Country Director Media Action

Job Description

Country Director, Sierra Leone

Page 1 of 4 Sierra Leone – Country Director – JD – February 2026 – Final 

JOB DESCRIPTION  

development projects which use the power of media to tackle issues of governance,  media ecosystems/media freedom, youth, media literacy and other areas. The post  holder will ensure effective office management so that finance and administrative  functions are carried out in line with donor rules, local regulatory requirements and  BBC Media Action guidelines. 

The Country Director will lead the expansion of our portfolio in Sierra Leone, including  identifying future business development opportunities and overseeing the writing of  new project proposals. The Country Director will represent BBC Media Action to the  Sierra Leonean government, donors, media partners and other key stakeholders. 

BBC Media Action works to ensure that everyone we work with remains safe during their  time with us. The Country Director is responsible for ensuring that safeguarding is  factored into project design and budgeting, staff and freelancers receive relevant  safeguarding training, and relevant safeguarding due diligence is conducted with any  local partner organisations that may be working with vulnerable adults or children as  part of our projects.  

Main Duties 

• Provide dynamic, inspirational leadership and management, and lead senior  management team to ensure BBC Media Action meets our commitments to  funders, partners and audiences in Sierra Leone. 
• Manage and develop a diverse and dynamic team, ensuring that staff are  appropriately supported and managed, and that the team is maintaining high  standards of performance and professional integrity.  
• Through effective line-management of team leads, take final responsibility for  ensuring all activities are delivered within agreed standards, timescales and  budgets, and all outputs adhere to BBC editorial standards. 
• Ensure effective office management so that finance and administrative functions  are carried out in line with donor rules, local regulatory requirements and BBC  Media Action guidelines. 
• Lead the expansion of our portfolio in Sierra Leone, including identifying future  business development opportunities, establishing relevant relationships with  donors and primes, and overseeing the writing of new project proposals. 
• Update and implement the Country Strategy, ensuring our work in Sierra Leone is  relevant and appropriate. 
• Represent BBC Media Action to key stakeholders and ensure effective relationships  and partnerships with a wide range of partners, including the Sierra Leonean  government, international development agencies and other funding agencies,  broadcasters, NGOs and others. 
• Report regularly to BBC Media Action’s office in the UK on operational, legal,  financial and editorial issues. 
• Ensure the BBC Media Action office in Sierra Leone complies with all local laws and  regulations.  
• Safeguarding responsibility for staff, volunteers, partners, and contributors. The  role has responsibility for ensuring that all project activities comply with BBC 

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JOB DESCRIPTION  

Media Action and donor standards around safeguarding of children and vulnerable  adults. The role requires detailed knowledge and expertise of safeguarding policy  and best practice. 

• Ensure the delivery of relevant safeguarding training to all staff, freelancers and  (sub)contractors contracted directly by the office. 
• Ensure that relevant safeguarding due diligence is conducted with any local partner  organisations that may be working with vulnerable adults or children as part of the  projects. Where any risks are identified, ensure that projects are designed to  mitigate these risks. 
• Lead on security planning, working with senior management team, BBC Media  Action security team, and local contacts to understand and minimize risks to staff,  and ensure that staff are trained and briefed to manage risks. 
• Identify training priorities linked to the needs of staff, including greater  development of in-house capacity, and to ensure that training meets BBC Media  Action’s high standards. 

Essential Skills and Experience 

• Substantial experience in the transformative and inclusive management of diverse  teams of creatives and professionals. 
• Experience managing large-scale, donor-funded projects in a developing-country  context, preferably in Sierra Leone. Proven ability to deliver complex projects to  deadlines and within budget. 
• Experience developing and securing international development or media projects,  including the ability to develop new project ideas and present these persuasively to  potential partners and funders, and write successful proposals. 
• Significant budget management experience, demonstrating effective use of  resources and responsibility for large budgets. 
• A record of forming effective relationships with a range of local and international  partners, including at the highest levels of government and media, and managing  effective teamwork between partners and stakeholders, including those with  differing agendas. 
• Considerable experience of working in the media or development sector (preferably  both) and demonstrable knowledge of the development and/or media context in Sierra Leone. 
• Confident public speaker with experience of presentations to colleagues, donors and  other stakeholders.  
• Good judgment and decision-making skills, including the ability to adapt, react and  respond to crises, and to evaluate risk. 
• Experience working on own initiative and organising time effectively within a range  of often conflicting deadlines and demands. 

Desirable Skills and Experience 

• Experience working in one or more of BBC Media Action’s key thematic areas in Sierra Leone: governance, media development, press freedom and reforms, health,  inclusion, youth civic engagement, climate and sustainability. Demonstrable 

Page 3 of 4 Sierra Leone – Country Director – JD – February 2026 – Final 

JOB DESCRIPTION