Senior Producer, Drama

Job Description

BBC Media Action is looking for an Afan Oromo-speaking Senior Producer to take overall lead in the launch and production of new radio dramas, facilitating the development of culturally and socially relevant innovations, style and approach to radio drama in Ethiopia which leads the industry.

Building the creative skills of our staff to help them grow into creative leaders in their own right is also a key responsibility of this job.

BBC Media Action 

BBC Media Action uses media and communications to reduce poverty and promote human rights in developing countries. To achieve this, the BBC Media Action partners with civil society, local media and governments to: 

• Produce creative programmes in multi-media formats, based on robust research, which inform and engage audiences around key development issues.
• Strengthen the media sector through building professional capacity and infrastructure.

BBC Media Action delivers a portfolio of media projects in Ethiopia. It seeks to expand this portfolio of work, but also ensure that existing projects are delivered to time, to budget and to the highest standards, and in accordance with BBC editorial values as well as Media Action methodologies. 

Overall Purpose of Job 

This is a senior role within the production and training department. The Senior Producer, Drama will use her/his strong enthusiasm for storytelling, extensive drama production experience, desire to build the skills and capacity of others and passion to positively impact lives to oversee the development, launch, and production of drama outputs. 

The Senior Producer, Drama will take overall lead of the launch and production of radio dramas, facilitating the development of culturally and socially relevant innovations, style and approach to radio drama in Ethiopia which leads the industry. 

Building the creative skills of our staff to help them grow into creative leaders in their own right is a key responsibility of this job. 

Main Duties

Production

• Take overall responsibility for the planning, production and delivery of drama outputs, and to develop and maintain systems to ensure we produce high-quality work on time and to budget.
• Work closely with relevant international advisors to ensure that all drama production activities benefit from experience and learning outside of Ethiopia.
• Provide creative leadership for the drama production staff, from researching storylines, planning the overarching themes for each series and overseeing the scriptwriting process through recording, post-production, final edit and delivery.
•  Supervise, train and mentor staff involved in drama production to enable them to hone the creative skills that will allow them to deliver engaging, high quality programs that appeal to audiences and meet BBC Media Action project objectives.
• Working with staff across departments, ensure that resources (both human and material) are strategically allocated, scheduled, and shared between different teams to meet the demands of a busy production schedule.
• Working with the Executive Editor, help identify, recruit, and retain staff and freelancers to enable us to maintain a creative edge in the industry while continually refreshing our talent pool.
• Working with the Project Management team, ensure that our drama outputs meet overall project goals and objectives.
• Working with the Executive Editor and others, help the office consider innovative platforms through which to distribute drama outputs.
• Ensure drama outputs fully comply with BBC Editorial guidelines and values. Work with the Executive Editor to manage any editorial issues that may arise.
•  Explore collaborative opportunities with other parts of Ethiopian media as appropriate.
• With the Executive Editor, ensure that BBC Health and Safety guidelines are observed on all drama productions, staff are trained and briefed to manage risk, and support is provided to others to take appropriate measures to minimize exposure to perceived risks. Advise and support the Executive Editor to manage risk related to production on all the projects.

 Capacity building

Take an active role, in conjunction with the Project Manager, Executive Editor, and relevant Producer/Trainers, in designing and implementing capacity building strategies with media partners and relevant stakeholders.

Leadership

• To deputize for the Executive Editor as required, managing Producer/Mentors, Assistant Producers and Sound Technician, ensuring they receive adequate guidance and supervision.
• To delegate tasks clearly to the team, where appropriate, and ensure the team understands the importance of their role in attaining and having attained their goals.
• Support the Project Manager and Executive Editor in ensuring the production expenditure keeps within budget.
• Support the Executive Editor in ensuring that all necessary contracts, clearances or agreements under direct control are negotiated and completed. 

Cooperation

• To liaise closely with Senior Producers and production staff in other teams, and with contributors, media partners and government officials.
• To work with Project Management to align project goals and outcomes.
• Cooperate closely with cross-functional departments (eg. Finance, Administration, HR, Project Management, Outreach, Research and Learning)
• All Senior Producers may be required to contribute to, or work with other programme teams or partner organizations and to have the ability to work across a range of skills and in a flexible manner, carrying out these responsibilities in accordance with the BBC’s overall standards and values 

Duties include: 

•  Take overall responsibility for the planning, production and delivery of drama outputs, and to develop and maintain systems to ensure we produce high-quality work on time and to budget.
• Provide creative leadership for the drama production staff, from researching storylines, planning the overarching themes for each series and overseeing the scriptwriting process through recording, post-production, final edit and delivery.
•  Supervise, train and mentor staff involved in drama production to enable them to hone the creative skills that will allow them to deliver engaging, high quality programs that appeal to audiences and meet BBC Media Action project objectives.
• Help consider innovative platforms through which to distribute drama outputs.
•  Ensure drama outputs fully comply with BBC Editorial guidelines and values.
• Explore collaborative opportunities with other parts of Ethiopian media as appropriate.

Job Requirement

Essential: 

• Substantial experience in producing drama for radio, TV or other platforms.
• Excellent interpersonal leadership and people management skills. Experience of leading and managing talent and production teams, as well as managing diverse teams.
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken Afan Oromo and Amharic, and very good command of English
• An extensive knowledge of the needs of the Oromo audience

Required skills, knowledge and experience   

• Substantial experience in producing drama for radio, TV or other platforms.
• Highly advanced storytelling and other creative drama skills and instincts, including the demonstrated ability to originate new ideas and see them through production or completion.
• Strong editorial decision-making experience and judgement.
• Excellent interpersonal leadership and people management skills. Experience of leading and managing talent and production teams, as well as managing diverse teams.
• Demonstrated experience supporting the professional development of staff in creativity, editorial judgement, technical skills and decision-making.
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken Afan Oromo and Amharic, and very good command of English
• Wide familiarity with Ethiopia and an in-depth understanding of the country’s health, social issues, mindsets and attitudes
• An extensive knowledge of the media situation in the target area and the needs of the Oromo audience
• Understanding of the latest production-related technology and techniques for radio, TV or digital platforms.
•  Production budget management experience.
• Knowledge of, or ability to learn, BBC editorial values, aims and objectives.

 Competencies 

·      Creative Thinking - able to transform creative ideas into practical reality.  Can look at existing situations and problems in novel ways and come up with creative solutions.

·      Strategic Thinking - can identify a vision along with the plans which need to be implemented to meet the end goal.  Evaluates situations, decisions, issues etc. in the short, medium and longer-term.

·      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 - 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.

·      Communication - able 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.

·    Influencing and persuading - able 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.

·      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.  

·      Leadership -  able to create a vision and inspire others to realise it irrespective of circumstances

·      Developing Others - is able to recognise the potential (managerial, professional, artistic or otherwise) and is willing to foster the development of that potential.  Creates a climate in which potential can be realised.

·      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.

·    Flexibility - adapts and works effectively with a variety of situations, individuals or groups.  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. 

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities and duties.  The BBC is an equal opportunity employer. 

DURATION:             One-year fixed term with possible extension

CONTRACT:            Local terms and conditions.  Only eligible for Ethiopian

nationals or those legally able to work in Ethiopia