Location: Tanzania (with regular travel around Tanzania)

Job title: Media Development Manager

Reports to: Country Director

Duration: 6 months (with possible extension)

Special requirements: The right to live and work in Tanzania. Fluent in English and Swahili with the ability to write reports in these languages.

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.

Overall purpose of job

Reporting to the Country Director, the Media Development Manager will sustain and grow Media Action Tanzania’s capacity strengthening portfolio, ensuring that it retains its strategic importance and responds to the needs of the media sector and of project deliverables. The Media Development Manager will have responsibility for building and retaining relationships with current and potential broadcasters; local and national radio station partners; media-development/media-for-development partners including CSOs, NGOs, and social enterprises; and relevant government bodies such as the TCRA.

As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Media Development Manager will also work closely with the Country Director towards the organisation’s overall strategic direction, including supporting business development, engaging with the global organisation, and building our brand externally.

Main duties and accountabilities

• Lead the media development portfolio of BBC Media Action in Tanzania, including partnerships with media, civil society, and other relevant partners.
• Develop and implement an overall partnerships strategy that takes into account the needs of the capacity strengthening, production, and project teams.
• Support mentors and trainers to deliver innovative and impactful media development interventions that meet the needs of a changing media sector, of diverse media partners, and of project and donor requirements.
• Maintain existing, and develop new, relationships with broadcast and media partners, development partners, NGOs, CSOs, social enterprises, and government bodies with an interest in the development of the media and/or media-for-development sector in Tanzania. Where relevant, coordinate BBC Media Action’s work with these actors to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the sector.
• Monitor and anticipate trends in the media sector, and advise the organisation accordingly on how to adapt to new trends and retain relevancy and effectiveness. Regularly update SMT on emerging opportunities for media, communication and development partnerships and advise on strategic direction in this area in Tanzania.
• Line-manage the senior members of the capacity-building team and, with the active participation of all mentors, develop and implement a strategy for the capacity-building activities of Media Action in Tanzania.
• Manage the capacity strengthening and partnerships budgets in line with donor requirements and organisational policies.
• Ensure Safeguarding, Child Protection, and other relevant policies are fully integrated into the organisation’s partnerships and capacity building work.
• Understand and comply with BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy, the staff code of conduct as well as financial policy especially on retirement and fraud.
• 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.
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned.

Required skills, knowledge, and experience:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social science or a closely related field.
• Proven ability to forge effective and trusted working relationships with media-house managers, editors, NGOs and CSO, and government staff.
• Proven track-record of working with media and communications to achieve development goals with a focus on capacity-building and content production and an understanding of formative, audience and impact research.
• Proven track record of effective senior management in a development context, preferably in Tanzania and within the CSO and/or media sector.
• Experience of directly managing teams of at least four staff.
• Strong financial management skills, with proven experience of managing budgets of over £250,000 per year, including accurate and timely financial reporting to donors.
• Proven ability to work on own initiative and organise time effectively within a range of conflicting deadlines.
• Proven ability to juggle competing priorities and a busy programme of work while working to an agreed strategy.
• Very strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent written and spoken Kiswahili and English.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Knowledge of regional and international current affairs.
• Knowledge of and experience working with editorial guidelines.
• Experience of working in one-or-more of these development sectors: governance, health, resilience, and humanitarian assistance.
• Existing relationships with media-development and/or media-for-development organisations, and relevant Tanzanian government ministries.
• Experience of working in, or with, networks of organisations.

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.

• Managing relationships and teamwork – able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people. Works co-operatively with others to be part of a team, as opposed to working separately or competitively. Values individual’s differences and demonstrates a commitment to knowledge sharing and informal learning, for the benefit of the team.
• 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.
• Leadership – ability to inspire others to realize an identified vision.
• 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.
• Planning and organisation – 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.
• Resilience – can maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks, or when dealing with provocative situations. Can demonstrate an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation, and energy.
• Decision making – able to take the initiative, originate action, and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.

To apply:

Candidates should send their CV and a cover letter (in English, PDF or Microsoft Word format) which outlines their experience and suitability for the role 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 31st July 2024.

Only applicants with separate cover letter will be considered. Please do not send certificates or other attachments. 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.

BBC Media Action has zero tolerance for fraud and exploitation. If you have any concerns, please share with us through whistleblower@tz.bbcmediaaction.org.