Insights Lab Manager

Title: Manager,Solutions Insights Lab

Reports to: Manager, Solutions Insights Lab

Position Type: Full-time, permanent

Compensation:$75,000 - $95,000

Location: US Based, remote, some travel required.

Benefits: 100% premiums covered by SJN for medical insurance, access to dental and vision insurance, 20 days paid vacation, 3 floating personal days, 10 sick days, 8 paid holidays, the last week of December off, work schedule flexibility,  a remote work stipend.

Timeline:

Application due: Nov 12, 2024

Interviews Nov 14, 2024- Nov 22, 2024

Finalist and Offer by Nov 27, 2024

Start Date Jan 6, 2025

Since 2013, the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) has worked to legitimize and spread solutions journalism — rigorous reporting that examines not just problems, but also effective efforts to respond to them — in order to rebalance the news. We’ve made a strong case for how and why audiences and society benefit when solutions journalism is integrated into the news — and we’ve had real success. We’ve worked with over 600 news organizations and 47,000 individual journalists and, based on growing demand for our work, currently staff are working across the United States as well as in Africa and Europe. Around the world, solutions reporting is being practiced by news organizations because it increases audience trust and engagement, can sharpen accountability, opens up new sources of revenue, and surfaces and circulates vital knowledge to meet the challenges of our time.  

Today we believe it is more urgent than ever that we take bold action and significantly broaden our reach. Building on our success legitimizing and spreading the solutions journalism approach, we are embarking upon an ambitious new strategy aimed at advancing a system-level change across the field of journalism, in which strong communications and partnerships will play a critical role. Working with a network of journalists, educators and allies, we aim to engage tens of thousands more along with hundreds of news organizations in a movement to ensure ready access to news that is informed by solutions reporting. Our vision of success is sweeping but achievable. With broad adoption of solutions journalism, we envision an increase in society’s capacity to solve problems, widespread reach of more complete and accurate coverage, advances in fairness and equity in reporting, and a public that is actively involved in the stories being told about their communities.  

Mission: Our mission is to transform journalism so that all people have access to news that helps them envision and build a more equitable and sustainable world.

We Envision: A world where solutions journalism is ubiquitous; is produced by, reflects and reaches people across society; and routinely informs public discourse and decision-making.

Organizational Core Values:

Curiosity

Collaboration

Purpose

Respect

Role Description: 

The Project Manager for the Solutions Insights Lab (SIL) will handle all aspects of the workflow, from researching and scheduling participants to interview, managing approvals of interview edits, tagging and templating of interviews for the technical lead, and keeping in touch with participants for promoting their interviews, and thereby the larger work. This position will report to the SIL’s Research Manager and is responsible for ensuring that the operational aspects of each SIL runs smoothly. The Project Manager also highlights gaps and areas where the team’s effectiveness would be increased by investing more time and support towards project completion.

• Solutions Insights Lab Project Management
• Collaborate with the SIL Research Manager and Chief Innovation Officer to set strategic priorities for interviews, in conjunction with clients’ needs. Contribute to written proposals and reports for SIL projects.
• Manage the scheduling of interviews. This includes assisting clients with outreach to interviewees, managing interview scheduling through an online scheduling software, sending personalized correspondence to interviewees prior to interviews, and problem-solving schedule issues for interviewees and interviewers when necessary, keeping all stakeholders informed the entire way. This also includes following up with participants and maintaining relationships.
• Potential to manage, train and oversee contractors who are editing interview transcripts and helping with additional tasks. This includes training contractors on the editing process - from formatting to using the transcription software to listening to interviews when needed. Managing the contractors also includes handing out editing assignments and ensuring interviews are completed on time.
• Format interview transcripts and, for some projects, edit interview transcripts for clarity through an equity lens that preserves the cultural and language norms of the interviewee, highlighting passages that speak to important insights, and formatting the interviews using SIL branding. Contribute to the design of original taxonomies created based on the needs of clients, SJN’s taxonomies, and based on trends and patterns that emerge through analysis of the interviews. Use multiple taxonomies – unique to each project – to tag interviews on the project’s website.
• Assist with uploading interviews to the SIL websitesDesign, manage, and disseminate, with the review and approval of the Chief Innovation Officer and others within SJN, SIL communications. This includes management of the SIL LinkedIn page and the Newsletter, as well as future communication avenues.
• Solutions Insights Lab Analysis and Research
• Assist with the analysis of interviews to surface promising patterns, insights and opportunities for further inquiries. This includes applying social science research principles – including both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques – to generate original findings.
• Research potential interviewees for clients, including contact information.
• Create detailed systems maps to zoom out and visualize the bigger picture of complex systems to understand how various components interact and influence each other.
• Present research findings orally to internal and external audiences.
• Write research findings for publication in various external publications.
• Support the Impact Manager in tracking impact of the Solutions Insights Lab

• Highly organizedStrong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to be client-facing particularly in meetings and written communications
• Ability to accept and learn from constructive feedback
• Works well under pressure
• Comfortable multi-tasking and effective at managing competing prioritiesAble to write for and produces an externally-facing newsletter as well as LinkedIn posts

• Entrepreneurial mindset and ability to draw connections across projects for engagement and other aspects of the lab’s work
• Presentation and proposal writing skills
• Systems thinker with the ability to see connections across sectors
• Ability to keep abreast of news and research related to social innovation

Does this sound like your calling? We hope so: We’re an energetic, ambitious, and fun bunch, and we want great people to join us.

Equity, Justice, Diversity and Inclusion at SJN means a workplace where individual differences are recognized, appreciated, respected and responded to in ways that fully develop and utilize each person’s talents and strengths. Diversity of perspective, identity, and experience is important to us.  We want to reflect and serve the whole of society. As a result, we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to seek employment, and we make all employment decisions without regard to race, age, gender, sexual orientation, or any other factors protected by federal, state or local law. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Eva Blanc, eva@solutionsjournalism.org

SJN Application & Hiring Process FAQ

Q: Where’s the best place to learn more about the Solutions Journalism Network and the work that you do?

A: Start with this “brief but spectacular” video made for PBS and featuring David Bornstein, one of SJN’s co-founders. Check out the SJN website, new research on how audiences respond to solutions journalism, our most recent survey of our newsroom partners and this study on how solutions journalism can lead to increased revenue. 

Q: Where do I submit my cover letter?

A: The SJN application does not include a cover letter. Instead, we ask a series of questions that we hope will provide the opportunity for you to share your thoughts. All applicants respond to the same questions, which removes the guesswork of a cover letter and enables you to focus on the things we’re most interested in knowing about your qualifications for this role. (note: after the application questions, you will see a final box that says "ADDITIONAL INFORMATION" and the preview text says "add a cover letter or anything else you want to share”. Please do not upload a cover letter here.

Q: What happens after I submit my application?

A: Once the application period closes, a team of SJN staffers will review all of the applications and contact candidates who move to the next stage of the process, which will include 1-2 rounds of interviews and, possibly, an additional (brief) assignment.