Senior Partnerships Manager at BBC Media Action

Job Introduction

The Central Business Development Team performs multiple functions to drive business development efforts at BBC Media Action. It cultivates and nurtures central relationships with key institutional funders and partners; leads the development of multi-regional and global funding applications and bids including frameworks and strategic opportunities; provides targeted support to country-specific business development efforts; and furnishes the organisation with donor intelligence, tools and resources to support country teams to conduct business development.

This role is aimed at increasing creative capacity to develop and secure projects, in addition to managing external relationships with a diverse range of donors. The post holder will lead and manage key donor relationships as well as building relationships with other partners and stakeholders, representing BBC Media Action externally. This includes strategy development and profile-raising with the aim of increasing the organisation’s reputation for delivering development projects with impact and at scale. The post holder will work closely with Regional Directors and Country Directors, who remain responsible for the delivery of individual projects within their region as well as other teams e.g. advisory and research. The post holder will be expected to drive innovation, including the adaptation and introduction of successful media formats and platforms in new territories, to reach new audiences.

Main Responsibilities

• Cultivate and nurture relationships with institutional funders (bilateral government donors, multilateral agencies and private foundations), development partners and other stakeholders. Leading particular priority funder/partner relationships with an account management approach.
• Proactively identify and contribute ideas to develop new business development opportunities and partnerships, particularly within the media development sector. 
• Work with colleagues in the Central Business Development Team and wider teams (e.g. programmes, advisory, digital and research) to pursue and win global, regional and country specific opportunities, including frameworks and consortium bids. This includes leading the development of grant proposals and contract bids that are well designed, realistically budgeted, creative, editorially compelling, in line with BBC Media Action methodologies and approaches and cognisant of donor compliance requirements. 
• Provide targeted support to country-specific bid development as necessary across a range of contexts and regions including Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA); Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia.
• Contribute to business development-related processes, tools and resources, knowledge sharing and policy development across the organisation.
• Work with cross-disciplinary teams to raise the profile and visibility of BBC Media Action with external actors.
• Support regional and country teams by providing information on new business opportunities, along with organisational tools for others to use in business development.

Are you the right candidate?

• Proven ability to raise funds from institutional donors, including bilateral government donors (e.g. UK FCDO, USAID, European Commission) and private foundations. Experience with USAID and US contractors/INGOs highly desirable. 
• Proven track record of building and managing external relationships with international development donors and partners.
• Strong technical understanding of the communications for development sector, including media development and social and behaviour change communications (SBCC) - across our impact areas of stronger democracies; a safer, more habitable planet (include climate mitigation and adaptation); and inclusive societies.
• Proven track record in designing and successfully winning effective media development and SBCC programmes. Track record of this specifically in the climate sector highly desirable.
• Excellent and well-practiced communication (spoken, written, listening), interpersonal and influencing skills with the ability to bridge business and cultural differences.
• Significant experience coordinating colleagues to shared goals, operating under tight timescales and managing competing priorities.