Location: Tanzania
Reports to: Country Director
Contract duration: 12 months (with possible extension)
Application instructions:
Candidates should send their CV and a covering letter (PDF or Microsoft Word format) which outlines their experience and suitability for the role in English to
tzrecruitment@tz.bbcmediaaction.org. The name of the position applied for should be included in the subject line of the email.
Please do not send certificates or other attachments. Applicants with no separate covering letter will not be considered. Please only apply if you meet the basic criteria under the person specification. This is a local post applicable to people who have the legal right to live and work in Tanzania. 'National terms and conditions will apply'.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
Application deadline: Wednesday 10 December 2014 by 5pm
Job purpose:
The Executive Editor will lead a young, dynamic team of media producers. S/he will be editorially and technically responsible for all radio and any other media production within BBC Media Action’s operations in Tanzania across a breadth of projects which include magazine, discussion and potentially drama programmes.
Areas of responsibility include ensuring all media outputs are compliant with BBC guidelines as well as meeting project goals. The Executive Editor will maintain and develop effective working relationships with broadcasting partners. The role is vital to maintain continuity and consistency across a range of outputs and in future projects as well as ensuring that innovation and creativity really does lie at the heart of all our media outputs. Ensuring systems are in place to support all aspects of production and every stage from project design to post-production will be an important part of the role.
The Executive Editor is a member of the Senior Management Team, reporting directly to the Country Director and will have strategic input into organisational development such as developing new projects and the expansion of the country office.
Main Duties:
Production:
- Take overall responsibility for ensuring the delivery of all broadcast outputs of BBC Media Action Tanzania, ensuring editorial integrity, quality, value-for-money and timeliness of all outputs.
- In taking editorial responsibility for all production outputs, to work with Senior Producers, the Senior Projects Manager, the Country Director and the Editorial Development team (as relevant) to resolve any editorial issues. Ensure Production teams fully understand the BBC Editorial guidelines and values.
- Work closely with the Senior Projects Manager to ensure programmes meet the projects’ goals, the production team understands these goals, and outreach activities link with broadcasts. Also work closely with the Research Manager to ensure programmes reflect research findings, and are effectively monitored and evaluated.
- With support from central teams, ensure that BBC Health and Safety guidelines are observed on all productions and that relevant staff are trained and briefed to manage risk effectively during production.
- Creatively shape the concept of all new productions, or changes in productions, using knowledge of the local context to ensure outputs reflect the reality of the context in Tanzania. Support the development of programme proposals for donors, production plans, and the recruitment of staff and freelancers as required.
- Lead on developing and maintaining positive external relationships with broadcast partners, other public and private broadcasters, and relevant government ministries.
Staff management:
- Lead the Production team. Ensure systems are in place for the effective operation of the team, including scheduling, work plans, 1:1s and appraisals, and editorial and performance review meetings.
- Build the management capacity of Senior Producers and Production Coordinator(s) to enable them to carry out their management responsibilities effectively.
- Build the capacity of all production staff to deliver outstanding content.
Organisational management:
- Ensure systems are in place to manage production resources including all production equipment, edit suites and production facilities whether specific to one project or shared.
- Oversee the production budgets for all relevant projects, and ensure that all production complies with BBC Media Action’s finance and administration guidelines as well as donor requirements – in particular that it provides excellent value-for-money and can be reported clearly and accurately.
- Effectively represent BBC Media Action with broadcast and development partners.
- Support the Country Director in taking strategic decisions about current and future operations, based on a solid understanding of the risks and opportunities in the media for development sector.
- Support the Country Director, and the Senior Projects Manager and their team, in writing production-related segments of reports for donors, colleagues, and the public.
- Participate actively in BBC Media Action Tanzania’s senior management team. Advocate the needs of broadcast teams within senior management and ensure office and project policies and procedures are relevant and workable to meet the needs of broadcast teams.
Required skills, knowledge and experience:
- At least seven years of experience in radio production across a range of formats, and preferably also other media platforms
- At least three years of experience in an editorial leadership position
- Demonstrable creative ability with a proven track record in designing, developing and making programmes
- Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills and significant experience of leading and managing diverse talent and production teams
- Demonstrable experience of managing budgets of over TZS100 million (or the equivalent in another currency)
- Experience of project planning, with proven experience of successful project management against tight deadlines
- Experience of setting up systems for managing production resources
- Experience of developing written plans and reports for internal and external audiences
- Excellent communication skills, fluent in English (verbal and written)
- Experience of building and influencing high level external relationships
- Experience of designing or commissioning training and learning for production teams
Please note: we can only accept applications from applicants who are citizens of Tanzania or who hold a current visa and whose status allows them to work and reside in Tanzania with no restrictions.
Desired skills, knowledge or experience:
- Swahili-language fluency is highly desirable
- Experience of working in a developing country context, preferably in Africa
- Understanding of the principles of behaviour change communication
- Experience of overseeing a multi-platform media production project
- Understanding of BBC health and safety requirements and how these can be applied in developing country contexts
- Knowledge of BBC editorial values, aims and objectives, and an ability to apply these to media development projects
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 team work - Able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people. Works co-operatively with others to be part of a team. 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 realise 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
