Job Description
Organization Summary:
UBONGO is Africa's leading producer of kids' edutainment. As a non-profit social enterprise, we create fun, localized, and multi-platform educational content that helps kids learn, and leverage their learning to change their lives. Ubongo reaches over 31 million kids across Africa through accessible technologies like TV, radio, and mobile phones. Our shows Ubongo Kids and Akili and Me currently air in 23 countries across Africa, in Swahili, English, French, Kinyarwanda, Kikuyu, Luo, Yoruba, Hausa, Chichewa, and Juba Arabic. We are also reaching families within and beyond Africa through digital products such as apps, ebooks, music albums, and our 8 YouTube channels.
Job Position:
Ubongo is a hybrid social enterprise that is funded through a combination of grants, contributions, and earned revenue. We are looking for a Commercial Revenue Manager who will help Ubongo develop and grow its earned revenue streams of income, in order to achieve financial sustainability. Earned revenue at Ubongo comprises of
- Product Sales: Revenue generated from Ubongo selling products to consumers (B2C) ourselves. For example, merchandise (books and t-shirts), paid apps, ebooks, and music albums
- Advertising, Royalties & Licensing: Revenue generated from partners that are using our content to make money. For example, PAY TV, VOD, music streaming services, third-party advertising on platforms like YouTube, subscriptions, character IP licensing, and book royalties
- Program Service Revenue: This includes sponsorships and co-productions from corporate partners
The Commerical Revenue Manager will work closely with the Director of Communication and Development to build strategies that will enable these revenue streams to grow and also test other viable earned revenue streams that Ubongo isn’t currently pursuing. They will focus on Ubongo’s key African markets: Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and the U.S. and U.K. The ideal candidate will be skilled at both strategy development and implementation. Someone who is curious to learn, self-motivated, and can make data-driven decisions. Working at Ubongo won’t be easy, but it will challenge and excite you with lots of responsibilities, and plenty of fun, and give you the opportunity to impact the lives of millions of kids every day.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Planning, organizing, and optimizing all activities of earned revenue management for Ubongo, including marketing, reporting, and data analysis
- Working closely with the Digital Video Manager, Marketing, and Digital Teams to create and implement marketing strategies that increase visibility and profitability for paid products and YouTube
- Measuring ROI of marketing activities related to earned revenue, sharing insights with the wider team to inform budget and resource allocation and prioritization
- Working with marketing, merchandise, broadcast, and digital to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of revenue reporting
- Consistently reviewing data and trends across revenue streams and using insights to inform strategy and decision-making
- Work closely with the Director of Communications and Development to create and manage marketing, advertising, and promotions budget and resources for earned revenue streams
- Develop strategies that move users/audiences along the customer journey from awareness - > engagement -> conversion
2. Building strategic partnerships and sponsorships, negotiating licensing agreements, and implementing innovative technologies that optimize the customer experience, revenue, and affinity to our brand
- Identifying and pursuing key partners to work with to increase revenue opportunities. For example, production and distribution partners for merchandise, and corporate partners for licensing nafasi za kazi
- Managing relationships between Ubongo and key revenue partners, ensuring that Ubongo’s ethical and brand integrity is upheld, sound communication and deliverables, and transparent reporting
- Identifying revenue gaps for Ubongo and finding the right partners to address the opportunity
3. Pilot, test, and build out new viable revenue streams for both Africa and U.S markets
- Stay on top of trends in the IP licensing, consumer products, and digital products industries, and share learnings and opportunities to test with a wider team
- Work closely with merchandise and digital team to research and prototype new commercial products
- Use data to make informed decisions about what products to pursue and develop
- Work with the Marketing and Finance team to update and develop pricing strategies and rate cards for products, services, and IP
REQUIREMENT: KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, and QUALIFICATIONS
ESSENTIALS:
- Bachelor's Degree in areas related to the position / MBA preferred
- A seasoned negotiator with 3+ years overseeing IP licensing and/or Media property
- Proven experience working in consumer products, and consumer marketing in relevant key markets (Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, U.S, UK)
- Demonstrated ability to drive and grow year-on-year revenue
- Proven track record of exceptional partner and relationship management skills
- Strategic thinker able to view the market and the Ubongo business holistically, extremely organized, and disciplined, while also a tactical executor
- A well-established personal network of contacts throughout the core areas of business
- Excellent presentation skills for client-facing sales
- Impeccable verbal and written communication skills in English, as well as a high degree of numeracy
- Team player, with the ability to drive consensus-building and influence colleagues and partners
- Sensibility to balance Ubongo’s mission to 'build brains and create change,' with the need for sustainable and responsible commercial growth
- Available to travel as needed, within Africa and in the U.S and U.K
- A passion for our mission and vision and transforming the lives of kids
- Someone with integrity and strong business ethics
- A “figure it out” attitude and mindset
PREFERRED (but not necessary):
- Experience living and working in Africa, with a connection to the continent and its kids
- Experience working in marketing and revenue for educational or children’s media brands
- Verbal and written communication skills in Swahili or French
- Experience in multi-platform and programmatic marketing
- Foundational business fundamental and accounting skills
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Benefits:
Phew! You made it through that. The good thing is that there are also perks, like a delicious healthy lunch at the office, health insurance, pension payments of up to 10% (matching the value of your individual contributions), 28 working days of paid annual leave (in addition to the public holidays) and you get to watch cartoons at work.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Please note that only online applications will be considered. Those who come directly to the office with a CV or who email their CV to us will simply be directed to apply online.
So please save yourself time and effort by simply sticking to online applications. THANKS!