Research Officer at BBC Media Action

Department: Research and Learning
Reports to: Senior Research Officer                           
Start Date: October 2018
Type of Contract: Fixed Term
Duration of Contract: 6 months (with possibility of extension)

Job Purpose

• Reporting to the Senior Research Officer, the Research Officer will support the effective, timely and efficient implementation of all aspects of research for BBC Media Action’s development communications projects in Nigeria, under the overall guidance of the Head of Research & Learning where appropriate.
• The Research Officer will work closely with the Senior Research Officer to ensure that all research is technically well designed, implemented, reported and disseminated to a range of audiences. As such, the Research Officer is expected to have substantial experience in research methods and implementation. The position is based in Abuja and will require travel to other states within the country.

Main Duties

• Support the effective design, co-ordination and delivery of research for all BBC Media Action’s projects in Nigeria across a range of different thematic areas in which BBC Media Action works (e.g. health and governance), comprising of baseline and formative research (e.g. surveys, literature reviews and focus group discussions), process research (e.g. pre-testing of outputs) and impact evaluation.
• Support/contribute to (or where assigned, lead) the development of research plans for research activities, including research instruments and sampling design, fieldwork and fieldwork management to time, budget and high quality.
• Assist in facilitating, monitoring and commissioning (where necessary) of research activities (e.g. quantitative surveys, focus group sessions, panel studies, case studies, outreach activity assessments, capacity building assessments etc.), including negotiations on technical matters with BBC Media Action staff and external agencies.
• Support the analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data, reporting and dissemination of research findings to both internal and external audiences, in order to help Project and Senior Management, Production and Training teams, Donor and Project partners to draw insights from the data that will be useful in the design and implementation of activities.
• Undertake, and support Assistant Research Officers to undertake data collection, analysis and reporting, ensuring that the interpretation supports development of media products and capacity strengthening designs.
• Support in organising and implementing research review processes for key research deliverables (designs, reports) with project stakeholders, with support and guidance from the Senior Research Officer.
• Engage proactively and collaboratively with the Project Management Team, Production and Training staff, Operations staff, Finance staff, and London based research staff, with guidance from the Senior Research Officer to ensure research supports wider organizational / programme objectives.
• Assist in the supervision of research work of other team members (e.g. Assistant Research Officers) as well as contracted research agencies and freelancers where required.
• Support the Senior Research Officer(s) and where necessary act as a key focal point for improving the research skills of colleagues.
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Ability to plan and design qualitative and/or quantitative research and design and manage mixed method research.
• Competent in qualitative and/or quantitative research implementation, data analysis and reporting.
• Strong fieldwork experience, including in rural and geographically challenging areas. Ability to undertake or manage fieldwork and adapt methods to challenging and resource-constrained conditions.
• Good communication skills, and the ability to clearly communicate the findings of our research and what these insights mean for the users of our data.
• Knowledge and understanding of the importance of and application of ethical procedures in research.
• Demonstrable understanding of cultural diversity and cross-cultural research within Nigeria.
• A good grasp of, or enthusiasm to learn about, communication strategies and development issues.
• Experience of writing precise and clear reports and briefing documents.
• Good time management skills, with a track record of delivering research findings to deadline.
• Result oriented and commitment to excellence.
• Transparent judgement and decision-making, and high level of professionalism.
• Good IT skills, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and data analysis softwares.
• Ability to work closely with non-research teams in applying research findings to media outputs.
• Ability to speak and write one or more of the following Nigerian languages: Hausa, Yoruba and / or Igbo.

Knowledge and experience (desirable):

• Previous research experience working with NGOs or development projects would be an advantage.
• The Research Officer should have at least 3 years’ experience conducting research and evaluation for development projects, or have similar experience in conducting social/market research in any research agency and/or media and communication research. The Research Officer should be an experienced quantitative and/or qualitative researcher with demonstrable design and analytical skills.

Academic / professional qualifications:

• Minimum of a first degree in the Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, the Humanities or any other relevant field.

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.
• Flexibility - able to adapt and respond strategically and smoothly to changing situations within the workplace and context.
• 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, setbacks 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 behaviour 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.
• Managing relationships - Able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people.
• Self-Development - Is able to identify and apply opportunities for learning and development.
• Skill building - Is able to identify and apply opportunities for learning and development that support the development of other team members’ skills