Controller - News and Current Affairs at Media Trust Limited

Job Introduction

• We are seeking a Controller, News & Current Affairs who will lead its news and current affairs department across TV and digital.

Summary

• A senior team leader reporting to the Chief Operating Officer of the channel.
• The ideal candidate will be tasked with deepening engagement on News gathering and Production.
• The ideal candidate will operate across a wide and complex set of stakeholders with strong appreciation for the responsibility of leading a news and current affairs channel to develop compelling and distinctive journalism for the TV channel. 

Key Responsibilities

• Formulate and give direction and leadership to Trust TV’s News & Current Affairs, aligning staff around a single, integrated vision for the channel.
• Define overall editorial and strategic direction, ensuring at all times that its output meets the standards required of the best of Trust TV’s journalism.
• Contribute to overall Trust TV strategy and maintain the values of the station, as part of the senior leadership team – playing an active role in the Executive Committee; and providing the management with appropriate advice and information on all relevant matters
• Create an environment which attracts the most creative and diverse staff, encouraging individuals and teams to create their best work.
• Accountable for News & Current Affairs performance against the Trust TV’s strategic objectives and metrics as set out by the Board and Management.
• Lead on organisational transformation, ensuring efficient use of resources and work with the wider Media Trust team to ensure effective collaboration.
• Navigate both internal and external challenges in order to remain relevant to audiences in an ever-changing world, both in Nigeria and internationally, while delivering efficiency savings.
• Ensure the effective management of risk, including editorial standards and Health and Safety.
• Ensure there are robust, documented business continuity and risk management processes in place.

Qualifications and Skills

• At least 10 years working experience as journalist with 3 of that in a leadership role.
• A minimum of B.Sc / HND in Journalism / Mass Communication or any other related Social Sciences.
• Proven, high-quality, editorial judgement and strong TV production skills
• Experience of radio, television and/or online/interactive services, with responsibility for leading in the areas of editorial judgment and integrity.
• Understanding of all forms of news and current affairs output and current broadcasting issues.
• Substantial leadership of a large complex content organisation or division including successful line management and influencing skills.
• Understand and appreciate the context of operating under constant scrutiny and regulatory supervision.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to identify a long-term vision and analyse ideas and information, ensuring effective, informed decision making.
• Excellent communication skills – articulate with the written and spoken word – and interpersonal skills of the highest order.

Competencies:

• Leadership/Strategic thinking: Able to take a strategic view of market, technology and audience trends. Use this understanding to create a vision and get others to buy into the vision. Lead and inspire others to realise the vision irrespective of circumstances. Quick decision maker and be responsible for consequences for the decisions. A can-do attitude.
• Leading creativity and innovation: fosters imagination, creativity and experimentation, takes and promotes considered risks, celebrates creative successes and learns from failure, shows openness to alternative ways of doing things.
• Developing talent and diversity: coaches others to build on strengths and improve on weakness, gives and listens to regular, honest feedback.
• Managing performance: sets challenging team and individual objectives and trusts people to get on with them, shares clear expectations about required performance levels, rewards success and addresses performance issues quickly and fairly, treats team members with honesty, respect and compassion.