In the past few months, Sahan Journal has added two new employees: our first full-time membership manager, and a new managing editor. In less than three years, we have grown from a staff of one (our founder and CEO Mukhtar M. Ibrahim) to 13 full-time employees with a projected annual budget of $2 million.
Sahan has succeeded through the amazing generosity and encouragement of our readers, local and national funders, and our advertisers. To sustain this trajectory and help expand our groundbreaking coverage of immigrants and people of color in Minnesota, Sahan Journal is creating three new roles. These hires will help discover new audiences, support our burgeoning advertising sales, and launch a major donor program.
As a regional news nonprofit, we are committed to building a Minnesota-based staff that closely reflects the communities of color we serve. We are seeking candidates with a deep appreciation for the power of authentic local news and an entrepreneurial spirit.
About Sahan Journal
Sahan Journal is a nonprofit digital newsroom dedicated to reporting for immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota. Our diverse staff creates exceptional journalism: coverage that truly represents the changing face of Minnesota and recognizes that democratic engagement and power belong to everyone.
Our stories reach audiences across many platforms, including our website, social media, video, and community events. To reach new audiences, we share our stories with small community papers and with the state’s biggest mainstream newsrooms, in print and on public radio.
Sahan Journal’s mission is to give immigrants and communities of color the kind of committed, responsive news coverage that we all deserve.
The opportunity
Mukhtar M. Ibrahim founded Sahan Journal in 2019 and continues to build the organization as executive director. Since then, our coverage has earned strong support from the communities we cover, as well as individual donors, foundations and corporations, and advertisers. This backing has given Sahan Journal an amazing opportunity to scale up over the next three years.
In order to create sustainable revenue for our journalism and strengthen our operations, we are looking to hire people for several important roles. Specifically, we are looking to expand our audience reach, add editorial capacity, and add to our revenue team with major gifts and advertising.
We are creating a supportive and equitable work culture that is committed to developing the potential of our staff and honoring their health and wellbeing.
Overview
In early 2021 Sahan Journal added its first director of advertising and sponsorship. We realized 832 percent revenue growth within the first year. The time is right to add additional advertising and sponsorship staff!
An experienced sales and marketing associate will support and deliver on marketing, advertising, and corporate sponsorships. This position reports to the director of advertising and sponsorship.
Responsibilities
- Maintain and update our customer relationship management (CRM) platform (Salesforce)
- Write client proposals in response to RFPs or clients’ requests
- Sales fulfillment: Help manage inventory, schedule and document advertising campaigns to ensure proper delivery and accurate client billing, provide campaign reporting and analysis to clients
- Assist with marketing through media sponsorships, events, and outreach
- Other tasks as assigned by the director of advertising and sponsorship
Desired skills, knowledge, and abilities
- Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and understanding its value in the workplace and media industry.
- A degree in advertising or marketing is a plus, but not required. Relevant experience in digital advertising and fulfillment, building and growing relationships and marketing fulfillment desired.
- A strong candidate will have high proficiency in Google Analytics, Google Ad Manager, WordPress, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Google Workspace, including Spreadsheets, and Excel.
- 1–3 years of relevant experience with a strong track record of effective collaboration.
- Entrepreneurial mindset to assess, maintain, or grow the organization’s advertising and tech solutions.
- Experience with social media platforms is a plus
- Commitment to excellent customer service
- Strong attention to detail with the ability to prioritize, multitask, and meet deadlines
Salary and benefits
- Salary begins at $55,000 and will be based on prior experience and skillset.
- Employee medical and dental benefits 100 percent employer paid; dependents at 50 percent.
- Health Savings Account
- 401(k) plan ($1.00 match for each $1.00 you contribute, up to a maximum of 4 percent of your annual income)
- Paid Time Off: 20 days / 4 weeks
- Sick Time Off: 5 days / 1 week
- Sahan Journal does not offer standard federal holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.), reflecting the diverse preferences of our staff. Instead, all employees are eligible for 4 floating holidays to be used at personal discretion.
- Cell phone stipend
- Professional development resources
- Relocation stipend available
- Sahan Journal staff currently works remotely. Employees have the option to use the Wellworth co-working space in downtown St. Paul.
Location
Sahan Journal is a regional news organization. We are building our staff to reflect the state and communities we cover. Therefore, the successful candidate will be expected to live in Minnesota, with the ability to travel to the Twin Cities on a monthly basis.
Application process
To apply, please send a resume and a cover letter, describing your experience and what excites you about working at Sahan Journal. If you have many of the requested skills and experiences, but not all of them, please apply!
Send resume and cover letter to jobs@sahanjournal.com. The deadline for applications is April 28. Open until filled.
