Research Manager

JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: BBC Media Action, Research & Learning
LOCATION: The role will be based in one of BBC Media Action’s offices in Africa or Asia. Current BBC Media Action offices are in the following cities, and the role could be based in any of these, subject to the prevailing security situation at the time of appointment: Abuja, Addis Ababa, Dar Es Salaam, Delhi, Dhaka, Freetown, Hargeisa, Jakarta, Juba, Kabul, Kathmandu, Kyiv, London, Lusaka, Nairobi, Phnom Penh, Suva, Tunis, Yangon.
Applications are welcome from anyone with the existing right to work in any of these countries. BBC Media Action will not sponsor work visas for this engagement under any circumstances (business visas for short-term travel, if required, will be arranged). The successful applicant will be employed and based in their home country, with salary set according to BBC Media Action’s local pay scales in that country.
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: Competitive, on relevant local scale.

We\'re happy to discuss flexible working. If you\'d like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there\'s no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

Join our Research & Learning team to lead impactful research across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. You’ll manage projects, build local research capacity, and deliver insights that shape media content and business development. Ideal candidates have strong social research experience, project management skills, and the ability to communicate complex findings clearly. If you’re proactive, collaborative, and passionate about evidence‑driven decision‑making, apply now to help us inform global media strategies.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

Be part of a global mission that shapes media for positive social impact. Beyond research delivery, you’ll influence strategic decisions, foster innovation, and build capacity in diverse contexts. You’ll collaborate with passionate professionals across continents, share knowledge, and create partnerships that drive change. This role offers the chance to see your insights transform content and empower communities, while contributing to organisational growth and global development goals.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT

1. Deliver country‑level insights to inform media content, services, and business development decisions, supporting donor engagement through robust research proposals and outputs that position the organisation as a trusted partner in media and development sectors.
2. Manage research projects and budgets, ensuring timely, high‑quality outputs within financial constraints.
3. Build capacity of local researchers through training, mentoring, and technical oversight, strengthening research quality and skills in‑country, fostering sustainable capacity.
4. Manage and analyse quantitative data across countries to produce insights across BBC Media Action’s themes to support organisational strategy, enabling evidence‑based decision‑making for content and organisational growth.
5. Communicate complex research clearly to diverse audiences, including non‑research staff, donors, and media partners.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

• Proven achievement in social research across diverse populations and contexts, ideally in media, governance, health, or resilience sectors.
• Strong project management skills, including planning, coordinating multi‑disciplinary teams, and delivering research on time and within budget.
• Quantitative and qualitative analytical expertise, with experience evaluating social change projects and using statistical tools like SPSS. Ability to adapt methods to challenging contexts. Able to deliver digital research.
• Excellent communication skills, able to translate complex research into clear, engaging insights for non‑technical audiences.
• Ability to manage and develop staff, including mentoring, capacity building, and remote team leadership.

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED

• Related social science experience e.g. economics, behavioural science, anthropology.
• Familiarity with advanced data visualisation tools or innovative research dissemination methods.

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

Disclaimer

This job description 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.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

Information at a Glance

This is your BBC

At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Find out more about the BBC

Life at BBC

Here you will benefit from:

• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35‑hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pensionscheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values‑based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

Candidate pack

You belong

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual\'s unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief.

Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy

Disability confident

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss: reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.