GBLCAREERS

Job Purpose:

The Programme Manager will provide support to our country teams and the Regional Director to ensure the smooth implementation of current projects and to secure new business across the region. The Programme Manager will be in regular contact with Country Directors and other senior in-country staff, supporting them to recruit staff, implement and report on projects. He or she will play a guiding and coordinating role in ensuring that our projects are legally and financially compliant; are delivered safely and are in line with BBC editorial standards and BBC Media Action approaches and best practice. The post holder will play a role in the budgeting process, supporting forecasting and accounting for spend, and developing new budgets. He or she will support country teams in identifying and resourcing training and capacity building for our own teams, including inter-country visits. To support the securing of new projects, the Programme Manager will research strategic funding opportunities including mapping and engaging directly with donors. He or she will coordinate planning and creation of editorially compelling projects; support proposal-writing, and coordinate the London-based submission processes.

Context: 

BBC Media Action delivers a portfolio of media projects in Asia. It seeks to expand this portfolio of work, but also ensure that existing projects are delivered on time, to budget and to the highest standards, and in accordance with BBC editorial values.  Projects fall broadly under the themes of governance, health and resilience.  We currently have offices in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Myanmar and Nepal, and are seeking to establish offices in Pakistan and Indonesia.

Location: Ibex House, Tower Hill, London, UK

Contract duration: Up to 12 weeks fixed term contract/attachment, ending on 31 January 2018

Pay grade: 8

To apply: 

If you are interested in the role, please email Victoria Hollertz () by Tuesday 24 October, attaching a copy of your CV. Explain in your email why you are interested in the role and why you think you are suitable (we don’t need a full cover letter). Please also state

– when you would be available to start the role

– that you already have the right to work in the UK (i.e. you don’t need to apply for a visa)

– if you are an internal candidate, that you have your line manager’s permission to come on attachment.

Main Duties:

• Act as a first point of contact for enquiries to the Asia team, both in person and on the telephone and to liaise with staff within BBC Media Action and the BBC as a whole.
• Ensure the efficient operation of office systems, helping to maintain an up-to-date and comprehensive filing system, both paper and electronic, and an Asia-wide contacts database.
• Provide support to country teams to ensure that projects are delivered on time, to agreed budgets and to the highest standards. This may include input into the design of projects; contracting freelancers for short-term work; supporting country teams to establish suitable procedures; follow up on legal or procurement issues; monitoring the delivery of projects in country against agreed objectives and the work plan, and representing the project or country teams internally and to donors.
• Lead on London support to business development for key countries, including identifying and engaging with donors; coordinating input into proposals and writing or editing proposals and budgets.
• Ensure all projects in development adhere to BBC and BBC Media Action policies and editorial guidelines and are steered through the organisation’s central review procedures in a timely manner, ensuring all feedback is incorporated into final design.
• Liaise with other BBC and BBC Media Action teams, particularly production support, policy and thematic, business development, research and learning and finance, to coordinate their support for projects and ensure delivery of specific components of projects as agreed.
• Provide mentoring support to project teams based in-country which equips them to lead and deliver projects locally.
• Assist Country Directors to design budgets which are realistic, feasible, and adhere to all Media Action internal requirements.  Support financial and narrative reporting to donors in support of country teams.
• Contribute to the editorial quality and compliance of all programmes and materials produced. Coordinate regular programme and project reviews to monitor quality.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing and policy development across the organisation.
• Represent BBC Media Action externally to donors and other interested parties, as required.
• Provide clear guidance and allocate responsibilities (including developmental opportunities) to Assistant Programme Manager or Team Assistant.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience required

• Experience of successful project management in the development field, including developing, delivering, monitoring and closing projects.
• Experience in working with contracts, ideally with international development donors.
• Experience of identifying and engaging with potential donors, and of successfully winning new business through proposal writing.
• Understanding of and commitment to international development, including the use of media for developmental goals.
• Experience working in either media or development, ideally in Asia.
• Strong communication skills including the ability to write well in English.
• Experience of preparing, monitoring and managing complex budgets.
• Experience mentoring and developing staff.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Experience working with people whose first language is not English.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with a proven track record in forming effective relationships with a range of local and international partners.
• Demonstrable interest in Asia.

Desirable

• Experience working in both media and development.
• Experience living and working in Asia.

RELEVANT 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, process projects into component parts, explore and evaluate them systematically. Able to identify causal relationships and construct frameworks, for problem solving and/or development.

• 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.

• Planning and Organising: Is able to think ahead in order to establish an effective 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.

• Imagination/Creative Thinking: Is able to transform creative ideas/impulses into practical reality. Can look at existing situations and problems in novel ways and come up with creative solutions.

• Managing Relationships: Able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people. Team working.

• 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.

• Problem Solving: 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 decision making and problem-solving. Transforms proposals/ideas into practical reality.

• Flexibility: Adapts and works effectively with a variety of situations, individuals or groups. Is able to understand and appreciate different and opposing perspectives on an issue, to adapt an approach as the requirements of a situation change, and to change or easily accept changes in one’s own organisation or job requirements.