Senior Journalist

JOB DETAILS

JOB BAND: D

CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Part Time (Two days / 14 hours per week - 0.4EFT : Weekends)

DEPARTMENT: West Midlands Online

LOCATION: West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, Worcester, Shrewsbury or Stoke-on-Trent)

PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £41,200-£45,000 (full-time equivalent salary) depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

A chance to join the BBC West Midlands News team in a digitally-focused job covering one of the most interesting and diverse patches in England. You’ll be helping to lead weekend coverage on the BBC News Website, engaging millions of people every week and playing a key role delivering audience growth on the BBC News Website and across our digital platforms.

As a Senior Journalist, you’ll sub stories on Saturdays and Sundays to the highest standard, help our Journalists develop their skills and make important decisions about weekend news coverage. You’ll liaise with broadcast colleagues to ensure we work together at weekends to tell stories collaboratively in a region with six million people living in it.

This job may suit someone looking for a part-time role but who may find it hard to work on weekdays because of other commitments. Opportunities for the successful candidate to work paid extra shifts if wanted are likely, along with the option of learning new skills, including in TV and Audio journalism.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

We are a tight-knit and highly motivated team and we’ve seen significant audience growth over the past 18 months. Creative ideas are welcomed and nurtured and many former members of West Midlands Online have gone on to a range of exciting jobs across the BBC. We are passionate about serving the people of the West Midlands region and reflecting their lives in our content every day.

We want someone who understands how to connect with and engage audiences online to drive growth. Experience of delivering daily news for digital audiences is essential. Great written skills, an ability to quickly learn new content production systems and experience of managing less experienced colleagues, including remotely, are what we’re looking for.

Your Key Responsibilities And Impact

• Subbing and publishing text stories for the BBC News website to the highest standard
• Leading and guiding a small team of online journalists at weekends and playing a key role steering our news coverage
• Generating story ideas and ideas for follow-ups that will work for Audio and TV as well as for Digital audiences
• To ensure accuracy and due impartiality with all content
• React to breaking news and also have the ability to sub and craft content creatively when stories allow
  
  

Essential Criteria

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Excellent written skills and a proven track record of text journalism
• Extensive experience working in daily news
• An understanding of digital news platforms and how to engage audiences
• Knowledge of SEO, search and social media and how to harness these to drive audience growth and connect with opportunity audiences
• Able to commit to working weekends
  
  

Desired But Not Required

• Experience of guiding and leading less experienced colleagues, including remotely
• An understanding of BBC Local and how we work together with all colleagues to serve local audiences
• Knowledge of the West Midlands region and the diverse and differing communities we are here to serve
• Experience of using BBC content production tools including Optimo and Castaway. An understanding of Open Media, Wolftech, Tipo, Social Flow and Vivo
  
  

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

For further information about the role, please contact BBC West Midlands Digital Editor Tom Warren [email protected]

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

For any general queries, please contact: [email protected]

Redeployment

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.