Project Director (Nigeria) 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 Title: Project Director (Nigeria)

Location: Nigeria (Right to work in Nigeria required)
Reports to: Country Director
Contract: Fixed-term employment
Duration: Three years

Job Purpose

• The BBC Media Action office in Nigeria is looking for a Project Director to lead the implementation of a multi-year, multi-component Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) programme funded by the Gates Foundation and focused on reproductive health and family planning in Northern Nigeria.
• This role ensures the project is delivered to a high standard, on time, and in alignment with the expectations of BBC Media Action and the Gates Foundation.
• The Project Director is ultimately responsible for delivering the project activities.
• They maintain oversight of interventions across the project, leading on media, civil society and government partnerships; overseeing creative processes; and providing strategic and technical guidance to specialist and project teams to ensure the project is delivered to high quality, within budget and to timeline
• The role reports to the Country Director and will work closely with other implementing teams and the Senior Management Team.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Accountable for the effective and high-quality design, delivery, management, monitoring, evaluation and learning of a multimedia, multiplatform, multi-partner SBC intervention
• Provide dynamic, inspirational leadership and management, including sound technical leadership across all aspects of the intervention.
• Lead project activities – working closely with relevant stakeholders and other teams to deliver theproject and donor commitments while aligning with BBC editorial standards and values and MediaAction’s best practice.
• Recruit, manage and develop the project team, ensuring that staff are appropriately inducted, trained and developed, and performance is appropriately managed.
• Ensure that appropriate technical resources are available, drawing on internal and external expertise.
• Anticipate and respond to risks and threats that could threaten project delivery.
• Lead on the communication of project results, oversee the publication of reports and work to ensure take up amongst key stakeholders.
• Serve as the organisation’s primary contact with the donor and other project stakeholders,
• Maintain strong, collaborative relationships with partners and organisations for the benefit of the project, in line with BBC Media Action values.
• Ensure the development of knowledge management systems and processes that help to collect, organize, store and share BBC Media Action Nigeria’s information/knowledge assets in a manner that such can be readily available, accessible and effectively used for the benefit of the organization.
• Manage project budgets (including budget forecasting) to ensure the full and successful delivery of project outputs in accordance with that budget and in line with Media Action’s financial procedures and the funder’s operating guidelines.
• Work closely with the Finance department to identify and resolve any potential financial issues.
• Contribute to the development and writing of new proposals, or working as part of a larger team responding to donor requirements.
• Ensure that project activities comply with BBC Media Action and donor standards around safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
• The role will also lead or support to ensure that relevant safeguarding due diligence is conducted with any local partner organisations that may be working with vulnerable adults or children as part of the project and where any risks are identified, ensure that projects are designed to mitigate these risks.
• Any other tasks assigned by Media Action to achieve project and organisational objectives.

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

• Substantial experience of working in both the media and development sectors; with excellent understanding of reproductive and family planning projects, including the use of media and communication for behaviour and social change.
• Able to build, influence and maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders outside of a line management relationship.
• Experience managing complex activities with demonstrated capacity to manage project/activities effectively.
• Experience of overseeing budgets for a complex project.
• Sound financial knowledge including cost versus benefit analysis and forecasting; the ability to see the wider implications of project performance.
• Experienced controlling programme activity and providing decision support to allow prioritisation based on strategic contribution and use of resources (people, funds, time, etc.).
• Confident public speaker with experience of presentations to colleagues, donors and stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Good contextual understanding of Northern Nigeria and Hausa language.

Application Closing Date
11th July, 2025 (5pm).

How to Apply
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 title 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.

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 process.