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The World Service Specialist Unit sits within the Central Services hub and comprises a team of reporters and producers who make leading investigative, exploratory journalism that contextualises the themes and issues behind news stories and presents them in exciting ways for the audience to interact with. The team creates content around population, cyber, the environment, gender and identity, and religion.

• Generate ideas and stories; contribute to the creative treatment of an item or programme; provide clear treatments and proposals, ensuring consistency of content, quality and style.
• Carry out in-depth background/subject research for all media, ensuring complete accuracy and critically evaluating the relevance and suitability of information.
• Responsible for the simple operation of a variety of analogue and digital radio and TV equipment, etc.
• To work closely with the production team before, during and after the output production.
• Mentor and/coach new or junior members into the team, acting as buddy and giving direction.
• Build and maintain contact lists and databases; research and compile source data into briefs for journalists or presenters.
• Manage a range of research projects and resources.
• Identify and secure suitable guests and contributors, and brief them on arrival as requested.
• Delivering to tight deadlines while maintaining high editorial standards.
• At all times to carry out duties in accordance with the BBC health and safety policy

• Proven record of contributing ideas for programmes, items and new treatments.
• Some experience in media research in televisions, radio, print journalism or online, including the ability to identify key ideas, debates and issues within a field.
• Ability to operate basic equipment for the capture of sounds and pictures.
• Ability to work well within a team as well as on own initiative.
• Able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people.
• Demonstrates a commitment to improving diversity in the BBC and understands how individual differences can benefit the BBC.
• Effective planning and organising skills, ability to concentrate on several areas of work at one time, delivering consistently to deadlines and reacting positively to changes and conflicting priorities.
• Proven ability to locate relevant sources of information, contributors, guests and other assets using initiative, perseverance and persuasion and an extensive contact base. Has the ability to establish rapport quickly with a wide range of people within and outside the BBC either face to face, over the telephone or in writing.
• The flexibility and adaptability to sustain performance, particularly under pressure to meet deadlines and changing priorities and circumstances.
• An understanding of health and safety procedures and how they apply to broadcasting.

Additional skills/knowledge

The ideal candidate is likely to have a track record of making news for underserved audiences and a wider understanding of excellence in in-depth impactful storytelling and original journalism, with a solid editorial background in current affairs, news or visual and data journalism. The journalism researcher would focus on supporting the specialist unit team to find contributors remotely, assist in delivering different video and radio versions of our stories, and will be trained to use the digital video delivery tool for language services, Stitch.

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.

Diversity matters at the BBC. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC – whether that’s to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles, unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.

To find out more about Diversity and Inclusion at the BBC, please click here

Band: B
Contract type: Fixed Term Full Time
Location: London

Application process: You will be asked to fill in a diversity questionnaire which is confidential and not seen by the hiring manager. You will then be asked to:

• upload your CV

• answer questions specific to the role

World Service Languages is undergoing a restructuring programme which this role is included within. Therefore this role is only open to those who are substantively employed in World Service Languages, and those who are at risk of redundancy in other areas. Please only apply if your substantive role is within World Service Languages. Applications from candidates not at risk of redundancy from outside of World Service Languages will not be considered. As this is being advertised on a closed basis, priority consideration to those at risk of redundancy will not apply.

We’re happy to discuss flexible working. Please indicate your choice under the flexible working question in the application. There is no obligation to raise this at the application stage but if you wish to do so, you are welcome to. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

• Excellent career progression – the BBC offers great opportunities for employees to seek new challenges and work in different areas of the organisation.
• Unrivalled training and development opportunities – our in-house Academy hosts a wide range of internal and external courses and certification.
• Benefits- We offer a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week for work-life balance and 26 days (1 of which is a corporation day) with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care, gym and much more.