Project Director at BBC Media Action

The BBC is an international multimedia broadcaster on radio, TV, online and social networks with a weekly global audience of 320 million. As part of an historic multi-million pound expansion of BBC Africa, the BBC World Service is introducing a wide range of new and exciting language and regional content to serve African and global audiences.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job title: Project Director

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

Job Purpose

• The BBC MA office in Nigeria is seeking a Project Director to lead an extensive, multi-year, multi component Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) programme funded by the Gates Foundation and focused on reproductive health and family planning (FP) in Northern Nigeria.
• The Project Director is the most senior role, leading this high-profile project with a significant budget. The Project Director will be accountable for delivering the project to a high standard, on time, and inalignment with the expectations of BBC MA and the Gates Foundation (GF).
• The Project Director will be responsible for maintaining oversight of the project’s activities, leading a team, liaising with media, civil society, and government partners, providing strategic and technical guidance to specialist and project teams, and ensuring that all creative outputs are produced to the highest standards. To summarise, the Project Director will be accountable for delivering the project to high quality, meeting planned outcomes, within budget and to the 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 and monitoring of a multi-media, multi-platform, multi-partner SBCC intervention and disseminating the learnings thereof.
• Provide dynamic, inspirational leadership and management, including sound technical and staff leadership across all aspects of the intervention.
• Lead project activities – working closely with your team, other teams within BBC MA and relevant external stakeholders to deliver the project and donor commitments while aligning with BBC editorial standards and values and BBC Media Action’s best practice.
• Manage project budgets (including budget forecasting) to ensure the complete and successful delivery of project outputs in accordance with that budget and in line with BBC MA’s financial procedures and the funder’s operating guidelines. Work closely with the Finance department to identify and resolve any potential financial issues.
• Recruit, manage and develop the project team, ensuring that staff are appropriately inducted, trained and developed, and performance is appropriately managed.
• Engage with Creative, Production and Research and Learning (both in Nigeria and London) teams to strategize, brainstorm and review all project outputs (both internal and co-created or commissioned to external partners) in line with the agreed Theory of Change and Communication Framework.
• Envision and implement strategic ideas and tactics in line with the project – not just in implementation, but in forging partnerships and harnessing the power of the vibrant Nigerian creative and media ecosystem.
• Anticipate and respond to risks and threats that could threaten project delivery.
• Lead the dissemination of project results and oversee the publication of reports.
• Serve as the organisation’s primary contact with the donor and other project stakeholders.
• Manage the project’s Steering Committee comprising, internal and external senior stakeholders.
• Maintain strong, collaborative relationships with partners and organisations (including other GF grantees, the creative and media industry, and FP stakeholders) for the benefit of the project, in line with BBC Media Action’s values.
• Ensure the development of knowledge management systems and processes that help collect, organise, store, and share BBC MA Nigeria’s knowledge assets in a manner that makes them readily available, accessible, and effectively used for the benefit of the organisation and the sector.
• Contribute to the development and writing of new proposals, or work as part of a larger team responding to donor requirements.
• Ensure that project activities comply with BBC MA and GF standards around safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. The role will support processes that ensure relevant safeguarding  due diligence is conducted with any local partner organisations that may work with vulnerable  adults or children as part of the project. Where any risks are identified, will ensure that the risks  are mitigated.
• Any other tasks assigned by BBC MA to achieve project and organisational objectives.

Required Skills, knowledge, and experience

• Substantial experience of managing progressively large-scale and complex projects in the development and/or humanitarian sector, with direct experience managing large, diverse teams and significant budgets, including client relationship management with major funders.
• Experience working in both media and development sectors to bring about change through the power of media and communications.• Deep familiarity and experience working with the commercial sector of the Nigerian media and communication industry – advertising, digital media (social media and telecom), media planning and buying, outreach and activation.
• Networked into the Nigerian media industry to tap into this world to consult, use and leverage  talent for the project in the most impactful and cost-effective manner.
• Up-to-date with trends and trendsetters, innovations, and constant changes in Nigeria’s media and popular culture scene.
• Strong understanding of SBCC tools and techniques, ideally gained from experience of designing and/or delivering large-scale SBCC interventions.
• Sound financial knowledge, including forecasting.
• Knowledge of Hausa language.
• Understanding of the religious sensitivities and the socio-economic, political and cultural context of Northern Nigeria.
• An understanding of reproductive and family planning projects and stakeholders in Nigeria is desirable.
• Proven expertise to build, influence and maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders outside of a line management relationship.
• Experienced in controlling programme activity and providing decision support to allow prioritisation based on strategic contribution and use of resources (people, funds, time, etc.).
• Foresight to anticipate risks and the executive ability to manage them.
• Confident public speaker with experience presenting to colleagues, donors and stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Deeply ambitious with an appetite to make this a project admired for its creativity, innovation, impact and scale in Nigeria and beyond.

Application Closing Date
7th December, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their CV with a 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  please include the title of the position applied for in the subject line.

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.