Job title: Project manager, rural radio support project

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Reports to: Project director

Duration: 12 months (with possible extension)

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

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.

Job purpose:

The project manager will be responsible for managing and delivering all aspects of the rural radio support project, with a focus on supporting rural radio stations in Tanzania to improve their production capacity, increase their income and develop sustainable approaches to their work. The project aims to help rural stations serve their communities even more effectively, by providing audiences with high-quality, accurate, balanced information that supports them to make informed decisions on matters of importance in their lives and realise their social, political and economic rights. The rural radio project builds on the successes and lessons learnt from our capacity-strengthening work with media partners in Tanzania over time and is integrated into the existing Broadcasting for Change project, which is targeted at young women and men in Tanzania with a focus on gender and women’s empowerment. The project manager will be expected to deliver high quality project results, focusing on measurable improvements in production capacity and editorial standards among media practitioners at rural radio stations exposed to the intervention. Delivery of increased partner rural radio stations’ income from advertisers, donors and other sources as well as the introduction of better systems for institutional development and management of radio stations staff development and gender equality.

Working closely with BBC Media Action’s research and learning, and capacity-strengthening teams, the project manager will play a key role in designing and implementing this new component of the project. This will include planning, managing and delivering project outcomes through rural media-sector capacity building, with a continuous focus on learning, monitoring, and improving how we support media and development outcomes in Tanzania.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Deliver the project on time, to budget and to the highest standards of quality, effectiveness, impact and relevance – meeting the projects clearly defined objectives
• Take responsibility for the co-ordination, planning, budgeting, reporting and general management of all aspects of the project. This includes working with BBC Media Action staff in Tanzania and London to define and develop project direction, strategies and activities
• Work closely with research and training teams to ensure that project objectives are being met
• Maintain external relationships with project partners, donors and other stakeholders, representing the project to the highest professional standards
• Ensure all project activities are fully compliant with donor regulations and BBC Media Action policies and editorial guidelines
• Ensure that the specific development objectives of the projects, as defined in project design, the theory of change and informed by research findings, are fully reflected in capacity strengthening strategies and plans
• Support the project and training teams to understand issues related to the project’s thematic areas, rural radio capacity strengthening and the role of media and communication
• Work closely with the research team to ensure activities (including desk reviews, formative research, political economy analysis, monitoring and evaluation of outputs and baselines and end-line quantitative data) are in line with project objectives
• Prepare donor and internal reports on project progress and impact and learning data
• Understand and comply with BBC Media Action’s 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
• Travel within Tanzania to visit rural radio project partners as and when required.

Required skills, knowledge, and experience:

• At least three years’ experience in international development, with proven professional experience or educational background in international development, media or other relevant area
• A degree in a relevant discipline (such as project management, international development, journalism)
• Experience directly managing all elements of the project budget cycle – design, budget development and management, work planning and schedule building, implementation of activities, monitoring progress against objectives, reviewing and reporting
• Proven experience directly managing budgets of at least $500,000 per year
• Experience of working on complex projects with substantial knowledge of donor requirements and conditions will be an advantage
• Ability to make sound judgments on editorially sensitive programme issues
• Experience in line management of staff or work with groups of people with diverse background and experiences
• Strong commitment to, and understanding of, development issues in Tanzania
• Experience working with, or understanding of Tanzania media sector landscape and regulations will be an advantage
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a proven track record in forming effective relationships with a range of partners and stakeholders
• Excellent attention to detail
• Excellent written communication skills, including experience writing project briefs, reports, terms of reference and other project documents
• Fluency in English and Swahili and ability to write reports in both languages.

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:  [email protected] please include the title of the position applied for in the subject line and send by 5pm on 24 July 2022.

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 [email protected]