Jobs At BBC Media Action

Job Description
Title: Executive Editor, Nigeria
Department: BBC Media Action
Reports To: Country Director, Nigeria
Based: Abuja, Nigeria
Duration: 12 month FTC, (possibility for extension)
 
JOB PURPOSE
This is a senior management team role, reporting directly to the Country Director, responsible for delivering our media outputs in Nigeria. The Executive Editor will use her/his extensive experience of management, programme production and editorial expertise to oversee all radio, television, digital and mobile output. The post holder will ensure systems are in place to support all aspects of production, supporting every stage of project design from inception to post-production, and ensuring timely delivery to partner stations. Building the capacity of national staff members within the team will be a large part of this job, as is building collaboration that stretches across departments to deliver the most creative outputs possible.  She/he must help ensure that innovation and creativity lie at the heart of all our media outputs while ensuring continuity and consistency across a range of platforms. Developing and monitoring our long term vision for our outputs that puts them at the heart of our projects is a key responsibility, to keep us current in a rapidly evolving media market.
 
MAIN DUTIES
1. To provide leadership of the production team in Nigeria, with overall responsibilities for editorial decision-making, production processes, budgets, equipment, and outputs.
2. Take overall responsibility for delivery and sign-off of all media outputs of BBC Media Action Nigeria, ensuring editorial integrity and timeliness and raising and maintaining editorial and technical quality across all programme content for radio, social, and other platforms as relevant.
3. Develop systems and organise regular editorial and management meetings to guarantee that Production Department resources are being strategically allocated, scheduled, and shared between different Production Department teams and programmes.
4. Manage heads of different production teams to coordinate and creatively influence concept development and planning for existing outputs and new productions.
5. Working with heads of different production teams, take responsibility for effectively identifying, recruiting, and retaining media talent (both staff and freelancers).
6. Working with senior members of the project management department, ensure all production staff understand the goals of each of our projects and produce all media outputs to align with project objectives.
7. Support professional development of all staff, including strengthening creativity, technical skills and editorial decision-making of the BBC Media Action production
teams to deliver outstanding content.
8. Ensure teams fully comply with BBC Editorial guidelines and values. Work with the Country Director to manage any editorial issues that may arise.
9. Ensure that all production complies with BBC Media Action’s finance and administration guidelines, and upholds our project donor requirements on finance and administration. This will include supporting the Production teams to manage their budgets efficiently and effectively.  Observe and manage BBC Production and contractual guidelines and make sure they are fully understood by other team members, contractors and consultants.
10. Participate actively in BBC Media Action Nigeria’s country senior management team, and ensure that maximum collaboration is fostered across all departments with the results that our impact in Nigeria is realized on the ground.
11. Along with members of the senior management team and the Country Director, ensure that BBC Health and Safety guidelines are observed on all productions, staff are trained and briefed to manage risk in a highly challenging environment, and support is provided to others to take appropriate measures to minimize exposure to perceived risks.  Advise and support the Country Director and senior staff to manage risk related to production on all the projects.
12. Build and maintain relationships with media partners, donors, and other stakeholders in Nigeria to represent and enhance the work of BBC Media Action.

Skills, knowledge and experience requirements:

Essential:
• Experience of managing teams to deliver multiple radio outputs to tight time frames and setting up systems for scheduling and coordinating the allocation of production resources.
• Evidence of experience and skill in using radio and/or other media platforms (TV, digital, mobile, etc.) to address developmental issues – governance, health, resilience.
• Demonstrable creative ability, with a proven track-record in designing, developing and making media programmes.
• Experience of project planning, with proven experience of successful project management against tight deadlines; Considerable production budget management experience of over £1 Million annually.
• Experience of designing or commissioning training and learning for production teams.
• Experience working closely with external partners, and/or building, maintaining, and influencing high level external relationships.
• Excellent interpersonal leadership and people management skills. Experience of leading and managing talent and production teams, as well as managing diverse teams.
• Ability to demonstrate strong editorial judgment and uphold good journalistic practice and principles.
• Experience of developing written plans and reports for internal and external audiences.
• Excellent communication skills in English (verbal and written).
• Demonstrated interest in Nigeria and in Africa.
   
Desirable:
• Experience of working in a developing country context, preferably in Africa;
• Knowledge of BBC editorial values, aims and objectives, and an ability to apply these to media development projects.
• Extensive experience in making programmes for addressing developmental issues will be an advantage;
• Understanding of the principles of behaviour /social change communication;
• Experience of overseeing a multi-media production project especially using mobile technology
• Working and managing production security in a high risk context.
 
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.
• Editorial Judgement - demonstrates balanced and objective judgement based on a thorough understanding of BBC editorial guidelines, target audience, programme and department objectives. Makes the right editorial decisions, taking account of conflicting views where necessary.
• Managing relationships – able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people. Works co-operatively with others to be part of a team. Values individual's differences and demonstrates a commitment to knowledge sharing and informal learning, for the benefit of the team.
• Creative Leadership – Ability to lead a diverse production team, identify and nurture talent, and inspire others to realize an identified vision.
• Planning and Organization – 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.
• Developing Others - able to recognise potential (managerial, professional, artistic or otherwise) and is willing to foster the development of that potential.  Creates a climate in which potential can be realised.
• Decision Making – Is ready and able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.
• 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
• 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.