Research Officer Job at 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. Last year, our projects and programmes reached 130 million people facing poverty, inequality and insecurity with information they could 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.
BBC Media Action delivers a portfolio of projects in Nigeria. It seeks to expand this portfolio of work, but also to ensure that existing projects are delivered on time, on budget, to the highest standards and in accordance with BBC editorial values as well as Media Action methodologies.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Research Officer

Job Location: Abuja, Nigeria (Right to work in Nigeria required)
Reports to: Head of Research & Learning
Contract: Fixed-term employment
Duration: One year

Job Purpose

  • The BBC Media Action office in Nigeria is looking for a Research Officer to support the timely and efficient implementation of all aspects of research for BBC Media Action’s development communications projects in Nigeria, under the overall guidance of the Head of Research and Learning.
  • The Research Officer will work closely with the Head of Research and Learning or with Senior Research Officers (where applicable) to ensure that all research is technically well-designed, implemented, reported, and disseminated to a range of audiences within time, budget, and quality guidelines.
  • As such, the Research Officer is expected to have substantial experience in research methods and implementation.
  • The role reports to the Head of Research and Learning and will work closely with other implementing teams and the Senior Management Team.
  • The position is based in Abuja and will require travel to other states within the country.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

  • Support the effective design, co-ordination and delivery of research for all BBC Media Action’s projects in Nigeria across a range of different thematic areas in which BBC Media Action works (e.g. health and governance), comprising of baseline and formative research (e.g. surveys, literature reviews and focus group discussions), process research (e.g. pre-testing of outputs) and impact evaluation, including social media assessments.
  • Support/contribute to (or where assigned, lead) the development of research plans for research activities, including research instruments and sampling design, fieldwork and fieldwork management to time, budget and high-quality standards.
  • Support the analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data, reporting and dissemination of research findings to both internal and external audiences, in order to help Project and Senior Management, Production and Training teams, Donor and Project partners to draw insights from the data that will be useful in the design and implementation of activities.
  • Assist in facilitating, monitoring and commissioning (where necessary) of research activities (e.g. quantitative surveys, focus group sessions, panel studies, case studies, outreach activity assessments, capacity building assessments, social media research etc.), including negotiations on technical matters with BBC Media Action staff and external agencies.
  • Support in organising and implementing research review processes for key research deliverables (designs, reports) with project stakeholders, with support and guidance from the Senior Research Officer(s) or Head of Research and Learning.
  • Assist in the supervision of research work of other team members (e.g. Assistant Research Officers) as well as contracted research agencies and freelancers.
  • Support the Senior Research Officer(s) and Head of Research and Learning, and where necessary act as a key focal point for improving the research skills of colleagues.
  • Perform any other duties that may be assigned.

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

  • Minimum of a first degree in the Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, the Humanities or any other relevant field.
  • At least 3 years of experience conducting research and evaluation for development projects or similar experience in conducting social/market research in any research agency and/or media and communication research.
  • The Research Officer will be an experienced quantitative researcher with demonstrable design, implementation and analysis skills.
  • Ability to plan and design quantitative research, and design and manage mixed method research.
  • Competent in quantitative research implementation, data analysis and reporting.
  • Knowledge and skills in social media/digital research design and evaluation is desirable.
  • Strong fieldwork experience, including in rural and geographically challenging areas.
  • Ability to undertake or manage fieldwork and adapt methods to challenging and resource-constrained conditions.
  • Good communication skills, and the ability to clearly communicate the findings of our research and what these insights mean for the users of our data.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the importance of and application of ethical procedures in research.
  • Demonstrable understanding of cultural diversity and cross-cultural research within Nigeria.
  • A good grasp of, or enthusiasm to learn about, communication strategies and development issues.
  • Experience of writing precise and clear reports and briefing documents.
  • Ability to work on own initiative and good time management skills, with a track record of delivering research findings to deadline within a range of often conflicting deadlines, juggling priorities to meet research needs and objectives.
  • Result oriented and commitment to excellence.
  • Transparent judgement and decision-making, and high level of professionalism.
  • Good IT skills, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and data analysis softwares such as SPSS, Atlas.ti, NVivo etc.
  • Ability to work closely with non-research teams in applying research findings to media outputs.
  • Ability to forge strong working relations quickly and gain the trust of colleagues and partners, for example in other international NGOs, in media houses, research agencies and elsewhere.
  • Ability to speak and write one or more of the following Nigerian languages: Hausa, Yoruba and / or Igbo.
  • Previous research experience working with NGOs or development projects would be an advantage.
  • 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.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their CV with cover letter (in English, PDF or Microsoft Word format) which outlines their experience and suitability for the role, and availability status, by email to: hr.recruitment@ng.bbcmediaaction.org using the Job Position as the subject of the mail.

Note

  • Only applicants with a separate cover letter will be considered.
  • Please do not send certificates or other attachments.
  • Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
  • Females and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply

Safeguarding:

  • This role may involve working with groups of vulnerable children, youth, and adults.
  • For the successful candidate, mandatory training will be provided on BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy and staff code of conduct.
  • BBC Media Action operates a zero-tolerance policy concerning all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people.
  • A police background check may form part of the recruitment



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