance

• Lead the ERM program with the CEO and Board committees.
• Maintain risk register, risk appetite thresholds, mitigation plans, and incident post-mortems.
• Oversee insurance procurement, broker relationships, policy placements, and claims management.

Human Resources (People & Culture)

• Provide executive oversight of workforce planning, talent acquisition, learning & leadership development, total rewards, employee relations, culture, and compliance.
• Standardize HR policies, manager enablement, and analytics.

Information Technology & Cybersecurity

• Oversee IT strategy, roadmaps, budgets, and delivery.
• Champion data governance, privacy, records management, and business continuity.
• Partner with IT leadership on cyber posture and audit remediation.

Purchasing & Warehouse (Supply Management)

• Modernize sourcing, inventory optimization, and contract lifecycle management.
• Set cost-to-serve and supply resilience KPIs.

Facilities

• Govern facility lifecycle planning, capital budgeting, maintenance, safety, and resiliency across NHEC/NH Broadband sites.

Internal Audit & Controls

• Oversee the internal audit plan and timely closure of findings.
• Coordinate with Finance on external audit support and FEMA documentation.

Board, Regulatory, and External Relations

• Serve as executive liaison to relevant Board committees and external stakeholders.

People Leadership

• Build a high-performing leadership bench across direct-report functions.
• Set clarity of roles, decisions rights, succession plans, and leadership expectations.

Corporate Counsel Option (Track B)

• Provide in-house counsel services including contract review, easement review, PUC/DOE hearings, and other electric utility legal matters.
• Manage regulatory filings, governance support, litigation/claims oversight, and outside counsel.
• Maintain legal ethics and bar compliance.

Other duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Required Education and Experience:

Track A (CAO – Non-Attorney)

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA/MPA) preferred.
• Experience: Ten (10) + years progressive leadership spanning two or more domains (HR, IT, procurement/warehouse, facilities, internal audit/risk) in a cooperative/utility or other critical-infrastructure environment preferred.
• Competencies: Executive leadership; strategic planning & ERM; change management; policy governance and internal controls; vendor/contract management; financial acumen; board and regulator engagement; confidentiality and judgment.
• Tools/Knowledge: HRIS and ERP / procurement suites; audit/risk tools; contract lifecycle management; cybersecurity and data governance fundamentals.

Track B – (CAO & Corporate Counsel – Attorney)

• Education/Licensure: Juris Doctor and active bar admission (state(s) acceptable to NHEC).
• Experience: In-house or outside-counsel experience supporting utilities/critical infrastructure, commercial contracting, regulatory compliance, governance, and litigation/claims management.
• Additional Competencies: Legal risk assessment, attorney-client privilege management, outside counsel oversight, and practical, business-forward legal guidance.

All NHEC Staff:

• Embody NHEC core values and encourage others to do so as well.
• Emergency Restoration
  • Assistance with restoration efforts is required of all employees.
  • Employees will be assigned functions to support storm restoration and for some employees that may be different from their normal duties.
  • Such assistance may require working nights, weekends, and holidays, which may involve considerable extra hours.
  • In order to meet this working condition, all employees are required to provide a personal phone number where they may be reached after hours.  This number will only be used for internal purposes.
• Safety
  • Safety shall be an integral part of every employee’s job and includes being proactively aware of potential hazards not only to themselves but also their co-workers and general public.
  • Safety is at the forefront of everything we do at NHEC, therefore becoming ingrained within our culture.  NHEC is committed to the safety of our employees, members, and general public.
• Professional Development
  • Take proactive steps towards personal and professional growth, seeking out opportunities for skill enhancement and staying abreast of industry trends.

Working Conditions:

Generally accepted office conditions.  Occasional travel required in the performance of work responsibilities and representation of NHEC at various meetings.

Assistance with power restoration efforts is required of all employees.  It may be required during regular business hours that employees will be assigned functions to support power restoration and for some employees that may be different from their normal duties.  In addition, such assistance may require working nights, weekends and holidays which may involve considerable extra hours.

To meet this working condition, all employees are required to provide a personal phone number where they may be reached after hours.  This number will only be used for internal purposes.

• ADA physical and environmental factors.
• Prolonged sitting or standing
• Pulling, twisting, kneeling
• Member facing

Additional Information

Applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled or otherwise closed. For full consideration, please submit your materials by December 19, 2025.  Please be prepared to provide a resume and cover letter to complete your application. Any application not containing a resume and cover letter will be considered incomplete.

Compensation:

NHEC views compensation in a holistic and transparent manner. We are committed to providing our employees with work-life integration, generous time off, comprehensive health and retirement benefits, and additional programs that enhance our employees and members lives.

Track A (CAO – Non-Attorney)

The targeted salary range for this position is $217,186.02-250,433.79 with anticipated pay for new hires between the entry and midpoint of this range and could vary above or below the listed range.

Track B – (CAO & Corporate Counsel – Attorney)

The targeted salary range for this position is $233,105.97-269,205.42 with anticipated pay for new hires between the entry and midpoint of this range and could vary above or below the listed range.

Pay is based on non-discriminatory factors including but not limited to work experience, education, licensure requirements, proficiency and qualifications required for the role. The base pay is just one component of NHEC's total compensation package for employees.

The Organization: 

Headquartered in Plymouth, New Hampshire, NHEC is the largest member-owned electric cooperative in New England, providing electric utility service to consumers and businesses in 115 communities throughout New Hampshire. There are 220+ employees serving our members, which is at the heart of everything we do and every decision we make, and our mission is to provide our members access to affordable, reliable electric service options that support and simplify their lives. The electric utility industry is currently undergoing enormous change as consumers look for new ways to manage energy costs through renewable energy, distributed energy resources such as solar arrays and battery storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and energy-related apps on smart devices. 

There is much to be proud of in our existing organization, and a genuine enthusiasm for what the future holds. It is an environment in which individual leadership and initiative are highly valued and encouraged, and success is viewed as a shared accomplishment to be celebrated by all. Ensuring our members have the energy they need, the information they want, and a partner they can trust is what makes us difference. We invite you to learn more about the impact you can have by exploring our website at www.nhec.com.

EEO Statement: 

It is NHEC’s policy to provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. NHEC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, family care status, veteran status, military service, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or any other status protected by applicable law.  

NHEC will make reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

FLSA Classification: Exempt
Job Classification: People Leader
Safety Sensitive: No
Pay Grade: 22 (Corporate Counsel) / 21 (Non-Attorney)