Senior Journalist, Regional Journalism (Planning)

Role Overview

As a Senior Journalist in the Africa regional service planning team, you will help shape what the service covers by tracking the news agenda, coordinating forward plans and connecting editorial teams across African languages, the World Service and BBC English-language output. Your work will help teams spot opportunities for original reporting and collaboration, and give strong journalism a better chance of reaching audiences across platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and maintain planning documents that give BBC colleagues a clear view of upcoming coverage, editorial priorities and emerging stories.
• Identify and develop story ideas, then produce journalism for relevant BBC outlets, including scripting and editing where required.
• Commission and select content, ensuring it is accurate, appropriate for its intended audience and consistent with BBC editorial standards.
• Coordinate assignments across a team, monitor progress and support the quality and effectiveness of the team’s output.
• Help develop digital journalism and shape content for different platforms and audience needs.
• Use digital analytics to assess how video content is performing and recommend changes to improve its reach and impact.
• Build productive working relationships with teams in African countries and across BBC services to support joined-up planning.
• Deliver high-quality work to tight deadlines and deputise for the Assistant Editor when required.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Extensive journalism experience, including creating and producing digital content.
• Strong knowledge of African current affairs and an understanding of the needs of audiences across the region.
• Experience in editorial planning or managing major projects through to delivery against deadlines.
• Ability to write engagingly and adapt, produce or translate material with accuracy and clarity for different audiences and media formats.
• Experience creating journalism for underserved and younger audiences.
• Knowledge of digital platforms, changing news-consumption habits and the use of analytics to evaluate and improve content.
• Ability to manage people and resources, including technical facilities and budgets.
• Experience building and sustaining effective relationships with teams based in African countries.
• Sound understanding of BBC Editorial Guidelines and commitment to the editorial aims of BBC News.

What We Offer / Why Join

You will contribute to regional journalism by helping teams work across languages and platforms, share editorial plans and extend the reach of their strongest reporting.