Senior Journalist Team Manager (Swahili TV) at BBC Monitoring

Job Introduction

• The BBC World Service is undergoing a significant strategic review to become a digital first operation.  This new structure seeks to ensure that the BBC is known for distinctive and original content.
• BBC Swahili reaches 24.9 million people every week, and has been a trusted source of news for millions in the region and the diaspora for 65 years. The service has evolved over the years and has a strong digital offer on multiple platforms. We are refreshing its flagship TV programme, Dira ya Dunia, to showcase our best journalism, analysis and explanation. The programme will be presented from the continent for the first time to bring it closer to its key audiences.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Manage daily editorial operations of the TV output, including ensuring editorial compliance and outputting the daily programme
• Work closely with SNE, Swahili Service, to implement digital strategy and opportunities as part of a long term strategic transformation.
• Integrate digital-first commissioning in editorial workflows and ensure that service’s editorial purpose is aligned with audience needs
• Commission and work with graphic designers to produce creative and original graphics sequences.
• Responsible for thinking through and around editorial challenges, initiating and implementing realistic alternative strategies and approaches.

Knowledge, Skills, Training & Experience

• Demonstrable experience in originating and producing impactful digital first content, including explainers and analysis pieces.
• Proven experience in breaking news stories as well as producing features, investigations and original journalism about East, Central and Horn of Africa, and global news and current affairs.
• Experience in managing and overseeing a team in agile and remote working environments.
• Demonstrable experience in multimedia journalism with substantial knowledge of data analytics tools to drive decision making on story choice, publication time and recirculation.
• An understanding of BBC News distinctive news agenda and a wider interest in the digital strategy of the BBC as a whole.
• Fluency in written and oral Swahili, and appreciation and understanding of different language dialects in order to provide clear editorial guidance