Senior Projects Manager at BBC Media Action

Job Reference: BBC/TP/139984/9951
Reports To: Country Director, Nigeria
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Duration: 2 years
Band: 9
Department: BBC Media Action

BBC Media Action in Nigeria
At present, BBC Media Action in Nigeria has several large multi-year project addressing governance and health issues using both drama and factual outputs. We will be looking to develop new projects in 2014 - 2015. We require a dynamic manager with a highly developed understanding of media and development together with solid management skills to ensure delivery of our projects.

Overall Purpose of Job

•     The Senior Projects Manager will be responsible for the overall management and delivery of the projects involving the delivery of a range of diverse media projects.
•     The projects will utilise the power of media to tackle issues of health, governance and resilience and the Senior Projects Manager will ensure the agreed targets and objectives of country projects are met while ensuring the quality and cohesion of project outputs.
•     This will include managing project managers as well having dotted line responsibility to radio and online teams who will be producing content for the projects.
•     This post will also ensure that the Research department is kept abreast of project timelines in order that the research is delivered at the appropriate time within the projects.
•     The Senior Projects Manager will be responsible for overseeing financial management of projects and reporting on editorial and operational progress to the Country Director and liaising with the relevant teams in the London headquarters and donors.
•     Upon request of the Country Director the Senior Projects Manager will represent Media Action in country to key stakeholders and will ensure effective relationships and partnerships with a wide range of partners including broadcasters, NGOs, international development agencies and others.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

•     Reporting to the Country Director, to take responsibility for overseeing the planning and implementing country projects and activities.
•     To manage a diverse team of staff including project managers and to support team members to meet agreed objectives, develop their skills so that they are able to make an effective contribution to planned activities.
•     To ensure that the design and implementation of project activities adhere to work plan and log frame commitments and remain in line with BBC editorial standards and values and Media Action’s best practice.
•     To negotiate and mediate if conflicting views/priorities arise within the project, working through these to reach a satisfactory conclusion.
•     To participate in the design and coordination of monitoring and evaluation and conduct regular feedback sessions, adjusting project delivery as necessary upon approval.
•     To set up robust systems to review project outputs and ensure quality.
•     To manage project budgets and ensure the delivery of the outputs is in accordance with that budget and in line with Media Action's financial procedures and the funder's operating guidelines.
•     To develop good working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including the BBC World Service and local broadcasters
•     To develop good working relationships with partner media, NGOs etc. and ensure these relationships are managed effectively.
•     To support business development activities. This will involve working with the Country Director and local staff to pursue appropriate funding opportunities in country, as well as working as part of a global team responding to international and sub-regional funding opportunities.
•     To work with the other BBC Media Action staff in country and in London to identify training priorities linked to the needs of staff, including greater development of in-house capacity, and ensure that training meets Media Action's high standards.
•     To lead the reporting of progress, both internally to the BBC and externally to partners, the donor, and other interested parties.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience Requirements

•     Experience of senior project management, in a developing country context, preferably in Africa with demonstrated capacity to manage large-scale projects effectively.
•     A proven track-record in international development; experience in the use of media to achieve development goals is an advantage. Experience of working in one or more of the governance/health/resilience sector an advantage.
•     Experience of managing teams of local and international staff, preferably within a developing country context, at a level which demonstrates experience in developing and leading on systems and processes.
•     Strong financial management skills, with proven experience managing large budgets, including accurate and timely reporting to donors.
•     Previous experience of all aspects of writing successful proposals, including project research and development, logframes, budgets, etc.
•     Awareness of the BBC's editorial values and an instinct for how to apply these to media development projects.
•     The potential to acquire strong media editorial leadership skills in order to make sensitive editorial judgements at a senior level.
•     Developed understanding of radio broadcast and programme making.
•     Ability to work on own initiative and organise time effectively within a range of often conflicting deadlines.
•     Capacity to juggle competing priorities and a busy programme of work while working to an agreed strategy.
•     The ability to forge strong working relations quickly and gain the trust of media house managers, editors, participating NGOs and senior staff in the region.
•     Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
•     Demonstrable creative ability, with a proven track-record in project design development and implementation.
•     Experience of developing and leading staff from different backgrounds
•     Excellent written and spoken English

Desirable:

•     Knowledge of regional and international current affairs
•     Experience of Nigeria, or at least awareness of its geopolitics, culture, religions etc.
•     Proven experience of working in media projects is highly desirable. Applicants with extremely sound ideas, but little media experience will be considered on evidence of creativity and potential.

Key Competencies

•     Managing relationships and team work: able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people. Works co-operatively with others to be part of a team, as opposed to working separately or competitively. Values individual's differences and demonstrates a commitment to knowledge sharing and informal learning, for the benefit of the team.
•     Strategic thinking: Able to identify a vision and create plans for implementation of that vision to meet the end goal. Evaluates situations, decisions, and issues in the short, medium and long-term
•     Leadership: Ability to inspire others to realize an identified vision.
•     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.
•     Change Management: Able to understand and anticipate the need for change and to build frameworks for planning and managing the continuous process of change.
•     Planning and Organisation: Able to think ahead in order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others; planning of 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.
•     Decision Making: Able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.