The Nebraska Journalism Trust is looking for a hands-on builder to design the next phase of the organization’s growth and manage all aspects of day-to-day operations. Your job, simply put: Make our organization run effectively and efficiently, enabling our journalists to get more done, reach more Nebraskans, and make an even bigger difference in their lives.
As a leader on our small team, this role will cover a lot of ground. A typical day could see you onboard a new freelance journalist, consult with our attorney about a potential acquisition or strategic partnership, process invoices, and create a budget for a new program. The next day you might negotiate a lease on a satellite office, book travel for a reporter, and nail down AV for a public forum where our reporters will speak. These things need to go off without a hitch.
Founded in 2021, we are still a startup. We move fast and get our hands dirty. As an organizational leader, you will develop strategies, policies, and documents for employee management, technology, and finance. You will also put those plans into action — assisting employees with time cards, organizing digital files for a new project, and building project budgets. You will have short-term assignments and goals on day one. Over time, we expect that you will grow into identifying your own recommendations for strengthening the organization.
Your work will shape an organization committed to public-service journalism across the state. The Nebraska Journalism Trust is growing more complex, and you will be pivotal in designing and implementing the next phase of growth. We have new revenue sources, new publications, more partners and more staff. With this growth comes the need for more sophisticated administrative systems. This behind-the-scenes role will help our newsroom operate more effectively and efficiently.
The ideal candidate will bring experience in nonprofit administration or operations and the ability to anticipate future needs of this growing organization.
The Director of Finance & Operations will report to the Executive Director and work closely with the Director of Advancement (also a new position), the Executive Editor, the Grant Writer & Development Consultant, and a consulting accounting firm. The position requires a regular in-person presence at the organization’s headquarters in downtown Omaha; at least 20 hours a week should be spent at the office. This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with scheduling flexibility. Eligible for full health, dental, vision, and retirement benefits.
Salary: $70,000-$85,000
Key responsibilities
Financial
- Develop financial projections for multiple revenue sources and programs.
- Develop budgets and monitor performance vs. budgets.
- Manage insurance requirements, policies and payments.
- Develop project budgets for use in grant proposals, fundraising, and grant reports.
- Manage all financial accounts, including bank, reserve, investment, multiple donation payment processors and payments from donor-advised funds.
- Manage vendor selection, relationships, and payments.
- Create processes and issue invoices for payments.
Strategic
- Contribute to strategies in organizational development and growth.
- Plan operational infrastructure to support new products and programs.
- Strategic responsibilities are expected to grow over time.
Human resources
- Manage human resources functions, assisted through a partnership with a professional employment organization.
- Develop an efficient procedure for onboarding new employees.
- Develop and maintain contracts for employees and freelance contributors.
- Develop and manage processes for and manage employee reimbursements for travel and other expenses.
- Spearhead hiring and recruitment.
Policies and procedures
- Contribute to the development of new policies and procedures and verify compliance according to nonprofit best practices.
- Manage internal document storage and sharing systems such as Google Workspace.
- Manage accounts for remote work, internet access and communications.
- Develop packets for board meetings and for orienting new board members.
Key qualifications
The Nebraska Journalism Trust is committed to building an inclusive team that reflects the full diversity of communities throughout Nebraska. Members of traditionally underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. The list below is meant to provide a general overview of qualifications; people with nontraditional educational and career paths are also encouraged to apply:
- Three to five years of experience in nonprofit administration, business management, human resources, executive support or similar roles.
- Excellent task and project management skills.
- Customer-service mindset and solutions-focused in working with colleagues, vendors, partners, subscribers and donors.
- Willingness to anticipate future needs, develop and test creative solutions, learn from tests and iterate quickly.
- Enthusiasm for the organization’s mission: To uncover truth, amplify diverse voices and enrich life in Nebraska.
- Discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information.