Freedom First is a CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution), and our mission of Helping People Prosper — Helping Communities Thrive is what makes working here a rewarding experience! If you're someone who wants to benefit the community with their work, you're probably a great fit for our team.

  • Our pay and benefits package is very competitive for the region.
  • Read on to learn why Freedom First is a great place to work
Our recruiting team strives to make the application process as smooth as possible, so expect frequent communication and updates.


Financial Empowerment Center team
Our recruiters are usually at job fairs held at the Salem Civic Center and the Berglund Center, as well as at many of the community events we sponsor throughout the year.

We recruit for a variety of locations throughout Roanoke, the New River Valley, Lynchburg, and beyond. Our extensive branch network is always growing, and we have operations facilities throughout our service area as well.

We boast a workforce of almost 230 employees and we're still growing. Why not become one of them?


Job fair
We offer competitive salaries, incentive rewards, and benefits to keep up with the needs of our changing workforce. Here are just a few!

  • 401K Benefit: Contribute the maximum allowed under the rules. Take advantage of a generous employer match.

  • Health Benefits: Employer-sponsored Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance for employees and family. Other options (Cancer, Accident, Critical Illness etc. plans) are also available at a separate cost to employee. Wellness Program with on-site nurse.

  • Tax Benefits: Flexible spending accounts for Medical & Dependent Care. Health spending accounts available.

  • Education & Tuition: A very robust education assistance/tuition reimbursement program that is competitive with large national companies. An on-staff Trainer to help you learn systems and processes with year-round training. 

  • Time Off: 3 weeks paid time off from year one, with increases after 5 and 10 years of employment. Paid bank holidays. 8 paid volunteer hours.
 
  • Insurance: Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and Long Term Disability premiums paid by Freedom First.

  • Advancement & Professional Development: Hard work, talent, and merit are recognized with advancement and incentive rewards. A dedicated Professional Development Coordinator works with employees to build advancement plans and access resources. A wide variety of other professional development opportunities are available to all employees, as detailed in the section below.

  • Employee Assistance Resources: Freedom First offers a wide range of resources for employees and their families who are experiencing hardship, including a partnership with Carilion Clinic's all-encompassing Employee Assistance Program and Freedom First Enterprises' Helping Hands Fund, an emergency fund available to employees and their immediate household to overcome difficult situations. 


Freedom First provides multiple ways for all of our employees to develop professionally. Fostering talent and opportunity in our people is a core element of our commitment to being a great employer.

  • Professional Development Program: The Professional Development Program's objective is to create a culture of development and empowerment at Freedom First that enables our team members to achieve their personal and professional goals.  This program encompasses all of the resources available to employees (as listed below) in addition to a tailored development plan that is created by the employee and the Professional Development Coordinator.

  • Freedom First Academy: Freedom First Academy is a classroom-style free professional development course developed by employees for employees. Courses cover organizational and industry knowledge, networking, guest community leaders, and other topics. Participants can complete courses at their own pace and graduate after meeting the program completion requirements, joining a peer network of highly-motivated teammates.

  • Tuition Reimbursement Program: Freedom First offers a very robust education assistance/tuition reimbursement program that is competitive with large national companies. This program aims to help our employees advance further in their roles through higher education opportunities that align with business objectives.

  • Company-Sponsored Certifications and CEUs: When they align with business goals, there may be instances where employees can obtain industry certifications and participate in continuing education opportunities as a part of their career development.

  • Cross-Department Shadowing: When employees express interest in learning about how other departments function, they are encouraged to participate in cross-department shadowing to gain better understanding. This helps promote cross-department communication and sometimes gives employees the opportunity to discover new roles of interest.

  • Committees & Culture Initiatives: Freedom First has numerous employee-led committees and culture initiatives that offer opportunities for teams to develop skills in leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork while strengthening their peer networks.

Freedom First Academy graduates
Community-Oriented Mindset
The number one quality that Freedom First employees like to brag about is our commitment to giving back to our community. It's a core part of how we do business, and it's evident in our team's enthusiasm to pitch in and find new ways to give back.

From donation drives and volunteer opportunities to forging nonprofit partnerships and helping our members and teammates improve their financial well-being every day, community is central to who Freedom First is as an organization.

Freedom First employees presenting auto loan payoff check to winning member

Commitment to the Highest Standards of Service
Freedom First employees are committed to a set of service standards that:

  • Help everyone improve their financial well-being
  • Help communities be more vibrant, equitable, and inclusive
  • Create positive member and teammate experiences at each interaction
  • Provide a safe and secure environment for our members and employees
Two workers with a dog

Social Activities Throughout the Year
Enjoy seasonal all-employee events as well as smaller opportunities to gather and socialize with friends, family, and teammates throughout the year!

