Operations Manager

Position Type: Full-time

Reports To: Deputy Director

Office Hours: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm; additional hours as needed for events and important meetings

Location: Hybrid - to be discussed during interviews

Salary Range: $70,000 - $85,000/year, dependent on experience. Additionally, TFFJ offers a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance, plus a retirement 403(b) plan and substantial vacation.

Organizational Overview

Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) fights food insecurity and diet-related disease through school-based, youth-led hydroponic farming, providing local, sustainably-grown produce to food desert communities and building health equity for all New Yorkers and beyond. TFFJ works within NYC Title I middle and high schools in food desert communities, training students to build/maintain indoor hydroponic farms, each capable of growing up to 10,000 pounds of produce annually, that is served daily at school lunch and distributed to the surrounding community’s food-insecure residents. Further, students learn/master nutrition/health skills to share with peers/neighbors, empowering them to lead themselves and others towards healthier futures.

Position Overview

TFFJ seeks an experienced Operations Manager to help establish and employ systems that will streamline and improve our accounting, HR, and general office management processes. We’re looking for someone who lives in the details of these workstreams and understands their big-picture value in enabling TFFJ to implement our program efficiently, particularly as we work toward doubling in size over the next two to three years. Our ideal candidate is highly detail- and systems-oriented, communicates consistently and clearly with all audiences, self-manages using consistent support and feedback from management, and collaborates well with various teams. 

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a passion for social justice who also enjoys the behind-the-scenes operational work needed to implement a multifaceted, school-based program across many sites. 

Responsibilities and Essential Functions

Accounting & Development Support (40%)

• Work with TFFJ’s Accounting team to: 
• Support invoicing and collection of all receivables (including donor pledges, grants, and government contract payments)
• Code and post invoices in Bill.com for payment (as well as offline payments) by staff
• Manage staff expense charges and administer reimbursements
• Verify and post credit card transactions
• Post transactions that appear on our checking accounts in Quickbooks Online
• Reach out to vendors and consultants regarding W-9 information (or other issues)
• Process 1099 forms
• Provide assistance with the annual audit in the form of backup for vendor and donor transactions

HR & Personnel Support (30%)

• Administer and monitor employee benefits including health, vision, dental, STD and life insurance, retirement, and Paid Time Off
• Scheduling and inputting biweekly payroll for all full-time and part-time employees in the payroll system
• Manage timesheets for all relevant employees
• Support Deputy Director in:
• Recruiting new employees by posting and collecting job descriptions
• Onboarding employees by sending, collecting, and filing records related to TFFJ compliance policies and employee benefits
• Maintaining and updating compliance-related employee records, including annual sexual harassment prevention trainings, farm safety trainings, and background checks 
• Monitoring insurance renewals and changes in New York City and State employment laws

General Office Operations (20%)

• Oversee the purchasing, maintenance, and tracking of company office equipment and technology, including office supplies, general office phone line, cell phones, laptops, tablets, cameras, and external hard drives
• Provide logistical support for staff and board meetings (scheduling, calendar management, Google Meeting/Zoom invitation and interface, as well as meeting room reservations and setup and ordering food as needed)
• Receive, distribute, and prepare incoming/outgoing mail and shipments; deposit and scan checks to senior leadership/development team regularly
• Monitor and redirect voicemail inquiries left on TFFJ’s general phone line
• Track cost of and manage inventory in TFFJ’s off-site Program and Farm storage supply rooms 
• Arrange logistics for team events such as holiday parties
• Update the team calendar layer with recurring holidays and any ad-hoc days when TFFJ closes its office
• Book staff travel arrangements as needed
• Assist CEO and Deputy Director in meeting scheduling

Event Support (10%)

• Work with Program, Development, and Communications staff to coordinate farm tours for prospective partners, funders, elected officials, and other interested stakeholders
• Support logistics for TFFJ fundraising and program-related events, including our annual gala and Student Leadership Conference, as well as farm launches and other press events

Required Qualifications and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree and/or 5+ years of relevant full-time experience
• Experience utilizing a CRM platform (preferably Salesforce)
• Experience managing confidential information related to employees, donors, and organizational finances
• Experience managing and troubleshooting computer equipment and software as well as interacting with technology providers
• Strong working knowledge of Google Office, Microsoft Office (particularly Excel), and Slack 
• Effective and clear written and verbal communication skills
• Comfortable managing relationships with stakeholders ranging from student interns to outside vendors
• Able to execute responsibilities using a high level of attention to detail and to complete tasks on deadline
• Able to self-manage using inputs and feedback from regular check-ins with management

Desired Qualifications and Competencies

• Familiarity with ADP or a similar payroll system
• Familiarity with Bill.com or a similar vendor payment system
• Familiarity with Quickbooks Online or similar accounting software
• Passion for food justice and its intersecting additional spheres of social justice
• Willingness to establish and codify operational protocols and processes for a growing organization
• Strong interpersonal skills and a good sense of humor
• Comfortable working on a small team 

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating an inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

TFFJ’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and diversity applies to all aspects of employment: recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; transfers; and terminations. TFFJ does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, sex/gender (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, nationality, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, unemployed status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law. 

To apply, please email a resume and a cover letter to work@teensforfoodjustice.org. Include the words “Operations Manager” in the subject.