Managing Director

MANAGING DIRECTOR

SME Clinic, on behalf of its client, a leading National Radio Station in Malawi, invites applications from experienced executives to fill the position of Managing Director position

The Opportunity

This is a high-impact leadership role for a commercially astute and values-driven executive who can grow revenue, build a high-performance culture, and protect the station’s license and reputation through best-in-class regulatory compliance.

Role Purpose

The successful candidate will spearhead regulatory compliance and licence integrity, revenue growth and profitability, strong audience performance and brand positioning, reliable operations supported by modern broadcast and digital delivery, and a high-performing, ethical and customer-focused team.

Key Responsibilities

●Lead the station’s strategy and annual business plan, and own profit and loss performance, budgeting, forecasting, cashflow and cost control. Establish performance dashboards and disciplined execution rhythms.

●Deliver revenue targets across advertising, sponsorships, partnerships and new products. Build strong advertiser and agency relationships and a high-performing sales culture. Diversify revenue (digital audio, events and strategic partnerships) and strengthen collections discipline.

●Provide executive oversight to programming, news and production to ensure content is compelling, competitive and relevant. Use research/ratings and audience insights to guide programming decisions and strengthen performance. Protect the station’s brand sound and quality across all dayparts and platforms.

●Modernise the station for the digital age: streaming, social platforms, podcasts and data-led distribution. Drive innovation and continuous improvement across content, commercial and operations.

●Ensure smooth, uninterrupted broadcasting and strong transmission/engineering controls.

Oversee preventative maintenance, asset management, procurement discipline and business continuity planning.

●Recruit, develop and retain top talent; implement clear KPIs and performance management. Build an ethical, inclusive, high-accountability culture aligned to compliance and results.

●Act as the principal representative of the station with advertisers, partners, communities and key stakeholders.

Required Qualifications and Experience

●Master’s Degree in Business Administration or equivalent

●Proven track record of revenue growth (media preferred).

●Strong understanding of radio programming and media trends, including digital transformation.

●Significant senior leadership experience with Profit and Loss responsibility (typically 7-10+ years).

Key Competencies

●Commercial acumen (pricing, yield, partnerships, collections and budgets)

●People leadership and performance management

●Regulatory/compliance mindset with risk discipline

●Strategic thinking with execution rigour; data-driven decision making

●Excellent communication, stakeholder management and negotiation skills

●High integrity, resilience and calm under pressure

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send their applications to md@smeclinic.mw