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Job Introduction

BBC Learning English is the award-winning, English language teaching arm of BBC World Service. The department primarily creates digital content for English language learners on its web, app and social media platforms and via podcasts. It also syndicates content to partner networks which includes social media, web and to a lesser extent radio and TV. We are now aiming to reach our young, underserved audiences by launching engaging audio and visual podcasts to help them have an immersive experience while learning English.

BBC World Service, as part of BBC News, is an international multimedia broadcaster, delivering a wide range of language and regional services to serve global audiences. It uses multiple platforms to reach its weekly audience of hundreds of millions across 42 languages.

Job Purpose

To support the delivery of BBC Learning English’s podcast strategy to help audiences learn English. To work as part of a team of experienced English language teaching professionals to originate, create, present and publish English language teaching audio and video podcasts for language learners. To collaborate with the social media and web and app teams to ensure all products achieve high levels of valued reach among audiences. To participate in and work across other areas of BBC Learning English’s output as required.

Shift work may be required which could include nights, weekends and public holidays.

Main Responsibilities

• To originate, produce and, where needed, present engaging podcasts in both digital audio and video formats, with flair, creativity and accuracy for global audiences of English language learners and the educational market in general. To be able to effectively reversion existing departmental content and/or other BBC content for podcasts. To work with others to present video, audio and live streaming programmes as required.
• To be the central point of expertise on the podcast market, keeping across industry developments, BBC best practices and trends to influence the production and commissioning life-cycle.
• To help identify new commercial and audience growth opportunities within the podcast market.
• To monitor and report on the digital growth of the Learning English podcasts including their impact on the app, web and social platforms, analysing patterns of use, audience breakdown and identifying areas for expansion.
• To be fully involved in every stage of the production process, from scoping out initial proposals, to providing guidance and feedback to the team, completing all associated administrative paperwork and ensuring content is delivered on time and to spec. To be fully responsible for the educational and journalistic accuracy of all materials produced by yourself.
• To find contributors, interviewees, language learners and experts as well as other sources of material and/or actuality, as appropriate. To be responsible for thinking through and around editorial and educational challenges, developing realistic alternative strategies and approaches.
• To use various software systems to create text, image, audio and video assets and to be able to resolve technical difficulties when they arise.
• To ensure content is produced to BBC Editorial guidelines and compliance and to all relevant legal, contractual and copyright requirements - referring upwards in cases of difficulty or doubt.
• To create digital assets to promote the podcasts on social media to attract English language learners and language teaching influencers.
• To build links with other podcast teams to share content, to learn from them and to promote BBC Learning English’s podcast content.
• To be aware of and able to use appropriate reference materials including dictionaries, ELT books, CEFR etc. to support content production.
• To ensure the availability of required production facilities to produce the materials. To build and maintain links with appropriate BBC departments, external organisations and freelancers to enable the efficient production of English language teaching content.
• To support the Learning English editorial lead to implement the BBC’s digital-first transformation strategy.
• All staff may be required to travel outside the UK on short content gathering and promotional trips and assignments, and to spend longer periods of time in ELT target areas. All staff may be required to work with or move to other programme teams within the department.

Are you the right candidate?

• Native speaker knowledge of the English language including complete comprehension and productive competence in written and spoken forms, and excellent communication skills.
• A successful track record in podcast production with proven recent experience in writing compelling and engaging scripts and producing impactful audio/visual content to the highest editorial standards. Proficiency in audio editing systems and/or FCP.
• Experience of identifying and reaching new audiences via podcasts, Extensive knowledge of the podcast market and awareness of industry developments, BBC best practices and trends in the podcast space.
• Enthusiasm and curiosity for and an in-depth understanding of the audio and video podcast market (understanding in relationship to English language teaching would be an advantage).
• Ability to write, adapt and edit with accuracy, clarity, simplicity and in an engaging style appropriate to differing audiences, differing levels of English comprehension and suitable for podcasts.
• Ability to fully articulate the differences between podcast and other production and able to draw on a wide range of reference points.
• A passion for, and experience of, creating digital content for young, diverse audiences.
• Experience of filming and/or creation of other assets used for digital video production.
• A clear understanding of the needs and profile of BBC Learning English’s audiences and the ability to translate this into imaginative and compelling multi-platform content.
• The ability to plan and organise time and resources effectively and to manage projects to conclusion according to deadlines.
• An interest and awareness of digital technologies changing the media, broadcasting and audience trends both inside and outside the BBC.
• Strong editorial and production experience and the ability to work fast, accurately and under pressure.
• Good interpersonal skills, and in particular the ability to work collaboratively within a team and to motivate others.

About the BBC

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

Package Description

Band: C
Contract type: Permanent 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.