JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Media Business Advisor

JOB TYPE: Full-Time

LOCATION: Monrovia with Field Travels

DURATION: An initial one year, with possibility of extension

SALARY: Negotiable

SUPERVISOR/MANAGER: Senior Advisor

SCOPE OF THE ROLE:

Internews is implementing a USAID-funded Media Activity program in Liberia aimed to enhance the human and institutional capacity of the media sector while advocating for and maintaining current media freedoms to reliably carry out responsible journalism, drive reforms, and increase revenue. In the course of the implementation of the program, Internews is currently looking for a qualified and motivated full-time Media Business Advisor.

The Media Business Advisor, coordinating with Internews Media Business Unit (MBU), will work with the project management and staff to strengthen the financial sustainability of Liberian media outlets especially partner community stations under the Media Activity. Additionally, the position will partly support Internews’ international partner GeoPoll. S/he will work closely with Internews program staff and GeoPoll on media business data collection, processing, and dissemination, to train and support the Liberian media managers, marketing, and advertisement personnel and with the international advertising and marketing consultant.

This work focuses on delivering improved strategies; increased organizational capacities; better use of performance data; strengthened performance in generating audience scale, engagement, and loyalty; better use of social media; increased revenues from advertising and subscriptions. The Media Business Advisor will report to USAID Media Activity Senior Advisor.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program work plan and research:

• Assist Chief of Party and Senior Advisor in preparing annual workplans, detailed program activities for local partners
• Design media business activities that are relevant to community radio partners under USAID Media Activity based on Liberian context
• Carry out market research so that business strategy recommendations to media outlets are relevant to their market conditions

Partner selection and assessment

• Assist in assessing radio stations for inclusion in the Media Activity’s nationwide radio assessment; and then evaluate their ongoing performance against agreed targets and milestones.
• Assist in conducting Organizational Capacity Assessments (OCAs) of media outlets and media associations.

Training and mentoring:

• Support partner community radio stations and Media Resource Centers (MRCs) to develop tailored business plans
• Ensure Internews works with media outlets that are committed to improving their business performance and have the resources and capabilities to absorb support
• Work with media outlets, MRCs on strategies and action plans enabling them to become more financially sustainable
• Provide training on core business skills such as budgeting, financial management, goal setting and tracking results.
• Provide training on audience expansion, audience engagement, and audience loyalty.
• Provide practical advice to strengthen partner media outlets’ revenue generation capacities, to enable them to achieve improved financial performance.
• Lead training sessions for participants based on best practices.
• Provide ongoing mentoring to media outlets, MRCs to increase their knowledge, technical skills and apply their training.
• Mentor media personnel on core management issues, with the ultimate goal of supporting retention of journalists and other media professionals/workers, as well as media overall editorial independence.
• Assess the quality of Internews’ support to media houses in business management, digital and social media and provide recommendations.
• Assess partners digital and social media activity, and provide recommendations for action. If needed, provide direct support.
• Track project metrics that serve to measure the success of project activities.
• Contribute to the writing and compiling of program reporting, including quarterly reports and other project-related reports.
• Contribute expertise and work with Internews’ Media Business Unit (regional and headquarters) when required.

Other duties:

• Complete other duties as assigned

Required qualifications, skills and experience:

• Degree in business administration, media management, communications, or a related field. Post graduate qualification with strong digital literacy will be an advantage.
• Minimum of 5 years’ leadership or management experience in media, with demonstrable results.
• Experience in strategic business management, financial management and organizational capacity development.
• Strong understanding of media business and advertising landscapes in Liberia
• Experience with local and/or community radio.
• Experience in adult learning and/or providing training.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, ability to prioritize workload and multi-task in a fast-paced environment with a strong track record of meeting deliverables.
• Experience with audience analytics, using tools such as Google Analytics, YouTube Analytics and Facebook Business Suite; search engine optimization, social media management, advertising sales.
• Excellent soft skills, including interpersonal and communication skills, with a problem-solving attitude and as a self-starter who works both independently and as a collaborative team player.
• Being self-reliant, resourceful, a good problem-solver, good humored, and flexible.
• Ability to travel within and spend extended time in the field, with limited facilities.
• Excellent facilitation skills
• Strong analytical, training, oral and written communication, and team-building skills.
• MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint required.
• Strategic thinking to facilitate interpretation of market information for decision making
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects while working as part of a team

Enquiries and application for this position should be sent by email to HRLiberia@internews.org not later than 5pm on Friday, June 10, 2022. The application should consist of a cover letter explaining your motivation, salary expectations, names of three referees as well as an up-to-date CV/Resume.