Overview

Job Title: Research Coordinator, Tanzania

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 

Special Requirements: Right to work in Tanzania

Reports to: Research Manager, Tanzania

Contract: 24 months (with possible extension)

Salary: Highly competitive within Tanzanian, NGO market rates 

Closing date: by 5 pm on Monday 3rd February 2020

BBC Media Action

BBC Media Action, the BBC’s international development organisation, uses the power of media and communication to inform, connect and empower people around the world, helping them to shape their own lives. BBC Media Action is independent from the BBC, but shares the BBC’s fundamental values and has partnerships with the BBC World Service and national broadcasters that reach millions of people in developing countries.

Overview of the role

BBCMedia Action is seeking a Research Coordinator to support the efficient delivery of research projects in the next 24 months. While the role will involve working on multiple projects, the main piece of work will fall under the Niambie 2 project, which aims at empowering young women including girls and young men to make their own decisions regarding their social, economic and political rights across Tanzania. The Niambie 2 project is currently in an inception phase, during which research is being carried out to lay solid foundations for four further years of mass media programming.

The Research Coordinator will be tasked with maintaining agreed workplans and logistical and procurement management of all research activities carried out by staff, freelancers and vendors on Niambie 2 and other projects in the BBC Media Action portfolio. The Research Coordinator will be expected to work flexibly across a range of projects and research methodologies in line with business needs, irrespective of their own area of specialism. As a member of a global team of research and communications practitioners, the Coordinator will also have the opportunity to contribute to the Research & Learning Group’s work on the synthesis and analysis of research findings.

Main duties & responsibilities:

Research Management Support

• Manage research workplans and project delivery, working closely with project teams to ensure research is in line with project activities and all deadlines are met.
• Manage the project research budgets with oversight and input from the Research Manager.

Research Delivery Oversight

• Supporting the team on all logistical requirements and procurements for fieldwork and other travels or events including doing budgeting, recruitment of participants, and event planning and management.
• Participate in the development and production of research designs and data collection tools (i.e. discussion guides, questionnaires).
• Assist in coordinating field work activities such as preparing budgets, obtaining research permits and fieldwork logistics.
• Support the commissioning of audience research in coordination with Research Officers and the Research Manager, including the hiring of research freelancers and liaising with research agencies and key users of the research to ensure the results are suitable to meet project needs
• Maintain understandable, accessible and regularly updated workplans for research on all projects in the portfolio with the clear agreement of the relevant research teams and Project Managers and approval by the Research Manager.
• Oversee quantitative and qualitative fieldwork, continually looking at ways to improve data collection by feeding into research design, moderation and the analysis of data.
• Participate in data analysis and support in synthesising findings and preparing summaries of the key findings.
• Ensure all project activities meet BBC standards, as well as delivering the projects development objectives.
• Ensure close follow up of BBC Media Action’s local partner stations and producers for the submission of weekly programme reports where these represent a research tool.
• Oversee the management of databases of programme content and audience interaction by SMS or social media.

Research Strategy Development

• Support the development and implementation of the country research strategy based on research insights from internal and external research.
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned.

Safeguarding

• Understand and comply with the Safeguarding policy and the staff Code of Conduct.
• Participate in relevant mandatory training on Safeguarding and Respect at Work
• Report any Safeguarding concerns immediately, either to the Country Director, or using the Whistleblowing Policy.

Skills, knowledge and experience requirements:

Essential

• A university graduate with at least 5 years of experience in the management of large-scale qualitative and quantitative research projects and/or project management with research as core feature.
• Proven ability to plan, think logically about complex timelines, and take a pro-active approach to meeting deadlines.
• Experience of managing sub-contracts worth over $25,000 and detailed budgets of over $10,000.
• Proven ability to gain formal government and community approval of research activities and – where relevant – the dissemination of their findings.
• Good interpersonal skills to establish effective working relationships with colleagues and key stakeholders externally, and proven ability to keep teams on time and on budget.
• An eye for detail and a concern for accuracy, together with the ability to keep sight of the broad picture and the ability to work speedily and accurately under pressure.
• Able to communicate effectively at all levels within the organisation, including relevant staff working for BBC Media Action in the UK.
• Willingness and ability to take the initiative not only in identifying problems but also in suggesting and implementing solutions.
• Fluency in English and Swahili.

Desirable

• Both academic and professional experience in managing research teams and outputs, with a track record of delivering research findings to deadline.
• An understanding of communication strategies, media production and/or media-for-development approaches.
• Familiarity with media communications research approaches and methodologies (advertising and/or brands and/or marketing).

Candidates should send their CV and a cover letter (PDF or Microsoft Word format) which outlines their experience and suitability for the role in English by email to: recruitment@tz.bbcmediaaction.org – please include the title of the position applied for in the subject line and send by 5pm on Monday 3^rd February 2020. Only applicants with separate cover letters will be considered.

Please do not send certificates or other attachments. Applicants with no separate cover letter will not be considered. These are local posts applicable to people who have the legal right to live and work in Tanzania and national terms and conditions will apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

The role may involve working with groups of vulnerable children and adults. For the successful candidate, mandatory training will be provided on BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy and staff code of conduct. A police background check may form part of the recruitment process. BBC Media Action operates a zero-tolerance policy concerning all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people.