Research Officer, Nigeria
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Reports to: Head of Research & Learning / Senior Research Officer
Contract duration: 1 year fixed term (Renewable)
Application instructions:
Interested candidates should please send in their application/cover letter with an introduction and capability statement stating capability for the job, a detailed curriculum vitae (word document please) with names and addresses of at least two professional referees (including their telephone number and email addresses) to [email protected] with the position applied for clearly stated on the application cover letter.
This is a local post applicable to people who have the legal right to live and work in Nigeria.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Application deadline: Friday 1 August 2014
Job purpose:
To assist the Head of Research and Learning as well as other senior staff members of the team in the effective, timely and efficient coordination and implementation of research for BBC Media Action’s projects in Nigeria.
Main duties
• Assist in the effective design, co-ordination and delivery of research for all mass media campaigns across thematic areas (e.g. Health, Governance and Human rights, Building resilience and responding to humanitarian crises), comprising of formative research, process research (e.g. pre-testing of outputs) and impact evaluation;
• Provide support in facilitating, monitoring and commissioning (where necessary) qualitative and quantitative research activities (e.g. surveys, focus groups, capacity building assessments, panel studies, case studies, listening groups etc.), including negotiations on technical matters with BBC Media Action staff and external agencies, working to budget and deadline requirements;
• Assist in the coordination of the viewer/listener groups and to communicate feedback to the Head of Department and production teams (as required);
• Undertake the conduct of research sampling, discussion guides, and questionnaire design working closely with the Head of Research and other colleagues as required;
• To support in the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data;
• Support the preparation of internal and external research presentations and presentation of findings to the production team, Project and Senior Managers that inform the creative process and monitor and evaluate the campaigns’ effectiveness;
• Analyse, interpret and communicate learnings from primary and secondary research work and share knowledge with team members and production/creative team and / or project management teams on a regular basis;
• To primarily support in the analysis of quantitative data and where required, support in the analysis of qualitative data;
• To support the Senior Research Officer(s) and where necessary act as a key focal point for improving the quantitative research skills of colleagues;
• To work closely with Senior Research Officer(s) and other colleagues whilst assisting qualitative and quantitative research activities conducted by BBC Media Action;
• To assist in the liaison with other BBC Media Action partners (NGO, Civil Society Organizations) to monitor quality control and timely delivery of projects;
• Assist in the supervision of research work of other team members (e.g. Assistant Research Officers) as well as contracted research agencies where required;
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned.
Required skills, knowledge and experience
• Good qualitative research skills (research design, moderating, analysis and interpretation of data etc).
• Knowledge of a range of qualitative research techniques and how they are informed by quantitative methods
• Moderate quantitative research skills (sampling and survey design, data management and analysis using SPSS, questionnaire design etc)
• Good communication skills, and the ability to clearly communicate the findings of our research and what these insights mean for the users of our data.
• Knowledge and understanding of the importance of ethical procedures in research.
• A good grasp of, or enthusiasm to learn about, communication strategies and development issues.
• Experience of writing precise and clear reports and briefing documents.
• Good IT skills, including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Academic/Professional qualification
• A first degree in the Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Behavioural sciences, or the Humanities or any other relevant field;
• Ability to speak and write one or more of the following Nigerian languages: Hausa, Yoruba and or Igbo
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.
• Strategic thinking – Can identify a vision along with the plans that need to be implemented to meet the end goal. Evaluates situations, decisions, issues, etc. in the short, medium and longer-term.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
Note: This is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.