Research Manager BBC Media Action

Position Description:

Reports to:Country Director

Contract duration:12 months (with possible extension)

Job purpose:The experienced Research Manager will lead innovative media and development research to support BBC Media Action’s work in Tanzania.

Main Duties:

Research Management

Management: to manage the Research & Learning team in Tanzania and oversee all research activities in Tanzania.

Embedding research into project delivery: Work closely with project team to ensure research is closely linked and in line with project activities. Findings are incorporated into project design and delivery.

Research budget: Manage the project research budget with oversight from the Country Director and input from the Research Manager, London.

Research Delivery

Designing Research Methodology: Design research projects, determining appropriate strategy, methodologies and analysis protocols. Drafting and reviewing research instruments prepared externally and internally. Work with London team and in consultation with Country Director, to develop research strategy for Tanzania.

Research to inform country strategy: Undertake background research and literature reviews including overseeing the analysis of country data to inform BBC MA Tanzania’s strategy development on key thematic issues including humanitarian resilience.

Commissioning research: Oversee the commissioning of all audience research in coordination with production and broadcast schedules, negotiating and liaising with research agencies and key users of the research to ensure the results are suitable to meet project needs. This includes preparing and circulating RFPs/research briefs (where appropriate), evaluating proposals, finalising and commissioning the research.

Overseeing implementation of research: Briefing the field team and supervising the pretesting, piloting and use of the research instruments, as needed. Monitoring and controlling the quality of fieldwork/data collection, project timeliness and budgets for the research projects being handled.

Quality control of research activities: Overseeing quantitative and qualitative fieldwork. Continually looking at ways to improve data collection both feeding into research design, moderation and analysis of data.

Analysis and reporting: Lead the research team in analysis of qualitative/quantitative data, prepare reports and present key findings.

Communicating research insights: Share findings and strategic recommendations with end users of research (internal/external customers) in innovative and appropriate formats.

Research in Business and Strategy Development

Business development: Supporting the Country Director in business development activities, for example developing research design and budgets for proposals and meeting and pitching proposals to donors. Consulting with Research Manager London on all research design and budgets.

Networking and partnership: Developing relationships with other organisations’ research teams in Tanzania to share information, inform our database and compile overview reports of current trends, activities and data related to our project activities in country.

Research insights: Review the latest trends and developments in research methodologies related to behaviour change, impact assessment and communications research, and evaluating the same for adoption in Media Action’s Research and Learning work.

Professional Development

Technical training: Participate in Research and Learning workshops and represent Media Action in other knowledge sharing workshops related to our project activities and project partners. Train and build the technical capacity of the research team in Tanzania.

Required knowledge, skills and experience:

A minimum bachelor degree from any social science discipline or statistics/applied statistics or education or business administration or relevant discipline.

At least 3 years professional experience in qualitative and quantitative market or social research in a Developmental or Research organization of repute.

Experience using qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

Strong IT skills, including Excel and PowerPoint, and experience with data analysis software packages such as SPSS or Atlas.

Strong written and spoken English.

Strong report writing and presentation skills, communicating complex technical ideas using non-technical language to a wide range of audiences from grassroots to senior levels.

Experience in managing research teams and outputs, with a track record of delivering research findings to deadline.

Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills: ability to communicate and conduct business at all levels from grassroots to the highest levels of governments and media.

Desirable

Familiarity with media communications research approaches and methodologies (advertising and/or brands and/or marketing).

Previous experience in audience media research.

Experience of working with media professionals in production-oriented teams.

Previous research experience working with NGOs, including conducting rural participatory appraisals.

Masters or MBA will add value.

Knowledge of environmental and governance issues.

Key competencies:

The following competencies (behaviours and characteristics) have been identified as key to success in the job. Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate these competencies.

Strategic Thinking – Can identify a vision along with the plans that need to be implemented to meet the end goal. Evaluates situations, decisions, issues, etc. in the short, medium and longer-term

Analytical Thinking – Able to simplify complex problems, processes or projects into component parts, explore and evaluate them systematically. Able to identify causal relationships, and construct frameworks, for problem-solving and/or development

Decision Making – Is ready and able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.

Imagination / Creative Thinking – Is able to transform creative ideas/impulses into practical reality. Can look at existing situations and problems in novel ways and come up with creative solutions.

Planning and Organisation – Is able to think ahead in order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others. Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources requirements.

Resilience – Can maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, set backs or when dealing with provocative situations. Can demonstrate an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy.

Influencing and Persuading – Ability to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others. Can draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behavior change.

Communication – The ability to get one’s message understood clearly by adopting a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information.

Application Instructions:

Application instructions: Candidates should send their CV and a covering letter (PDF or Microsoft Word format) which outlines their experience and suitability for the role in English to tzrecruitment@bbcmediaaction.org, with the name of the position applied for in the subject line. Please do not send certificates or other attachments. Applicants with no separate covering letter will not be considered. Please only apply if you meet the basic criteria under the person specification.