Research Officer , BBC Media Action ,Tanzania

The Research Officer will support the Research Manager in the coordination and implementation of research as part of an upcoming Maternal and New born Child Health (MNCH) project. The project aims to reduce the number of maternal and neonatal deaths as well as increase community awareness and demand for quality Reproductive, Maternal and New born Child Health (RMNCH) services in Mbeya and Songwe regions. The Research Officer will liaise with local partners and programme participants to support the design, coordination and implementation of research activities to inform and evaluate the project. He/she will make sure that all activities are implemented in a timely and effective manner.

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Reports to: Research Manager

Contract duration: 6 months, anticipated start date in November 2017 subject to funding

To apply: 

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 with the title of the position applied for in the subject line before 5pm on Wednesday 1 November 2017.

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.

Main Duties: 

• To support the design of research for training projects and mass media programming, comprising formative research, pre-testing of media materials, and impact evaluation.
• To support in the commissioning and monitoring of all research inputs (e.g. quantitative surveys, focus group sessions, case studies, etc.), working to budget and deadline requirements.
• To conduct literature reviews across a range of issues/ themes and ethnographic studies in the field.
• To conduct fieldwork, including focus group discussions and in-depth interviews in the field.
• To conduct pilots and pre-testing of content and media output in the field.
• Liaise with in-country field agencies monitoring quality control and the timely delivery of research projects.
• To support the Research Manager in overseeing quantitative and qualitative research activities
• To support the analyses of qualitative and quantitative data and report research findings to a range of internal and external stakeholders
• To support Research Assistants in delivering high quality research on time and within budget.
• To coordinate field work activities, including preparing budgets, recruitment of participants and fieldwork logistics

Knowledge, Skills and Experience required

• University Degree in social sciences, development or any other related field of studies
•  Fluent in English and Swahili with ability to write reports and scripts in these languages
• At least three years of experience in working for an international development organisation and/or in the field of research.
• Demonstrable experience designing, implementing and reporting qualitative research (focus groups, interviews etc) and/or quantitative (surveys) research techniques.
• Demonstrable experience managing fieldwork logistics in Tanzania, including ensuring ethics, monitoring of staff, recruitment of participants, and liaison with officials.
• Demonstrate a command of statistical software especially SPSS with the ability understand the dataset and run some average analysis and reporting.
•  Practical IT skills, including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to communicate clearly and appropriately both to senior internal and external stakeholders and to research participants
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to work speedily and accurately under pressure
• Ability to think logically, take an analytical approach, critically evaluate ideas and interpret information from different sources
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with partner organisations
• Ability to establish good working relationships with colleagues and work as a member of a team, demonstrating good interpersonal skills
• Self-motivated and willing to learn using own initiative, demonstrating a proactive approach and ability to deliver on time and brief without close supervision
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills: responding flexibly to rapidly changing priorities, planning and prioritising activities and tailoring outputs effectively taking into account deadlines and resources
• Excellent diplomatic skills: ability to conduct business at high levels of government and media
• Ability to operate effectively in a difficult environment
• Ability to travel up to 50% of time

Desirable

• An understanding of, or enthusiasm to learn about, communication strategies, media formats and journalism
• Strong and varied research background, with the ability to distil complex information into simple and actionable recommendations
• Experience of working closely with a media production team in applying research findings to media formats and outputs

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: 

• 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;

• Decision Making – Is ready and able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made;

• Planning and Organization – Is able to think ahead in order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others.  Prioritizes and plans 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 characterized by commitment, motivation and energy;

• Influencing and Persuading – Ability to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others.  Can draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behavior change;

• Communication – The ability to get one’s message understood clearly by adopting a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information;

• Managing relationships – Able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people;

• Self-Development – Is able to identify and apply opportunities for learning and development.