Careers at BBC World Service

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

• The Assistant Editor, BBC Tigrinya is the day-to-day editorial lead for the service. You hold full editorial responsibility for BBC Tigrinya's output across all platforms and formats. You work within the Horn of Africa language services structure, reporting to the News Editor who sets the regional vision, while retaining the editorial autonomy needed to serve your distinct audiences with accuracy, depth and independence. 
• 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 Tigrinya reaches and serves its audiences, while maintaining the editorial standards and audience trust that make the service matter. 

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Lead BBC Tigrinya's transformation to a digital-first, video-led service, creating a culture of editorial ambition, personal accountability, mutual respect and continuous learning.
• Develop and implement a data-led video strategy designed to drive measurable digital growth, with a focus on expanding reach among younger and female audiences.
• Use audience insight, analytics and platform trends to inform commissioning, distribution and editorial decision-making.
• Set the editorial agenda, prioritising stories that matter most to target audiences.  
• Commission, edit and deliver high impact original journalism, including exclusives, investigations, explainers and digital-first content.
• Work actively with the other three Horn of Africa Assistant Editors and the News Editor to identify shared stories, avoid duplication and coordinate coverage of regional and cross-border events that cut across all four services.
• Commission and collaborate with the Horn of Africa Production Hub, using its video, production and digital distribution expertise to enhance original journalism rather than duplicating capability within the service.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Demonstrated experience of leading and developing teams, setting direction, managing performance and fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration.
• Strong track record of commissioning, shaping and delivering high-impact digital journalism, with a deep understanding of digital distribution (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and BBC platforms) and evidence of growing audiences. 
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful data-led video strategies, and experience delivering major production initiatives, such as launching formats, driving digital transformation or building operations from scratch.
• Experience of innovative solutions to storytelling challenges such as data journalism, and presenting analysis in ways that aid audience understanding. 
• 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 Tigrinya and English, both written and verbal, with the ability to represent the BBC effectively in senior internal forums. 

DESIRABLE:

• Proven ability to shoot, script and edit video stories using tools such as Final Cut Pro (FCPx) and QEdit, with the ability to deliver polished, engaging, audience-focused content which is optimised for digital platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook

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PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

• BBC World Service is creating a new Horn of Africa Language Services Unit in Nairobi, bringing together BBC Somali, BBC Afaan Oromo, BBC Tigrinya and BBC Amharic under a single editorial leadership structure for the first time.  BBC Afaan Oromo serves the Oromo community across Oromia and within a substantial and engaged global diaspora. The service provides independent, impartial journalism to an audience whose political circumstances are complex, contested and often underrepresented in mainstream international media. The BBC's editorial independence and impartiality are a core part of what makes the service trusted and valued. 

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

• The Assistant Editor, BBC Afaan Oromo, is the day-to-day editorial lead for the service. You hold full editorial responsibility for all BBC Afaan Oromo output across radio, digital, video and social platforms. You will work within the Horn of Africa language services structure, reporting to the News Editor who sets the regional vision, while retaining the editorial autonomy needed to serve your audience with rigour, relevance and independence.  This is a role that demands strong editorial courage as well as strong editorial judgment. Coverage of Oromia's political situation requires consistent application of BBC Editorial Guidelines under pressure from multiple directions, and the confidence to defend impartial editorial decisions.  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 Afaan Oromo reaches and serves its audiences, while maintaining the editorial standards and audience trust that audiences expect. 

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Lead BBC Afaan Oromo's transformation to a digital-first, video-led service, creating a culture of editorial ambition, personal accountability, mutual respect and continuous learning.
• Develop and implement a data-led video strategy designed to drive measurable digital growth, with a focus on expanding reach among younger and female audiences.
• Use audience insight, analytics and platform trends to inform commissioning, distribution and editorial decision-making, ensuring content remains competitive and relevant.
• Commission, edit and deliver high impact original journalism, including exclusives, investigations, explainers and digital-first content.
• Work actively with the other Horn of Africa Assistant Editors and the News Editor to identify shared stories, avoid duplication and coordinate coverage of regional and cross-border events that cut across all four services.
• Commission and collaborate with the Horn of Africa Production Hub, using its video, production and digital distribution expertise to enhance original journalism rather than duplicating capability within the service.
• Embed a culture of performance awareness within the team, supporting journalists to understand what drives engagement and identify gaps and opportunities in audience reach, proactively adjusting content mix, formats and editorial priorities to maximise impact.

