Senior Research Executive at BBC World Service

Job Purpose

As Senior Research Executive within the World Services Audiences team, you will be involved with delivering actionable insights across BBC World Service, helping journalists, product managers, marketers and business development teams better understand their audiences and make data-driven decisions. As part of this you will contribute to the synthesis and analysis of research and best practice for World Service projects throughout the world, both quantitative and qualitative. The projects commissioned will extend beyond markets of immediate commercial interest which are difficult to research.

Principal Accountabilities

• To commission and undertake quantitative and qualitative research to assist World Service product performance and the broader business strategy.
• To contribute to research projects as part of a wider project team.

Main Duties

• To design all research inputs for a portfolio of projects, methodologies and analysis protocols.
• To supervise agencies in the delivery of successful projects for the BBC.
• To liaise with research partners, platform providers and other international broadcaster research teams to identify areas for collaboration across the BBC World Service Group.
• To disseminate information in a wide range of ways, understanding which approach works best for which stakeholder, including senior management

Project management:

• Management of projects throughout their lifecycle, including commissioning, daily project management, analysis of results and presentation of findings.
• Supervise agencies in the delivery of successful projects for the BBC.
• Support wider team with projects as part of a project team.

Analysis:

• Design research inputs for a variety of projects, methodologies and analysis protocols.
• Use audience insight to assist stakeholders in the development of editorial content.

Communication:

• Develop a strong relationship with the strategy, business development and editorial teams thereby using our insight to inform platform delivery strategies.
• Liaise with research partners, platform providers and other international broadcaster research teams to identify areas for collaboration across the BBC World Service Group.
• Disseminate information in a wide range of ways, understanding which approach works best for which stakeholder, including senior management.
• Collaborate effectively with the rest of the Audiences team.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience Required

Essential

• Direct experience in business, social or academic research of audiences in both emerging and developed economies.
• Experience of “media industry standard” audience measurement approaches with ability to use analysis software such as Telmar, SPSS and SNAP.
• Experience of designing and conducting qualitative and quantitative research projects about media consumption, attitudes and behaviours.
• Excellent communication skills required, especially significant experience in delivering Powerpoint presentations to small and large groups of senior stakeholders.
• Ability to analyse large sample (1000+) datasets and convert data into practical insights.
• Good collaborator with experience of working as part of a research project team.
• Comfortable delivering to tight deadlines.
• Interpersonal skills to build strong working relationships with a range of stakeholders in different disciplines and at different levels within the organisation.

Desirable

• Detailed understanding of traditional market research techniques, statistical reporting and panel methodologies.
• Demonstrable interest in developments in the International media industry.
• Demonstrable understanding of cultural diversity and cross-cultural research.
• Self-motivated, deadline-driven, ability to support multiple workloads and projects at a time.
• Experience of conducting formal presentations to large audiences.
• Experience of digital analytics.
• Experience of having worked in a news environment or ability to demonstrate a personal interest in international news and affairs.

Competencies

Analytical thinking - able to simplify complex problems, processes or projects into component parts explore and evaluate them systematically.

Planning and organising - 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.

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.

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.