Posted: September 25, 2017
Deadline: October, 2017
The BBC, is the leading international broadcaster in Africa reaching a weekly audience of more than 100 million on Radio, TV, Digital (language sites and bbcafrica.com), Mobile and Social Media. We broadcast to Africa in English, Hausa, Somali, French, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Kiswahili & Arabic. We are committed to broadcasting to and from the continent in a style that meets the demands of our growing audience and as well as our language services, our presence in the region is also defined by our bureaux, special correspondents and bilingual reporters.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Head of West Africa Languages
Job Reference: BBC/TP/83016/21695
Location: Lagos
Role: Permanent – Full Time
Division: World Service Group, Languages
Reports to: Regional Editor, BBC Africa
The Role
The BBC World Service is expanding its multimedia operations in Africa by doubling the number of language services from six to 12 and investing in modern TV and Digital production facilities.
Three of the new language services, Igbo, Pidgin and Yoruba will serve our audiences in Nigeria where the BBC already broadcasts in Hausa.
The BBC is looking for a creative and progressive leader to coordinate and oversee all editorial activities in Nigeria and across French speaking Africa.
This role will be part of BBC Africa’s senior management. Based in Lagos, the post holder will line manage language service editors as well as TV and Digital Video teams working at various offices in the region. They will also undertake other leadership responsibilities as required by the BBC Africa Regional Editor.
Context
The BBC World Service remains the leading international broadcaster in Africa, reaching a weekly audience of more than 100 million across all platforms and Social Media.
Africa’s media landscape is changing. It is one of the fastest developing news markets in the world with mobile technology transforming lives, internet connectivity increasing, the radio market remaining relatively strong and Television migrating from analogue to Digital.
The new investment by the BBC World Service in Africa aims to increase its reach and impact among audiences by targeting the continent’s young, aspiring middle class and women.
It will also offer African broadcasters a range of formal training and development schemes, including mentoring and journalism training weeks.
Main Duties
Provide dynamic, thoughtful and inspiring editorial leadership and managerial direction to WS Languages and programmes serving audiences in Nigeria and Francophone Africa.
Work with language service editors and programme editors to ensure content is produced to the highest editorial, production and brand standards.
Act as editorial reference point for Language Services and programmes in the region.
Recruit, retain and develop staff in line with equal opportunities and diversity policies.
Work closely with Business Development, International Bureau Management team, HR, Audience & Insights, Marketing, Technical, High Risk representatives for the region.
To act as a facilitator of change, making sure best practices are shared between language teams.
Lead the team in the creation of a collaborative working environment which maximises the efficient use of staff and resources and develops the necessary skills base of the team, and following BBC procedures and standards.
Effectively manage conflict whenever it arises and deal with performance, capability and conduct issues whenever necessary.
Apply editorial performance review of the Language Services in the various locations against specific business objectives.
Manage staff in the region with full awareness of duty of care in high risk areas.
Investigate and engage in editorial and commercial partnerships with external partners.
Work closely with the Head of Newsgathering in Africa for matters relating to news coverage, commissioning and deployment in West Africa.
Line manage all West Africa Language Service editors in Lagos, Abuja, Dakar and London.
Jointly line manage TV and Digital video production teams in the region.
In close coordination with the Regional Editor BBC Africa to provide strategic leadership of the BBC as a whole in the region, ensuring that this is done in accordance with World Service Group strategic priorities and demonstrating value for money.
To lead from an editorial perspective the annual budget process for each service in collaboration with the Regional Editor BBC Africa.
To lead the Languages appraisal process in the region including BBC Afrique staff in Dakar and those of BBC Hausa in London.
Click the link below
http://careerssearch.bbc.co.uk/jobs/job/Head-of-West-Africa-Languages/21695