YOUR SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Proven ability to lead and develop teams, set direction, manage performance and foster a culture of creativity and collaboration.
• Strong track record of commissioning, shaping and delivering high-impact digital journalism, with a deep understanding of digital distribution (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and BBC platforms) and evidence of growing audiences. 
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful data-led video strategies, and experience delivering major production initiatives, such as launching formats, driving digital transformation or building operations from scratch.
• Experience of innovative solutions to storytelling challenges such as data journalism, and presenting analysis in ways that aid audience understanding. 
• 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 Oromo and English, both written and verbal, with the ability to represent the BBC effectively in senior internal forums. 

DESIRABLE:

• Proven ability to shoot, script and edit video stories using tools such as Final Cut Pro (FCPx) and QEdit, with the ability to deliver polished, engaging, audience-focused content which is optimised for digital platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook

go to method of application »

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

• BBC World Service is creating a new Horn of Africa Language Services Unit in Nairobi, bringing together BBC Somali, BBC Afaan Oromo, BBC Tigrinya and BBC Amharic under a single editorial leadership structure for the first time.  
• BBC Amharic is a trusted source of independent journalism for millions of Amharic speakers across Ethiopia and one of Africa's largest diaspora populations.  

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

• The Assistant Editor, BBC Amharic, is the day-to-day editorial lead for the service. You hold full editorial responsibility for all BBC Amharic output across radio, digital, video and social platforms. You will work within the Horn of Africa language services structure, reporting to the News Editor who sets the regional vision, while retaining the editorial autonomy needed to serve your audience with authority, depth and independence. 
• 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 Amharic reaches and serves its audiences, while maintaining the editorial standards and audience trust that make the service matter. 

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Lead BBC Amharic's transformation to a digital-first, video-led service, creating a culture of editorial ambition, personal accountability, mutual respect and continuous learning.
• Develop and implement a data-led video strategy designed to drive measurable digital growth, with a focus on expanding reach among younger and female audiences.
• Use audience insight, analytics and platform trends to inform commissioning, distribution and editorial decision-making, ensuring content remains competitive and relevant.
• Commission, edit and deliver high impact original journalism, including exclusives, investigations, explainers and digital-first content.
• Work actively with the other Horn of Africa Assistant Editors and the News Editor to identify shared stories, avoid duplication and coordinate coverage of regional and cross-border events that cut across all four services.
• Commission and collaborate with the Horn of Africa Production Hub, using its video, production and digital distribution expertise to enhance original journalism rather than duplicating capability within the service.
• Embed a culture of performance awareness within the team, supporting journalists to understand what drives engagement and identify gaps and opportunities in audience reach, proactively adjusting content mix, formats and editorial priorities to maximise impact.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Proven ability to lead and develop teams, set direction, manage performance and foster a culture of creativity and collaboration.
• Strong track record of commissioning, shaping and delivering high-impact digital journalism, with a deep understanding of digital distribution (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and BBC platforms) and evidence of growing audiences. 
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful data-led video strategies, and experience delivering major production initiatives, such as launching formats, driving digital transformation or building operations from scratch.
• Experience of innovative solutions to storytelling challenges such as data journalism, and presenting analysis in ways that aid audience understanding. 
• 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 Amharic and English, both written and verbal, with the ability to represent the BBC effectively in senior internal forums. 

DESIRABLE:

• Proven ability to shoot, script and edit video stories using tools such as Final Cut Pro (FCPx) and QEdit, with the ability to deliver polished, engaging, audience-focused content which is optimised for digital platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook

go to method of application »

 PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

• BBC Swahili is one of the BBC World Service's biggest and fastest growing language services, reaching millions of Swahili speakers across East Africa and beyond. Operating across radio, TV and digital platforms, the service provides independent, impartial journalism to audiences whose access to free and trusted news is often limited by political pressure, media restrictions and disinformation.  
• BBC Swahili is transforming into a story-led model built around two complementary editorial streams: On the Day and On Demand.  

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

• Reporting to the service editor, the Assistant Editor - On the Day is the senior editorial lead for BBC Swahili’s daily news operation. You hold full editorial responsibility for all time-sensitive output across digital, visualised radio and TV, ensuring content is accurate, fast, and produced to BBC standards.  
• You will work in close partnership with the Assistant Editor for the On Demand stream, based in Dar es Salaam, to ensure strong editorial coherence across BBC Swahili’s offer. Together with the Senior News Editor and others, you are part of the core leadership of the service, sharing responsibility for editorial standards, digital growth and team development. 
• This is a role that demands both editorial authority and digital ambition. It requires someone who can make confident decisions at pace, lead a large and diverse team across complex shift structures, and drive the cross-platform integration that is central to BBC Swahili’s transformation. The role is also critical to growing the service’s reach among younger and female audiences through visualised radio, YouTube streaming and consistent social media output. 

