Reporting to: Creative Director
Responsible for: N/A
Start date: September 2023
Term: 6 months, fixed term contract
Salary: £60,000-65,000 per annum (pro rata) plus 5% pension contribution and private health insurance
NB: Consultancy terms of equivalent remuneration (but without pension and health insurance) can be arranged if preferred
Location: London, possibly with occasional travel
Application deadline: Sunday 6th August 2023 (note that we'll be reviewing applications on a rolling basis so please don't wait to apply)

About DMI

Development Media International (DMI) delivers media campaigns (radio, TV and mobile) aimed at changing behaviours, promoting health and saving lives in developing countries. We are the first organisation to scientifically demonstrate that mass media can increase life-saving behaviours. In 2018, DMI published the results of its 5-year, £7m randomised controlled trial in West Africa which showed that 56% more children were taken for treatment for malaria, 73% more for diarrhoea and 39% more for pneumonia following exposure to our campaign. Modelling indicates that over 3000 lives were saved during the campaign and that our approach is one of the most cost-effective ways of saving children's lives.

DMI has two priorities: to continue to generate ground-breaking research (we have just completed a second successful randomised control trial measuring our impact on contraceptive uptake), and to take our proven strategies to scale, saving as many lives as possible. We work across a range of health issues, including child survival, reproductive health, nutrition, hygiene, and early childhood development. DMI works in close partnership with leading experts in health, including WHO, UNICEF and LSHTM and has been funded by some of the world's most prestigious organisations including the Wellcome Trust, DFID, Comic Relief, the Global Innovation Fund, Unorthodox Philanthropy and the Mulago Foundation.

DMI has demonstrated that knowledge is not only a human right but is also the key to saving lives in a cost-effective way. We are an innovative and rapidly growing organisation, working at the nexus between science and creativity. Our intellectual rigour, enthusiasm and willingness to learn from both our successes and mistakes, makes us distinct. By working at DMI you will have a genuine, measurable impact on improving lives in low-income countries.

One of the reasons for DMI's success is our emphasis on high quality, innovative creative outputs. Several of our creative outputs have been nominated to world renowned film festivals. Without creative excellence our campaigns would not achieve cut through or change behaviours. DMI's creative team works closely with research colleagues to turn academic and field research into spots and long format content that is distinctive and entertaining for audiences while also being technically robust. We are committed to working with local talent and have a number of in-country scriptwriting teams.

DMI has a permanent presence in Burkina Faso, Mozambique,Tanzania, Madagascar, Uganda and Zambia. DMI's headquarters overlooks the Regent's Canal in King's Cross, London and provides the strategic direction for the whole organisation.

DMI is ranked as one of the most cost-effective non-profit organisations in the world by GiveWell and was the first organisation to receive the maximum rating from Impact Matters. It is also endorsed by the Centre for Effective Altruism, Giving What We Can and The Life You Can Save. DMI's funders include institutional funders (such as DFID, UNFPA, GCC and GIF) and large Foundations (Wellcome, Bernard van Leer Foundation and Jacobs Foundation).

Find out more on our website.

Job description

The Executive Producer will oversee creative outputs in our African countries. Outputs will primarily be on radio, though we're also producing increasing amounts of mobile and TV content. Responsibilities include developing new formats, editorial review of creative outputs, the training and support of our local scriptwriting and production teams, finding new creative talent in the region and continuously improving the quality of our creative outputs and processes.

The Executive Producer will join DMI's friendly and dynamic London team. They will report to the Creative Director and will work closely with DMI's African teams.

This role offers excellent benefits, a competitive salary, travel and the opportunity to make a real difference through your work.

More specifically, the Executive Producer's role will include the following responsibilities:

1. To oversee the production of behavioural change spots which will be highly creative in nature, involving drama, comedy and key techniques for driving behaviour change, and interactive discussion programmes including dramas and phone-ins.
2. To oversee the team of scriptwriters in Burkina Faso and Tanzania.
3. To energise and inspire the creative teams to produce high quality work, including running storytelling workshops and brainstorming sessions with the teams. This will include regular visits to the countries, no longer than 1-2 weeks at a time.
4. To digest and be familiar with the results of our research that informs the behaviour change messaging in our outputs, ensuring that the messaging is clear, authoritative and relevant to our audience.
5. To review scripts for radio spots and other creative outputs.
6. To ensure that final production values are of excellent quality, delivered on time and to budget.
7. To contribute to the continuous improvement of DMI's creative and editorial processes by nurturing and developing new ideas from staff and motivate fresh and imaginative approaches.
8. Scouting and developing relationships with top creative talent from the region.
9. Other tasks as required by DMI.

Person specification

You'll have in depth experience of radio, TV, film or commercials together with the intellectual horsepower and problem-solving skills to work flexibly in a fast-paced environment across a range of disciplines. You'll also have the emotional intelligence and diplomatic skills to work remotely with the local teams.

Required knowledge, skills and experience

1. Extremely fluent in French or Portuguese, with the ability to review and edit scripts in French/Portuguese and provide verbal and written feedback to DMI's local team.
2. Strong management and leadership experience and organisational skills, including managing senior staff. The Executive Producer should have extensive experience of (and enjoy) leading and inspiring a team.
3. Strong intellectual ability, as evidenced by a good degree or similar qualifications and performance at interview. Both the media and scientific elements of this project are intellectually demanding.
4. Strong editorial creative background at series producer level (or above) in radio, television, film, or advertising. Highly experienced producers/ directors may be considered.
5. Self-motivated and dynamic. High capacity for work, and resilient and good-humoured under pressure.
6. Excellent writing skills for drama.
7. Strong diplomatic skills, with a track record of having formed productive relationships at senior levels of a variety of organisations. Evidence of ability to manage effective collaboration between partners and stakeholders, including those with differing agendas.
8. Permission to live and work in the UK.

Desirable knowledge, skill and experience

1. Familiarity with the behaviour change field, its objectives and challenges.
2. Experience of working in a developing country, and ideally with experience of managing locally hired staff, would be a major advantage. We will consider applicants who have not done so, but they must be able to provide evidence of their ability to cope with the pressures of working in a development context and an appreciation of the issues and difficulties involved.
3. Technical radio skills, such as working in a studio.