BBC,Bureau Editor, BBC Abuja Bureau Jobs in Nigeria

About the
Company

We don’t focus
simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we
behave are important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and
behaviours in the document attached below. You’ll be asked questions relating
to them as part of your application for this role.

The BBC is
committed to building a cultura
lly diverse workforce and therefore strongly
encourages applications from underrepresented groups. We are committed to
equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless
of their background.

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. 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. 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.