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Lead BBC Swahili’s On the Day stream, creating a culture of editorial rigour, platform agility, personal accountability and continuous improvement. 
• Oversee all breaking and daily news output across three shifts (morning, afternoon and night) 24/7, maintaining continuous digital publishing and ensuring timely, accurate delivery across radio, TV and digital platforms. 
• Champion a digital-first editorial approach across the team, ensuring stories are commissioned and produced with multi-platform distribution in mind from the outset. 
• Support the growth and development of BBC Swahili’s visualised audio output from the Nairobi studio, enabling live streaming on YouTube and the creation of short content assets from interviews for social media.
•  Collaborate with the On Demand Assistant Editor to coordinate joint story commissioning and promotion, and to ensure the two streams work as a coherent editorial whole. 
•  Support the Senior News Editor in implementing BBC Swahili’s growth strategy, with a focus on expanding reach among young (16–24) and female audiences. 
•  Coach and develop team members, fostering an inclusive and high-performing team culture with a strong commitment to gender diversity. 

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

•  Significant editorial leadership experience in digital or broadcast news, with a strong track record of managing fast-paced, multi-platform daily output to the highest standards. 
•  Strong digital-first editorial experience, with demonstrable record of commissioning and delivering content for digital, social media, TV and radio simultaneously. 
•  Sound, confident editorial judgement under pressure, including the ability to manage compliance and risk in a complex political and media environment. 
•  Deep understanding of audience analytics tools and the ability to use data to inform commissioning and editorial decision-making. 
•  Experience of working with visualised or streamed radio or TV output, and an understanding of how to maximise its digital potential. 
•  Ability to work collaboratively across editorial streams and with other teams, communicating clearly and managing competing priorities effectively.  A commitment to improving diversity in the BBC and an understanding of how inclusive leadership strengthens output. 
•  Fluency in written and spoken Swahili and English, both written and verbal, with the ability to represent the BBC effectively in internal forums.

DESIRABLE:

•  Proven ability to shoot, script and edit video stories using tools such as Final Cut Pro (FCPx) and QEdit, with the ability to deliver polished, engaging, audience-focused content which is optimised for digital platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook

go to method of application »

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

• BBC World Service is creating a new Horn of Africa Language Services Unit in Nairobi, bringing together BBC Somali, BBC Afaan Oromo, BBC Tigrinya and BBC Amharic under a single editorial leadership structure for the first time. This is one of the most significant editorial leadership opportunities in the World Service: a chance to shape how the BBC serves millions of people across Ethiopia, Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa diaspora at a moment of profound political, humanitarian and digital change. 

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

• The News Editor, Horn of Africa Language Services, is the BBC's single editorial voice for the region. You will set the strategic direction across four language services, lead a shared on-demand production hub and drive a digital-first approach that deepens the BBC's reach and relevance — particularly among young women, who represent our most underserved and fastest-growing audience segment.  You will work through four Assistant Editors who hold day-to-day editorial responsibility for their services. Your job is to create the conditions in which all four services and the On-Demand Production Hub can produce journalism that none could achieve alone. 

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Set and implement the editorial strategy for the Horn of Africa Language Services, translating BBC World Service priorities into a coherent regional vision that each language service can pursue with confidence and ambition.
• Lead the transformation of the four language services to truly digital-first, video-led services, creating a culture of editorial ambition, personal accountability, mutual respect and continuous learning.
• Lead a geographically dispersed editorial team spanning multiple languages, cultures and working contexts, building a cohesive group identity without eroding individual service distinctiveness.
• Line manage four Assistant Editors and one Senior Journalist Team Manager, providing strategic direction, performance oversight, editorial mentorship and career development.
• Lead the unit's digital strategy, developing a coherent, platform-specific approach to YouTube, social media, WhatsApp and BBC digital products that grows reach and engagement across all four services.
• Commission and champion ambitious journalism, including investigations, documentaries, data journalism and long-form and mid-form video, that individual services could not produce alone, using the Production Hub as the engine for delivery.
• Act as the BBC's single editorial interlocutor for the Horn of Africa in senior internal forums and with external stakeholders.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Proven track record of editorial leadership at a senior level in journalism, with a strong record of producing ambitious, high-impact journalism in complex political environments. 
• Demonstrated success in breaking down organisational silos and building collaborative cultures. 
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful data-led video strategies that delivered measurable digital growth. 
• Experience of leading teams through significant organisational change, with the interpersonal skill and emotional intelligence to do so with transparency and care. 
• Deep knowledge of East Africa, particularly Ethiopia and Somalia, their politics, societies, languages and media landscapes. 
• Experience of driving audience growth specifically among young and female audiences, including through digital-first and video-led content strategies.
• Deep understanding of audience analytics, search optimisation and platform performance metrics. 
• Strong communication skills in English and at least one of the unit's working languages (Somali, Amharic, Afaan Oromo or Tigrinya), both written and verbal, with the ability to represent the BBC effectively in senior internal and external forums.