Job title:Consultant- Partnerships Advisor, Break the Chain
Reports to: Head of Project (for Partnerships)
Country Director (for Business Development)
Duration : 8 months (6-10 days a month)
Nature of Employment: Consultancy
Location: Delhi/ Bengaluru
Closing date : 14 July 2026
To apply: Send your CV along with a short cover letter outlining how you meet the requirements listed in the job description, with the subject line indicating the position title to: hr@in.bbcmediaaction.org on or before 14 July 2026.
BBC Media Action
BBC Media Action is the independent international charity of the BBC, using media and communications to advance development outcomes worldwide. We work in partnership with civil society organisations, local media, governments, and other stakeholders to produce creative, evidence-based media content across platforms, while also strengthening the media sector through professional capacity building. BBC Media Action has been working in India since 2001, delivering impact in health, sanitation, gender equity, climate change and building inclusive societies. BBC Media Action has been working in India since 2001, delivering impact in health, sanitation, gender equity, climate change and building inclusive societies.
We follow the editorial standards and values of the BBC, but we rely on funding from donors and partners to carry out our work. We have worked with a range of international and institutional funders, including the Gates Foundation, H&M Foundation, World Bank, UNICEF, European Union, aligned to our core thematic priorities:
- A Safer, More Habitable Planet: Providing trusted information in humanitarian and climate crises, promoting sustainable living, and encouraging balanced discussion around conflict and environmental issues.
- More Inclusive Societies: Ensuring fair representation, challenging harmful gender norms, supporting disability rights, and improving access to health and education.
- Information Literacy: Supporting public interest media to enable active citizen participation, accountability, and informed public discourse.
Project background
Break the Chain is a two-year (2026-27) initiative that combines demand-led capacity strengthening for media practitioners, creative and informative media content for the public, and coalition building to foster a more resilient and inclusive media ecosystem in India. This project is most closely associated with our third priority area, with the overall objective being to support a resilient and pluralistic local information ecosystem that upholds credible information flows, tackles information disorder, amplifies the voices and lived experiences of local communities, and promotes inclusive dialogue. It has two specific objectives: citizens demonstrate improved capacity to critically assess, verify, and engage with digital content; and media practitioners (including journalist students, regional content creators and media professionals) deliver accurate, balanced reporting and inclusive media content. Funded by the European Union, the project is implemented by a consortium comprising WAN-IFRA (World Association of News Publishers) and BBC Media Action.
Job purpose
The Consultant (Partnerships Advisor) will support the project in establishing and sustaining relationships with a range of media partners to deliver on the project outcome area related to capacity strengthening. The incumbent will also play a key role in identifying potential new partnerships on information and digital literacy, and other strategic priority areas, to support business development efforts.
Main duties and responsibilities
Project coordination
- Develop a partnership framework for the project outlining how capacity strengthening activities will be delivered under the specific outcome area, particularly the selection of participants based on project and support needs.
- Lead on identification of participants for capacity strengthening activities based in and around the four project hubs of Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai.
- Establish and maintain strong relationships with journalism institutes and community radio stations to engage participants for training sessions and to encourage adoption of training materials into relevant curricula and policies.
- Support the senior project officer and local coordinators to organise training sessions across the four project hubs.
Documentation, knowledge management and visibility
- Support the Head of Project to prepare ad-hoc and contractual consortium and donor reports.
- Identify new partners, including donors, working on the subjects of media development, digital and media literacy, and other strategic priority areas for the country office.
- Contribute to the development of concept notes and proposals, and support Country Director on strategic growth of this thematic priority.
- Uphold the BBC Editorial Guidelines for all outputs and external communications produced for the project.
Safeguarding
- Factor safeguarding issues while ideating and implementing project activities.
- Ensure that relevant safeguarding due diligence is conducted with any local partner organisation that may be working with vulnerable adults or children as part of the project.
- Report any safeguarding concerns immediately, either to the Head of Project or Country Director, or by using BBC Media Action’s Whistleblowing Policy.
The person may also be required to take on such other duties and responsibilities as the Head of Project might request.
Ideal candidate should have:
- Overall experience of 4-6 years in the media sector or social sector.
- Graduate or post-graduate degree in social sciences, journalism or related fields.
- Proficiency in English (both written and spoken)
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with sound presentation abilities.
- Strong team player with the ability to collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams and with external partners.
- A record of forming effective relationships with a range of local partners.
- Confident and skilled at networking with a range of stakeholders.
- Record of developing and securing new businesses, including the ability to develop new project ideas.
The consultancy position will be based in Delhi or Bengaluru. It will entail travel to the project hubs in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.
Important Terms of Reference
The successful candidate:
- Must be conscious of and maintain the values of the BBC Media Action in all matters.
- Will not have any copyright whatsoever over data analysis outputs and dashboards developed. All copyrights/ intellectual property rights to remain with BBC Media Action.
- Will be required to maintain strict data confidentiality. Data transgressions will be dealt through appropriate and applicable organisational policy.
Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic background, religion and/or belief.