UK Editor (On Air Editor) - News Content (Job Ref: 13299) (13299)

Based outside of London, the UK Editor is a high profile new role leading the journalism and coverage of domestic stories across the United Kingdom. The role’s remit is to uncover hidden issues, reveal the reality of life in the UK and break stories which are relevant to audiences across the country. They will have a particular focus on reflecting what matters in people’s lives, gaining unprecedented access to under-reported areas, holding people to account and delivering agenda-setting investigations.

This On Air Editor role will cover the most important UK stories including terrorism, crime and immigration, but its primary role is to deliver revelatory original journalism which sets the national agenda. The UK Editor would be expected to report on these stories, while ensuring that our coverage is fair, impartial and engaging audiences, including underserved audiences, as well as placing their journalism in a wider context with explanation and insight. The UK Editor will take the lead in providing agenda setting journalism that can follow key trends impacting our audiences, understanding the views and thoughts of all.

In addition, a key requirement of this role will be to deliver outstanding, exclusive journalism on digital platforms - whether that’s text or video on the BBC News website; long form on iPlayer or Sounds; or innovating on social media. The UK Editor will also be a prominent, respected presence on some of the most well known programming on BBC News, such as Breakfast, Today and the Six and Ten O’Clock News.

The ideal candidate will have specialist knowledge of the UK and its communities, with a particular focus on the impact of terrorism, crime and antisocial behaviour; as well as a detailed understanding of immigration, the cost of living and significant social issues. They will have a track record of enterprising “on the ground” journalism and deploying innovative techniques to reach new audiences. Key requirements are:

• A proven track record of delivering industry-leading journalism, both original and investigative, which has set the agenda in the UK national media and led to ‘real world‘ change.
• The ability to connect with national audiences through an engaging personal style, extensive expertise and powerful storytelling on digital platforms, with evidence of their journalism consistently making a significant impact with online audiences and on social media.
• Experience of fronting their own journalism on a major national media network, with the clarity of thinking and editorial experience to convey complex subjects in an understandable and accessible way; as well as holding people to account through rigorous and informed questioning.
• Detailed knowledge of the big issues affecting people’s lives around the UK, with numerous examples of when their journalism has uncovered exclusive information, revealed new facts or shone a light on an unreported aspect of modern life.
• An extensive contacts book, with a history of breaking stories on major stories which are leading the national news agenda; as well as the skills and experience of conducting multi-layered, detailed investigations on matters of significant public interest.

Band: Fp

Contract: Permanent – full time

Location: Salford or Leeds or Birmingham (Depending on successful candidate)

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.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC for different reasons and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

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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.

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