Deployment Editor at BBC

Job Reference: BBC/TP/653414/33835
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Contract Type: Permanent - Full Time
Job Category: Journalism
Business Unit: News - W2020 - Africa
Reports to: Regional Planning Editor
Contract: Continuing
Grade: Local terms and conditions

Context

• The BBC is an international multimedia broadcaster on radio, TV, online and social networks with a weekly global audience of 320 million. As part of an historic and exciting expansion of BBC Africa, the BBC World Service is launching new current affairs and news programmes and innovative digital services to work alongside existing African Services.
• We are looking for a talented, motivated and experienced Senior Journalist to lead daily Language Service news deployments in Africa. Working closely and collaboratively with the African Planning/ Editorial teams in both London and across Africa, the Deployments Editor will deliver the best service for BBC audiences.
• BBC Africa’s expansion aims to increase the impact of BBC journalism and strengthen the BBC’s international offer to benefit audiences.

The Job

• To ensure the most effective deployment on stories and specials for all African Language Service platforms and to deliver the very best journalism to African audiences as well as to the wider BBC.
• To ensure breaking news in Africa is covered appropriately, swiftly with the maximum impact and relevance for audiences and the BBC.
• To manage deployments - primarily in West Africa -- and ensure provision of high quality material for the new portfolio of “2020” TV content.
• To be responsible for Language Service developments and working with the Newsgathering Africa Bureau Editor to ensure BBC’s deployments in Africa work as efficiently and effectively as possible for the whole of BBC News.
• To liaise with colleagues across BBC News, in particular Africa, to the benefit of respective audiences.
• To manage Language Service Reporters, Field producers and Shoot Edits for News in multiple locations ensuring appropriate training, development and performance feedback. To be responsible for the safety and risk assessment of each of their deployments.
• The significant WS Language Service presence in the region offers opportunities and challenges ahead, with the expectation of editorial co-operation and integration on all levels. The editor will be expected to play a key role in drawing the teams together to work for the benefit of all audiences.
• The Deployments Editor will be a key member of the senior team and will work with the Africa Planning Editor and Language Service Editors to maintain high editorial standards, as well as making sure content is within the BBC brand. They will contribute to the overall strategy and direction of BBC Africa’s output on News and current affairs.

Main Duties

• To devise, develop and deliver Language Service deployments to achieve high impact journalism across all Africa Service platforms and the wider BBC.
• Lead, manage and motivate Language Service reporters, producers, shoot edits and others in improving the range and quality of journalism.
• Be strategic, creative and influential in shaping and developing BBC’s news agenda.
• To understand the risk and value in deployments and make effective decisions often in breaking news deployments.
• To ensure the safety of deployed reporters, producers and shoot edits, providing safety and risk assessments (including hostile risk assessments) and to deputise for high risk point of contact when necessary.
• To be calm and communicate well, even when under pressure.
• To have an editorial oversight in collaboration with Africa Service news teams and Central Language structures in the region.
• To work closely with the Africa Planning Editor and Africa output editors to ensure the right stories are covered in an effective way and to maintain clear and regular communication.
• To liaise with, and get advice from the Planning Editor (Languages) and the Newsgathering Bureaux Editor about big and high impact content.
• To ensure the commissioning of new and innovative digital and TV content which is shareable across African languages and the rest of the BBC.
• To work closely with Language Service editors to develop talent, editorial themes and content.
• To ensure a high level of fast, accurate, engaging and fair journalism from across the region.
• To have expertise and detailed knowledge of African news, politics, business, sport and current affairs stories across Africa and an awareness of developments and trends. To be able to brief and advise editorial/production colleagues both in London and in the field on relevant topics and events.
• To lead the Africa Service newsgathering teams, managing rotas and staff and ensuring best use of resources, and following BBC procedures and standards.
• To liaise with senior Africa Service editorial staff on deployments, stories, series and editorial projects
• To help integrate planning and deployments with WS Regions and develop mutually beneficial use of technical, production and on-air talent.
• To ensure that content meets the highest of BBC brand and editorial standards.
• To make sure that Africa language teams work collaboratively and with the wider BBC.
• To represent the BBC internally and externally where required.

Required Skills Abilities and Experience

• Editorial authority and organisational excellence.
• A track record in editorial innovation and in developing great digital and TV content.
• An understanding of the agendas and requirements of the various BBC News international facing platforms.
• A familiarity with the rest of BBC output and Newsgathering.
• Detailed current knowledge of the African media market and the changing needs of the audience.
• Thorough knowledge of African news and international current affairs.
• Experience of leading the coverage of major news events.
• Knowledge and understanding of TV and digital platforms across Africa.
• Innovative ideas and initiative to contribute to editorial strategies, planning and the development of the programme agenda.
• Demonstrable experience of the ability to lead and motivate and manage a team split across different sites.
• A successful record of managing budgets and observing tight financial targets and enthusiasm for change
• Experience of stakeholder management and working collaboratively.
• Fluent English is essential and fluency in language(s) spoken in West Africa is an advantage.

Competencies
The following competencies (behaviours and characteristics) have been identified as key to success in the job. Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate these competencies:

• Editorial Judgement - demonstrates balanced and objective judgement based on a thorough understanding of BBC editorial guidelines, target audience, programme and department objectives. Makes the right editorial decisions, taking account of conflicting views where necessary.
• Decision Making - is ready and able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.
• Imagination / Creative Thinking - is able to transform creative ideas/impulses into practical reality. Can look at existing situations and problems in novel ways and come up with creative solutions.
• Planning and Organisation - is able to think ahead in order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for yourself and others. Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources requirements.
• Leadership - ability to create a vision and inspire others to realise it irrespective of circumstances.
• Resilience - can maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations. Can demonstrate an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy.
• Influencing and Persuading - ability to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others. Can draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behaviour change.
• Communication - the ability to get one’s message understood clearly by adopting a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information.
• Talent Management - is able to recognise potential (managerial, professional, artistic or otherwise) and is willing to foster the development of that potential. Creates a climate in which potential can be realised.
• Managing relationships - able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people.
• Self-Development - is able to identify and apply opportunities for learning and development.