Research Officer, Tanzania

Location: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Reports to: Research Manager

Contract duration: 6 months fixed contract

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 totzrecruitment@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: 5pm on Friday 26 September 2014

Job purpose:

The Research Officer will support the Research Manager in the coordination and implementation of research projects under the Mwanzo Bora Nutrition Programme. As a member of a global team of research and communications practitioners, the officer will have the opportunity to contribute to the Research & Learning Group's work 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 and audits of media organisations, moderating focus groups, analysing qualitative and quantitative data, reporting and disseminating information, as well as 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 the business need 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 in the commissioning and monitoring of all research inputs (e.g., quantitative KAP studies, focus group sessions, case studies, etc.), 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 skills, knowledge and experience:

• A university degree with In-depth working knowledge of nutrition issues in Tanzania, especially in the field of behaviour change communication.

• Experience in working for an international development organisation and/or in the field of research.

• Significant experience conducting 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, taking an analytical approach to 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

• Fluent in English and Swahili with ability to write reports and scripts in these languages

• Ability to travel extensively (including to remote areas) and operate effectively in sometimes difficult environments.

Desirable but not required skills:

• 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:

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, 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.

• Self-Development – Is able to identify and apply opportunities for learning and development.