The 'Sota Project: Operations Director

Operations Director

The 'Sota Project is Minnesota's home for students who are ready to challenge attacks on our futures and build a Minnesota where Gen Z can lead and thrive. We are building a large-scale organizing and digital programming to reach and mobilize students across the state.

The outcome of Minnesota's elections this year will be critical. Young Minnesotans will have the opportunity to elect leaders who will be instrumental in reshaping a government that works for young people. With over 90 colleges and universities in Minnesota and hundreds of thousands of student voters, Gen Z has the numbers and the power to determine the outcomes of these elections.

The 'Sota Project will empower students to be leaders in their communities through voter registration, education, peer-to-peer outreach, and turnout efforts that reach students on campuses across the state.

We're building a scrappy and innovative operation to protect and expand democracy by elevating youth leadership across Minnesota inspiring thousands of college students to take control of their futures, get organized, and vote.

This will be a crucial year for Minnesota, and we are in need of talented, dedicated staff ready to take on this challenge with us.

The Operations Director leads the operations and logistics function for the 'Sota Project's 2026 program. This senior role owns the systems, budgets, compliance, and infrastructure that make a 20-person, 29-campus field program run. You will supervise operations staff, serve on the senior leadership team, and partner daily with the State Director, Organizing Director, Senior Advisor, and Data Manager.

The Operations department is also responsible for human resources and compliance, working closely with legal counsel and our compliance consultant to keep the organization on sound legal and financial footing.

Core responsibilities

• Department leadership. Build and manage the operations team (including vendors and seasonal operations support), set department priorities, and represent operations on the senior leadership team.

• Budget ownership. Own the program budget in partnership with the State Director. Track spend against a $2.4M+ plan, approve and process expenses, produce monthly financial reports, and coach department heads on making budget-informed decisions.

• Compliance and HR. Serve as the internal lead on campaign finance, employment, and regulatory compliance. Manage the relationship with legal counsel and the compliance consultant. Own payroll, benefits, onboarding, offboarding, and personnel files.

• Hiring infrastructure. Build and run the systems that move candidates from application to onboarding across multiple hiring waves. Track staff capacity against the org chart and flag gaps early.

• Logistics and field support. Oversee logistical support for a statewide organizing program: vendor management, procurement, merchandise, supply audits, and distribution to regional teams and campuses.

• Offices and infrastructure. Secure campaign offices and storage, negotiate leases, and manage utilities, IT, insurance, and office standup and shutdown.

• Internal systems. Design and implement the cross-department systems, SOPs, and training that keep field, digital, data, and operations aligned. Build the operations playbook that outlasts this cycle.

• Creative program support. Partner with the organizing team on logistics for voter festivals, goofy stunts, and large-scale campus events. When the field team has a big idea, operations makes it possible.

• Other duties as assigned.

A successful candidate for this role will:

• Have 3+ years of campaign, nonprofit, or organizing operations experience, including direct supervisory experience.

• Love building systems, processes, and spreadsheets, and have a real knack for logistics.

• Be fluent in budgets and comfortable owning financial tracking and reporting.

• Have experience managing vendors, leases, procurement, and office setup.

• Understand campaign finance, employment, and nonprofit compliance, or be ready to ramp quickly with legal counsel.

• Be scrappy and flexible, able to manage many moving pieces without losing track of details.

• Be a self-starter with strong judgment, excellent time management, and a bias toward action.

• Be excited to partner with organizers on creative youth voter outreach tactics.

• Share a deep commitment to youth leadership, civic engagement, and expanding democracy.

Compensation: $6,500 - $7,500 per month, commensurate with experience, plus a generous benefits package.

Employment type: Full time, at-will, and terminable at any time with or without cause. Position runs through the 2026 general election with potential for extension.

Location: In person, based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Statewide travel required.

Reports to: State Director.