Freedom First employees on the court at a Liberty Flames basketball game

Employee-Led Committees
All employees are given the opportunity to join committees that help build culture at Freedom First. These employee-led committees plan internal events, recognize employee accomplishments, tackle Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives, develop professional development opportunities, coordinate community giving and volunteering, and so much more!

Freedom First employees participating in the polar plunge benefiting the special olympics

Scoop Ice Cream Truck
Not many banks or credit unions have an ice cream truck driven by employees who give out free ice cream to families and children at area events, festivals, schools, nonprofits, and businesses!

Freedom First scoop

Focus on Financial Wellness
No matter your position at the credit union or place in life, Freedom First encourages all of our team members to access the many financial well-being tools available to employees and members of our community.

And taking it a step further, we get to know our members so we can help them find the right tools for their individual needs - instead of pushing products and services they do not want. We also take the time to refer them to specialized teams or partner support services based on these conversations to ensure that their needs are fully addressed.

FEC counselors Kathryn and Janaia pictured with the caption women and wealth

Don't take it from us - our team members are more than happy to share why they love working at Freedom First!

"I believe that I have the coolest job in the world. I never thought I'd have a job like this. I call my team the Financial Superheroes!"
- Janaia Bass, Roanoke Financial Empowerment Center Counselor
"There's nothing greater than helping someone get to that next step when maybe they don't think that they can. I think that we're always working together toward that end goal. Not just the retail branches, but all over Freedom First. If I had to think of just one thing that I love about working here, it's that we're like a family, always helping each other out."
-Tabatha Quesenberry, VP of the Roanoke Market
"Freedom First allows me to not only build relationships with people at work, but also have the time to build my relationships with the people I love the most - my family at home."
-Jeremiah Clarke, VP Private Banking
"My team at Freedom First is my family. Anytime I have even something personal going on, not necessarily work-related, they're the first people I reach out to. They're community. They're part of me."
- Kathryn Matherly, Roanoke Financial Empowerment Center Manager

"What keeps me coming to work every day is seeing the people that I'm working with every day take steps in their development and show real progress in their leadership and management styles."
-Shon Aguero, Chief Banking Officer

"I'm such a people person, so I like hearing about everybody's lives. It's really fun to see my members taking interest in me because I took interest in them, too. I also love being able to put down my work at the end of the day and be present for my family at home, and Freedom First is really great about letting me do that."
-Rachel Pruitt, Universalist

"What I love most about my job is the flexibility that Freedom First allows. There's a very big push for work-life balance here, so I enjoy knowing that when I come to work I can give 100%, but then when it's time to go home I can give 100% to my family as well."
-Deanna Dickerson, Mortgage Loan Originator (New River Valley)
In addition to our numerous industry awards and recognition, Freedom First also has been recognized for our expertise and commitment to the community and our people in a number of ways:
 
 
  • 2023 Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award and Desjardins Adult and Youth Financial Education Award from the Virginia Credit Union League







  • Recognized at the Platinum level as Best Credit Union and at the Gold level as Best Bank by the Roanoke Times' Best of 2022 Ranking.

  • Recognized at the Platinum level as Local Company that Gives Back and Local Company on the Grow, at the Gold level for Best Regional/Locally-Based Bank and Best Credit Union, and at the Silver level for Best Employer by the Roanoker's Best of 2022 Ranking.

  • Recognized as Best Credit Union by SWVA Living Magazine's Best of 2022 Ranking.

  • Recognized at the Platinum level as the 2022 HOME Roanoke Valley Magazine's Readers' Favorite Bank, Mortgage Lending Company, and Financial Planning, as well as at the Gold level for favorite Credit Union.

  • Recognized at the Silver level as the 2022 HOME Central Virginia Magazine's Readers' Favorite Credit Union and Financial Planning.

  • Recognized nationally for our "Find Your Freedom" marketing campaign by the 2022 MarCom Awards (Gold) and 2022 Viddy Awards (Platinum). Our 2020-21 Community Impact Report also won Platinum at the 2022 MarCom Awards and at the 2022 CUNA Diamond Awards.



Three smiling children hugging at the West End Center for Youth

Our community impact.

Freedom First's mission is Helping People Prosper - Helping Communities Thrive. See just how much we impact our community.

Collage of Freedom First employee portraits

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Learn about what Freedom First is doing to promote Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at all levels of the organization.

Job Seekers with Disabilities


Freedom First is committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to submit your application for an open position, please email your request to bankforgood@freedomfirst.com, submit our contact form, or call our contact center at (540) 389-0244 (local) / (866) 389-0244 (toll-free). Please note that only requests for an accommodation based on a physical or mental disability should be communicated through this channel. 

Tell us, have we sold you on working at Freedom First?


Freedom First is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, veteran or marital status, or of any other protected status covered by federal, state, or local law.