Assistant Producer - Trainee Podcast Creator (12587)

• Band: C        
• Contract type: Fixed Term  7 months - Full time July 2024 – January 2025
• Location: Manchester, London, Cardiff, Salford
• Salary £27,500 (pro-rata across 7 months) plus London weighting where applicable 

The Role:

Audio Lab is an ‘accelerator’ programme with one big ambition – to amplify next-generation podcasters and audio creatives. We support career development and encourage under-represented talent to transform their bold and fresh ideas into value-adding podcasts – to better reflect all of the UK. 
You will receive a full-time salary for 7 months from July 2024 to January 2025 as a trainee podcast creator, at an Assistant Producer level, plus receive a range of practical and professional development.

We are looking to recruit 4 x Assistant Producers to work as trainee podcast creators for our BBC Sounds Audio Lab programme.  

We are looking for individuals who:

• would like to create and present their own podcast of up to 6 episodes, to be showcased on BBC Sounds, all whilst further developing their audio production skills
• are open to being managed, guided and directed by an experienced production team who will help you craft your finished podcast 
• have a podcast idea that could be “the one” we all need to hear. Does it tell a story we haven’t heard before?  Does it tell a story you’re personally attached to that you’re happy to be a part of? Will it entertain us or make us laugh out loud?  Or can it change views and perceptions?

You will be contracted by the BBC and embedded with Audio Lab’s production partners for the duration of your contract.  For 2024 our partners are one BBC team and three independent production companies.  They are:

• Reform Radio, Manchester
• Reduced Listening, London
• Overcoat Media, Cardiff
• BBC Audio North, Salford
   

Individuals placed with the independent production companies will have regular contact with the Audio Lab team and other BBC colleagues for activities including training, guidance, feedback and networking.

PLEASE NOTE: 

If you’re interested one of these roles and would like more information before applying, we are holding a webinar session with people you could end up working with.  There will be an option to ask questions, time permitting.

Although this is a group session, attendees will not be visible to each other for confidentiality purposes. If you can’t make the webinar, you will be able to access a recording of it shortly after the session on the Audio Lab website BBC Sounds  .

• Date: Thurs 7th March 2024
• Time: 17.30
• Duration: approx. 1 hour
• Link: 
   

Your main responsibility will be to plan and develop your idea as part of an established production team, securing its commission on BBC Sounds. We aim for each individual to create a podcast series of 4-6 episodes. 

You will play a key role at each stage of development and production, with close supervision and direction from experienced producers, editors and the Audio Lab team.

You will be a creative self-starter with initiative and drive to steer your podcast through to completion, whilst delivering it to time, budget, technical and editorial standards.
 

You will have a range of audio and content making experience such as; writing, interviewing, recording, editing or presenting and be highly motivated to grow your skills.  You might be self-publishing audio or video content on well-known social media channels, producing/presenting on community radio, have previously had junior audio production roles or have other content making experience that lends itself to audio storytelling.   

• You will still be at a stage in your career where you will benefit from training and support provided by Audio Lab and its production partners 
• You will be able to demonstrate creative and distinctive thinking and have ability to develop an idea that appeals to and reflects diverse audiences
• You will have good knowledge of how social media can help you reach an audience and grow a following 
• You will have strong planning and organising skills and be able to use your judgment to seek guidance where appropriate and take advice and act upon direction that may change your original plan 
• You will have the ability to problem solve and suggest effective solutions to achieve your planned goals

YOUR IDEA:

Do you have an entertaining or fresh perspective idea exploring one of the subjects below that will create a buzz?

We encourage ideas that reflect authentic experiences and interests that excite or move audiences across the UK.

We’re particularly interested in hearing ideas about Food, Travel, Relationships, Parenting, Business & Entrepreneurship, Technology and Health & Wellbeing. If your idea doesn’t fit into one of the subjects above, we’re still interested in hearing about it and what makes it different to other podcasts. 

If you’d like to hear what this year’s Audio Lab creators produced from their initial ideas, you can listen by searching for them on BBC Sounds either on the website here  BBC Sounds Audio Lab  or by downloading the free BBC Sounds App on your mobile phone/device and searching for:  

• Sacred Money
• Black Gold
• Seun’s Talking Drum - British AND West African
• No Where
• Hometown Boring?

• We anticipate a high number of applications and shortlisting will take place in April.  Interviews are expected to take place in early May 2024
• Please tell us if you have access or support requirements for any part of your application
• You are required to submit a CV, an application form including some role specific questions, a short video answer (90 seconds maximum) and a piece of audio (3 minutes maximum)  

Placement 1

Location: Manchester Click here

Placed with: Reform Radio – Independent Production Company
Reform Radio is dedicated to developing the next generation of creatives, nurturing them to share personal stories and experiences through the art of audio. They love ideas that use audio drama, music and spoken word to develop the story in unique and engaging ways. 

Placement 2

Location: London Click here

Placed with:  Reduced Listening – Independent Production Company
Reduced Listening believe in exploring cultures, sharing progressive ideas and producing radical entertainment.  Their expertise falls across several subject areas including factual, arts, music, history, social issues and technology. They specialise in making documentary, audio drama, music curation, conversational and narrative podcasts as well as audio guides.

Placement 3

Location: Cardiff  Click here

Placed with: Overcoat Media – Independent Production Company
Overcoat Media tell factual stories in sound that beguile, inform and intrigue. From history to arts, current affairs to classical music, they innovate, play and challenge convention to help make their narratives sing.

Placement 4

Location: Salford (Manchester) Click here

Placed with: BBC Audio North
BBC Audio North is the single biggest supplier of BBC radio programmes and podcasts made outside of London. They create a rich mix of content spanning multiple genres including religion, consumer, investigations, documentaries, entertainment and arts. They tell stories that matter to audiences in the North of England and beyond and pride themselves on making those stories sound beautiful and engaging – be it through sound design, format or treatment.

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 visit the website for more information. 

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 visit the website .