Location: Tanzania
Reports to: Research Manager
Contract duration: 12 months (with possible extension)
Salary: Competitive within Tanzanian NGO market rates
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: Friday 21 March 2014
Job purpose:
The Research Officer will support the Research Manager in the
coordination and implementation of research projects. As a member of a
global team of research and communications practitioners, the officer
will have the opportunity to contribute to the work of the Research
& Learning Group on the synthesis and analysis of best practice for
Media Action’s projects.
She/he will liaise with local partners and programme participants to
design, coordinate and conduct research activities and will have primary
responsibility for local research administration. Activities will
include conducting interviews/audits of media organisations moderating
focus groups, analysing qualitative and quantitative data, reporting and
disseminating information, and evaluating the impact of the project.
He/she will be expected to work flexibly across a range of genres and
across all media, irrespective of their area of specialism, in line with
business needs and to positively develop their understanding of the
wider media development environment. He/She will make sure that all
activities are implemented in a timely and effective manner.
Main duties
• To support in the design of research for training projects and mass
media campaigns, comprising formative research, pre-testing of media
materials, and impact evaluation.
• To support the commissioning and monitoring of all research inputs
(e.g., quantitative KAP studies, focus group sessions, case studies,
etc.) whilst working to budget and deadline requirements.
• To conduct focus group discussions, listening groups sessions and in-depth interviews 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 conducted internally.
• To support the analyses of qualitative and quantitative data research
findings to senior managers of BBC Media Action, in-country Project
Managers, donor organisations, government agencies, etc.
• To work closely with the Research Manager to liaise with project
audience research teams and field agencies in-country in overseeing the
implementation of studies, monitoring quality control, budget and timely
delivery of research outputs.
• To support the implementation of ad hoc quantitative and qualitative
research for the research project under the supervision of the Research
Manager.
Required knowledge, skills and experience
• Fluent in English and Swahili with ability to write reports and scripts in these languages
• Experience in working for an international development organisation and/or in the field of research.
• Knowledge of and a willingness to learn about qualitative research
(focus groups, interviews etc) and/or quantitative (surveys) research
techniques
• Ability to communicate clearly and appropriately both to colleagues and interviewees
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to work speedily and accurately under pressure
• Ability to think logically and 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
• Good IT skills, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and ideally statistical software such as SPSS
• 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
Desirable
• In-depth working knowledge of nutrition issues in Tanzania, especially in the field of behaviour change communication.
• An understanding of, or enthusiasm to learn about, communication strategies, media formats and journalism
• Data analysis knowledge and experience – ideally including multivariate analysis and segmentation experience
• Strong and varied research background, with the ability to distil
complex information into simple and actionable recommendations
• Experience of working closely with a production team in applying research findings to media formats and outputs
Key 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 organisation – Is able to think ahead in
order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for
self and others. Prioritises 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
characterised 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
behaviour 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.
