Senior Research Manager - Africa

Package Description

Job title: Senior Research Manager, Africa 
Reports to: Head of Research 
Duration: 9 months (fixed term, with potential for extension)
Location: Flexible (see detail below)
Salary: Competitive, on relevant local scale

BBC Media Action:
BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international development organisation, and we believe in the power of media and communication for good. We work in more than 20 countries around the world, supporting the independent media essential to democracy and development. Each year our projects and programmes reach over 100 million people facing poverty, inequality and insecurity with information they can trust, helping to improve health, bridge divides, challenge prejudice, and save and change lives. We follow the editorial standards and values of the BBC, but we rely on funding from donors and partners to carry out our work.
Our cross-country research team supports researchers in our country offices to inform, adapt and evaluate our work. Due to an internal move, we are now looking for interim (9 months) cover for a senior research manager to lead the cross-country research team focusing on Africa and the Middle East. 

Job Purpose

The senior research manager will oversee research being conducted in Africa and provide strategic support to the team to develop its research practice, input into business development, ensure that research is communicated effectively to internal and external stakeholders and to support the team to develop and grow. This will include overseeing research activities in countries across Africa, managing a cross-country team based in Nairobi and London who support researchers in individual country offices, and working with others in the research management team to share knowledge and learning, innovate and develop business. 
Reporting to the Head of Research, s/he will also work closely with BBC Media Action’s Regional Director for Africa & Middle East, as well as Country Directors across the region, to ensure that research being delivered meets organisational needs.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Oversee research being delivered in Africa from a technical point of view 
• Line manage research managers in the cross-country team who support researchers across the region 
• Work with country teams and others e.g. advisors to ensure that research is innovative, of quality and delivered in a timely way
• Work with others to ensure that insights generated from research are communicated effectively and taken up by internal and external stakeholders.
• Play a leadership role in supporting researchers across the region to develop, share, learn, innovate and support each other
• Provide research guidance and support to teams on business development 

Knowledge, Skills, Training & Experience

• Able to make informed decisions to support teams to design and deliver research 
• The ability to innovate and deliver research to quality and efficiently 
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research experience, designing and delivering research to deliver actionable insights
• Experience of digital research, including social media analytics
• Knowledge of research techniques gained through experience of social research across different populations and contexts and across any of media, governance, climate/nature, humanitarian and social inclusion sectors
• Experience monitoring and evaluating interventions for funders 
• Experience of managing staff including technical research oversight and personal development
• Strong communication skills and ability to present research in a compelling way to multiple stakeholders 
• Previous experience in conducting research to understand media or social and behavioural change, ideally in challenging contexts. 
• In-depth knowledge of one or more of the countries in Africa in which BBC Media Action is working would be an advantage.

Location details
The role will be based in one of BBC Media Action’s offices in Africa or the UK. Current BBC Media Action offices are in the following cities, and the role could be based in any of these, subject to the prevailing security situation at the time of appointment: Abuja, Addis Ababa, Dar Es Salaam, Freetown, Hargeisa, Juba, London, Lusaka, Nairobi and Tunis. 
Applications are welcome from anyone with the existing right to work in any of those countries. The successful applicant will be employed and based in their home country, with salary set according to BBC Media Action’s local pay scales in that country.
Safeguarding
This role may involve working with groups of vulnerable children, youth, and adults. For the successful candidate, mandatory training will be provided on BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy and staff code of conduct. BBC Media Action operates a zero-tolerance policy concerning all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people. A police background check may form part of the recruitment process.