Job at BBC, Abuja for a Bureau Editor

 

Job Introduction
The BBC has larger audiences in Africa than anywhere else in the world, through our broadcasts and content in Hausa, English, French, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Somali and Kiswahili.  We connect with our audiences through TV, radio on FM, shortwave and satellite, and through partnerships with radio stations and mobile-phone operators which have led to BBC Hausa being the leading provider of impartial radio and digital news in Nigeria.
As Acting Bureau Editor, Abuja you will be the responsible for the BBC Hausa Service ’s editorial output in the Abuja Bureau, taking responsibility for aspects of training, personnel development, recruitment, personnel issues, health and safety of staff in the bureau and correspondents in the field. You will also be responsible for generating ideas and advising the rest of the BBC on the main stories from the target area. You will be responsible for maintaining the BBC Hausa Service’s reputation for strong, impartial and original journalism on multiple platforms (Radio, TV, Online and Mobile) and developing it to meet the challenges of the digital age. You will be responsible for commissioning, editing and shaping content to make them accessible and relevant to our audiences.

Role Responsibility

• This role will require you to be the main point of contact between operations of the BBC Hausa Service in Nigeria and the rest of the BBC. 
• You will actively pursue collaboration and partnerships with the wider BBC, ensure BBC News is across the planning of BBC Hausa’s end of the operation and find and develop coverage and stories of interest to output in Hausa. 
• You’ll need to lead and inspire the Abuja team, run daily editorial meetings ensuring that the team identify good newsworthy stories and lead the production of key events in the news agenda, along with managing teams covering the event. 
• This position will expect you to be responsible for the assessment and commissioning of Senior Multi-Media Journalists, Multi-Media Journalists, regular contributors and/or stringers based in Nigeria, giving feedback and identifying training needs. 
• You will set objectives for staff and appraise them, coupled with recruiting, retaining and developing staff in line with equal opportunities policies to ensure the BBC increases its journalistic expertise.
• You’ll also work closely with the Abuja Hub Bureau Manager, to manage editorial staff and resources in Nigeria so as to meet programme plans in the most cost effective way, seeking efficiency savings and cost control measures wherever possible. To ensure that the budget meets financial targets set out in business plans.

The Ideal Candidate

• You will have demonstrable experience of applying sound editorial judgment based on an understanding of the target audience, editorial guidelines and programme objectives. 
• This role will expect you to have a demonstrable journalistic experience and leading people in a large media organisation, and wide experience of programme making in order to take full advantage of the presentation and production techniques which make effective radio, video and digital output.
• You’ll be expected to have excellent team management and personal leadership skills, including the ability to deal with conflict in a creative manner; to assess performance of individual team members fairly; Experience of managing budgets and the commitment to achieving the most efficient and cost effective use of resources and have excellent knowledge of digital and modern broadcast technology for digital production, social media, TV, video for online and radio.
• You will have previous experience of applying managerial skills, including managing performance, setting objectives and providing constructive feedback with experience of encouraging and developing creativity and innovation within teams.
• You must have an excellent command of written and spoken Hausa and English, have an in depth knowledge of the BBC’s distinctive news agenda and a wider interest in the strategy of the BBC as a whole, along with a wide knowledge of West Africa.
• Equally you will need to have an extensive knowledge of the media situation in the West Africa and how it is developing, have the ability to anticipate changes in the market and to plan and guide the Service’s output accordingly.