Sahan Journal is hiring an operations manager to join its staff.

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 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. 

The position 

Sahan Journal seeks an effective manager who will ensure the smooth operational functioning of a multifaceted nonprofit organization. The ideal candidate will be flexible, well-organized, and enthusiastic about building and maintaining financial and administrative systems. The Operations Manager will report to our Managing Director, Development and Operations to coordinate payroll and benefits, keep our books, maintain compliance with nonprofit regulations, create systems for efficiency across the organization, and provide administrative support for the four-member leadership team. 

We anticipate that this role could grow to take on additional responsibilities adjacent to operations—facilities and technology, philanthropic events, intern and fellow coordination—with the ability to move into candidates’ strengths and interests. 

The existing needs fall into the following categories:

Human Resources

• Manage relationships with human resources PEO platform, healthcare, HSA, 401k 
• Execute payroll, benefits administration, onboarding, and other workplace needs
• Drive development and compliance of Sahan Journal’s employee handbook 
• Establish goals and processes for hiring, onboarding, performance evaluations, professional development, and all-staff planning meetings. 
• Ensure recruiting and hiring processes are consistent and streamlined 
• Train and orient staff on personnel policies, procedures and tools 
• Maintain and update personnel and operations policies and procedures 

Financial Administration 

• Collaborate with contractors and leadership to support the annual budget process
• Execute daily bookkeeping tasks, cash flow and forecasting reports (Quickbooks)
• Support all elements of audit and 990 preparation 
• Maintain restricted  and unrestricted grant tracking and reporting

Operations 

• Serve as the point person for  virtual office and physical workspace(s)
• Manage key vendors and platforms (Slack, Google, Zoom, INN, News Revenue Hub) 
• Provide administrative support for Sahan Journals programs, events, and projects 
• Track and respond to requests for content, partnerships, or event participation
• Assure compliance with charity, state and federal registration and reporting obligations

Desired skills, knowledge, and abilities:

• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and understanding its value in the workplace and media industry
• 1–3 years of relevant experience with a strong track record of effective collaboration
• Previous experience in nonprofit human resources and/or bookkeeping a plus 
• Entrepreneurial mindset to assess, maintain, or grow the organization’s business development infrastructure
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to prioritize, multitask, and meet deadlines

Salary and benefits

• Salary begins at $60,000 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 work 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! 

The position is open until filled. Send resume and cover letter to jobs@sahanjournal.com.