Director of Operations

National Observer; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sun Life extended health package

Employer matching RRSP

One month of vacation, personal and_s

Job summary

Canada’s National Observer in Vancouver seeks a dynamic Director of Operations to align editorial goals with business sustainability, overseeing people, financial systems, and funding partnerships. Reporting to the Publisher/CEO, this leadership role requires strategic oversight of contracts, grants, and institutional relationships, with a focus on precision and operational excellence.

Join a unionized newsroom that values independent journalism and ethical, well-structured operations to empower

Qualifications

• Post-secondary degree in business administration, communications, or a related field.
• 5–7 years of experience in HR, admin, and financial coordination.
• Clear, professional communicator capable of formal reporting.
• Discretion with sensitive financial and personnel data.

Responsibilities

• HR, labour relations and employee support
• Grants, funding applications and management
• Business administration & finance
• Institutional partnerships & revenue
• Executive support

Skills

HR coordination

Administration

Financial coordination

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, or related field

Job description

Join Our Team as Director of Operations at Canada’s National Observer

Reports to: Linda Solomon Wood, Publisher/CEO

Compensation range: $90,0000 - $100,000 annually

Location: Vancouver

Term: Full-time, permanent

Status: Management role in a unionized workplace (this position is excluded from the bargaining unit)

About Canada’s National Observer

What began at a dining room table in Vancouver in 2008 is now one of Canada's most decorated independent newsrooms.

Observer Media Group launched Vancouver Observer first, then Canada's National Observer in 2015, betting that excellent reporting and accountability journalism could thrive outside legacy media. In 2017, CNO became the first digital-only publication in Canadian history to win a National Newspaper Award and receive a Michener citation for public service journalism. "The little engine that could," then-Governor General David Johnston called it.

As we've grown, the awards have kept coming, and so has the impact. CNO investigations have forced government resignations, exposed dysfunction in the regulatory system overseeing a $15-billion pipeline, and revealed disinformation campaigns targeting local democracies. We have also shone a light on the best of Canadian innovation and solutions. In an era of climate crisis and coordinated disinformation, excellent accountability journalism has never mattered more.

Today, CNO covers Canada's changing climate from newsrooms in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa, with more than 35,000 articles published. Last year we launched Civic Searchlight — our popular "superpower for democracy" — and earned ten new journalism award nominations this spring alone, including the inaugural Hinton Award for AI Safety Reporting from the Canadian Journalism Foundation.

The Role

Canada’s National Observer seeks a dynamic Director of Operations who has the management and operational expertise to support the next phase of our award-winning journalism.

As CNO’s Director of Operations, you are the strategic link between our editorial goals and our business sustainability. You will oversee the "how" of our work—managing our people, our financial systems, and our key funding partnerships. We need someone who can maintain a bird’s-eye view of our operational health while ensuring that every contract, grant report, and institutional relationship is handled with absolute precision.

This is a role for a leader who values independent media and takes pride in building the professional, resilient framework that allows our journalists to do what they do best.

Reporting to the CEO/Publisher, you will be the link between our editorial mission and our business sustainability. This is a role for a professional who thrives on operational excellence and understands that behind every groundbreaking investigation is a robust, well-managed, and ethically driven organization.

The Profile

• You have a post-secondary degree in business administration, communications or a related field
• You have a genuine interest in the future of Canadian journalism and the climate transition
• You have 5-7 years experience working in HR, admin, and financial coordination, with a knack for building efficient workflows
• You are a clear, effective communicator who can handle formal reporting and internal team needs with equal professionalism
• You handle sensitive financial and personnel data with absolute discretion and attention to detail

Core Responsibilities

• HR, labour relations and employee support
• Grants, funding applications and management
• Business administration & finance
• Institutional partnerships & revenue
• Executive support

What we Offer

• Sun Life extended health package
• Employer matching RSP
• One month of vacation, personal and sick days and equipment allowance
• Career development

A note on AI: Do not send us an AI-generated CV and cover letter. We want to hear your voice and see your work experience laid out clearly. In your cover letter, make it clear why you'd want to work for Canada's National Observer.

This post will remain open until we find the right candidate.

Canada's National Observer is committed to building a team that reflects the country we cover. We actively welcome applications from Indigenous, Black, and racialized candidates, women, 2SLGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities.

Our Vancouver newsroom is located on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and the land we live on inspires the work we do.