Senior News Editor, West Africa at BBC

Job Reference: BBC/TP/623869/57948
Job Category: Journalism
Business Unit: News - WSG World Service
Band: F

Job Purpose

• Responsible for managing a large service, region, programme or platform, or a large team of journalists.

Role Responsibilities

• As the Senior News Editor (Head of West Africa) you will act as the editorial reference point for World Service Languages and programmes serving audiences in Francophone and Anglophone West Africa.  You will provide dynamic, thoughtful and inspiring editorial leadership and managerial direction to all language service editors in Lagos, Abuja, Dakar and London.
• In close coordination with the Head of Journalism BBC Africa you will provide strategic leadership of the BBC as a whole in the region, ensuring that this is done in accordance with World Service Group strategic priorities and demonstrating value for money.
• You will be part of BBC Africa’s senior management and will represent the BBC internally and externally where required

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Lead strategic news planning for the production of all content production and maximise the impact of stories across all platforms to build audiences and increase audience approval.
• Set and deliver a clear editorial concept for all output and content and communicate this concept to the teams.
• Maximise the benefits of technology for our audiences.
• Promotes and rewards teamwork, and challenges attitudes or processes that prevent it. Sets an example by distributing resources, knowledge, ideas and skills across the organisation, builds helpful, productive relationships within the BBC and outside.
• Responsible for the day-to-day running of multi-discipline teams and developing new ways of working, collaborating with other BBC departments on projects to make use of resources and deliver editorial impact.
• Coaches others to build on strengths and improve on weakness, gives and listens to regular feedback, helps develop the BBC’s new leaders, recruits and develops talent from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• Responsibility for the programme rota, and oversight of budgets, appraisal, training and staff support.
• Working with the Editor/Regional Editor, they will run the management team of Assistant Editors, ensuring that management tasks are assigned, and programme priorities managed effectively.
• To assist in developing the strategy and agenda for the teams, to communicate that strategy and to assist in leading and coordinating the team to that end.
• Foster an environment of productive employee relations, responding to and anticipating challenges from staff, unions and audiences.
• Ensure health and safety policy guidelines are implemented and adhered to, and that appropriate safety training is provided. Ensure that the team and its output work within BBC guidelines on health and safety, diversity and inclusion and new ways of working.

Job Impact
Decision Making:

• Significant level of responsibility. Exercises initiative but seeks guidance where necessary.

Scope:

• Typically responsible for directly managing a team of Assistant Editors and Senior Journalists – team sizes may vary.

Knowledge, Skills, Training and Experience
Essential:

• Substantial experience of journalism and production, as well as proven editorial judgement and substantial experience of managing editorial and operational staff and facilities in a daily news environment.
• Demonstrates balanced and impartial judgement. Makes the right editorial decisions with guidance.
• Demonstrates proficiency in the use of broadcast and computer based technology and stays current with developments in this field.
• Ability to foster creativity and experimentation, shows openness to new ways of doing things.
• Ability to think strategically and describe the concept in a way which motivates others towards that goal - able to convert long term aims into short and medium term goals.
• Demonstrates a commitment to improving diversity in the BBC and understands how individual differences can benefit the BBC.
• Able to prioritise and plan activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing, budgets and resource requirements.
• Ability to communicate to differing audiences and across all forms of multimedia output.
• Maintains personal effectiveness in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with demanding situations. Demonstrates an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and passion.
• Awareness of News Strategy and its implications for the key agenda areas of BBC News: diversity; reaching new audiences; multi-skilling; health and safety and the ability to put these policies into practice.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Fluent spoken and written English. Knowledge of Hausa, French, Pidgin, Yoruba or Igbo is desirable but not essential.
• Knowledge and understanding of the digital market in Nigeria and other key parts of West Africa.
• Proven senior experience of journalism in the digital field, and with strong digital production skills and the ability to spot gaps in the market to develop opportunities for the BBC.
• Experience of managing diverse teams.
• A track record of success in a senior editorial role with proven experience over a range of output across platforms.
• Experience of leading a sizeable team through change.
• Experience of managing budgets and the commitment to achieving the most efficient and cost effective use of resources.
• Throughout understanding of BBC commitment to impartiality