Assistant Editor, BBC Hausa at BBC

Purpose of the Role

• BBC World Service is evolving its editorial team in Abuja while future-proofing its journalism to meet changing media consumption habits across sub-Saharan Africa. 
• BBC Hausa is one of the most trusted international news providers for audiences across West Africa and a highly engaged global diaspora. 
• With a strong editorial heritage, the service is entering an exciting new phase: transforming into a digital-first, video-led operation designed to reach a new generation of Hausa audiences who primarily consume news via social media on smartphones. 

Why Join the Team

• This Assistant Editor role is central to that transformation. The successful candidate will help build BBC Hausa’s video and visual storytelling capability, contributing to filming, editing, scripting, presenting, and end-to-end content production.
• This is a role for an editor who combines strong journalistic instincts with genuine digital ambition; someone who can lead a team through a significant transformation in how BBC Hausa reaches and serves its audiences, while maintaining the editorial standards and audience trust that make the service matter. 

Responsibilities

• Lead BBC Hausa’s transformation into a digital-first, video-led service, embedding a culture of high editorial ambition, personal accountability, mutual respect and continuous learning. 
• Commission, shape and deliver high-impact original journalism, including exclusives, investigations, explainers as distinctive digital first content. 
• Work closely with the editorial leadership team in Nigeria to identify shared editorial priorities, coordinate coverage of cross-service stories to drive efficiency and minimise duplication. 
• Develop and implement a data-led video strategy, driving measurable digital growth with a clear focus on increasing reach among younger and female audiences. 
• Use audience insight, analytics and platform trends to shape commissioning, distribution and editorial decision-making, ensuring content remains competitive and relevant. 
• Embed a culture of performance awareness within the team, supporting journalists to understand what drives engagement and how to use data to improve their output. 
• Oversee the effective use of AI tools within editorial workflows, improving efficiency in areas such as research, translation, transcription, editing and optimisation while maintaining full editorial oversight. 

Requirements

• Proven experience managing and developing journalism teams, with the ability to build a positive, high-performing culture and support individuals to deliver their best work. 
• Strong track record of commissioning, shaping and delivering high-impact digital journalism, with a clear understanding of what drives audience engagement. 
• Demonstrable success in developing and implementing data-led video strategies, delivering measurable audience growth and impact. 
• Advanced understanding of audience analytics, search optimisation and platform performance, with the ability to translate data into effective editorial decisions. 
• Fluency in written and spoken Hausa, with a strong grasp of tone, nuance and audience expectations.