PROJECT MANAGER Full Time

Job Title Project Manager

Location Kampala, Uganda

Special Requirements Must hold the right to work in Uganda

Reports to Country Director

Line Manages Project team (including consultants)

Context

BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international development charity. We use media and communications to help poverty, address development goals, and support people to understand their rights. We do this through partnering with media, civil society, and others to produce creative media content which informs and engage audiences on key development issues. We also strengthen the media sector through building professional capacity and infrastructure of local media organisations in the countries in which we work.

BBC Media Action is implementing a media development project in Uganda and is seeking an experienced manager to lead the project. This will involve managing researchers and journalism trainers, coordinating roundtable discussions and managing local partners to deliver a media development project. Research into media habits will be a significant portion of the project.

Job purpose

The Project Manager manages BBC Media Action’s work in Uganda. The role primarily involves ensuring the successful implementation of projects, liaising with relevant departments within the Media Action offices in Nairobi and London and support in securing funding for/developing new work. The Project Manager is responsible for overall direction, coordination, implementation, execution, control and completion of specific projects in Uganda, ensuring consistency with BBC Media Action strategy, commitments and goals. The Project Manager ensures resources are used as effectively as possible to deliver projects that meet the highest creative, editorial and technical standards as well as BBC Media Action’s contractual obligations to the donor(s).

This role will be offered on a fix term contract for 18 months with renewal subject to funding and performance. There will be a three-month probationary period.

Main Duties

• Ensure that BBC Media Action’s Uganda projects are delivered on time, to agreed budgets and to the highest standards. This will include leading on: the design, planning and implementation of projects; drafting and agreeing work plans; tracking project deliverables using tools; establishing and maintaining systems for monitoring project budgets; establishing and maintaining systems for assuring the quality of project outputs; following up on legal or procurement issues; overseeing the delivery of projects against agreed objectives and work plans; and representing the program internally and to donors.
• Work alongside the Country Director and finance staff to support financial planning processes.
• Ensure project narrative reports to donors are submitted on time and to a high standard and constantly monitor and report on the progress of the project to all stakeholders.
• Work with finance staff to ensure the timely submission of project finance reports to donors.
• Liaise with Research and Learning staff and consultants that support project design, monitoring and evaluation.
• Support the Country Director and Partnerships Team in business development, including identifying and engaging with donors; coordinating input into proposals and writing or editing proposals and budgets.
• Develop working relationships with media, civil society and government to support the effective delivery of projects.
• Manage and implement project changes and interventions to achieve projects outputs.
• Line management of the project team.
• Provide direction and support to project production teams and manage freelancers and consultants.
• Ensure all projects adhere to BBC Media Action’s policies and editorial guidelines.
• Represent BBC Media Action externally as required.
• Any other tasks as requested by the line manager.

Essential skills and experience

• Experience of successful project management, ideally in the development field, including developing, delivering, monitoring and closing projects.
• Experience with media production and development.
• Experience working with international donors especially the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office.
• Strong communication skills including the ability to write well in English.
• Experience of preparing, monitoring and managing budgets.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Good understanding and interest in the issues of how media can be used creatively to further development objectives.
• Good connections and networks within the media sector in Uganda.
• Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with a proven track record in forming effective relationships with a range of local and international partners, including government and media.
• Relevant degree.

Competencies

1. The following competencies (behaviours and characteristics) have been identified as key to success in the job. Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate these competencies:
2. Strategic thinking – able to identify a vision along with the plans which need to be implemented to meet the end goal, evaluating situations, decisions and issues in the short, medium and long term.

• 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.
• 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.
• Managing relationships and team working – able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people. Works co-operatively with others to be part of a team, as opposed to working separately or competitively.
• Resilience – manages personal effectiveness by managing emotions in the face of pressure, set backs or when dealing with provocative situations. Demonstrates an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy.

Tagged as: BBC Media Action, Uganda