Country Director (Nigeria), BBC Media Action at BBC

Job Introduction

• BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international development charity, which uses media and communications to help reduce poverty, address development goals, and support people to understand their rights. We do this through partnering with media, civil society and others to produce creative programmes and other outputs which inform and engage audiences on key development issues. We also strengthen the media sector through building professional capacity and infrastructure of local media organisations in the countries in which we work.
• BBC Media Action delivers a portfolio of projects in Nigeria. We seek to expand this portfolio of work, but also to ensure that existing projects are delivered on time, on budget, to the highest standards and in accordance with BBC editorial values as well as Media Action methodologies.
• This exciting and influential role will be responsible for the overall running of BBC Media Action’s office in Nigeria. The Country Director will take overall responsibility for ensuring strong management and high-quality delivery of a range of development projects which use the power of media to tackle issues of governance, health and resilience.  The post holder will ensure effective office management so that finance and administrative functions are carried out in line with donor rules, local regulatory requirements and BBC guidelines.
• The Country Director will lead the expansion of our portfolio in Nigeria, including identifying future business development opportunities and overseeing the writing new project proposals. The Country Director will represent BBC Media Action to the Nigerian government, donors, media partners and other key stakeholders.
• BBC Media Action works to ensure that everyone we work with remains safe during their time with us. The Country Director is responsible for ensuring that safeguarding is factored into project design and budgeting, staff and freelancers receive relevant safeguarding training, and relevant safeguarding due diligence is conducted with any local partner organisations that may be working with vulnerable adults or children as part of our projects.

Job Purpose

• To lead the development and implementation of country strategy.  Responsible for building and developing a team to develop and deliver projects to agreed targets and objectives, ensuring compliance with BBC editorial standards in all outputs.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Provide dynamic, inspirational leadership and management to production, training, research and administrative teams.
• Provide sound management and editorial leadership to the country team, ensuring all outputs adhere to the BBC editorial standards.
• Manage and develop a diverse team, ensuring that staff are appropriately inducted, trained and developed, and performance is appropriately managed.
• Represent and be accountable for the organisation and ensure its work in the country is relevant and appropriate. 
• Ensure all activities are delivered within agreed standards, timescales and budgets.
• Develop and implement country strategy, including identifying future business development opportunities and writing new project proposals.
• Lead the expansion of the organisation’s portfolio in the country, including identifying future business development opportunities and writing new project proposals.
• Develop and manage effective relationships with funding agencies, stakeholders and partners, including development of new funding opportunities.
• Report regularly to BBC headquarters on editorial, operational, legal and financial issues.
• Oversee the registration of country office as a branch office or equivalent, making sure it complies with local law.
• Oversee the establishment of a new office where required, including establishing systems and processes to ensure delivery and growth.
• Ensure effective office management so that finance and administrative functions are carried out in line with BBC guidelines and local regulatory requirements.
• Ensure the security, health and safety of staff are prioritised, that training and support are adequate and BBC security and safety procedures are adhered to.

Job Impact
Decision-making:

• Reports to Regional Director or equivalent
• Identify a vision along with the plans which need to be implemented to meet the end goal. Evaluate situations, decisions, issues, etc, in the short, medium and longer-term.
• Create a vision and inspire others.
• Present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others, draw from a range of strategies to persuade internal and external stakeholders in a way that results in agreement or behaviour change.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people.
• Adopt a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information in order to get the message clearly understood.
• Take initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decisions made.
• Think ahead in order to establish an effective and appropriate course of action for self and others. Prioritise and plan activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources requirements.

Scope:

• Manage a budget and contribute to budget setting.
• Recruit, manage and develop a team.
• Lead on multiple projects.

Requirements

• Considerable experience of working in the media or development sector, preferably both.
• Substantial experience living and working overseas.
• Demonstrable field-based knowledge of the development and/or media context in continent.
• Substantial experience in the management of diverse teams of staff, including recruitment, management, discipline and professional development.
• Proven ability to deliver complex projects to deadlines and within budget, with good record of donor liaison and reporting.
• Significant budget management experience, demonstrating effective use of resources and responsibility for large budgets.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including experience working with colleagues whose first language is not English.
• A record of forming effective relationships with a range of local and international partners, including at the highest levels of government and media, managing effective teamwork between partners and stakeholders, including those with differing agendas.
• Record of developing and securing international development or media projects, including the ability to develop new project ideas and present these persuasively to potential partners and funders, and write successful proposals.
• Strong understanding of and commitment to international development, including the use of media for developmental goals.
• Demonstrable understanding of, and preferably experience in, media with the potential to acquire strong editorial skills in order to make complex editorial judgements at a senior level.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Dynamism, proactivity, personal resilience and demonstrable ability to adapt to changing and uncertain circumstances.

Desirable:

• Experience working in the relevant country or on projects related to the country.
• Relevant language skills to the country.