Senior Journalist, Digital News (Africa)
Join the BBC’s Digital News team as a Senior Journalist on our Africa desk in Nairobi, shaping how millions of people across the continent (and around the world) understand one of the most dynamic news regions on the planet.
JOB DETAILS
JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: BBC News
LOCATION: Nairobi, Kenya
Local terms and conditions
Any offer of employment with the BBC will be conditional upon you having the right to work in Kenya.
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
Join the BBC’s Digital News team as a Senior Journalist on our Africa desk in Nairobi, shaping how millions of people across the continent (and around the world) understand one of the most dynamic news regions on the planet. You’ll create agenda-setting journalism in text and video, helping to ensure our coverage is sharp, authoritative and distinctive across BBC platforms.
WHY JOIN THE TEAM
BBC News is one of the world’s largest and most popular news sites, with mobile and desktop editions curated for both UK and international audiences. It has the biggest news app in the UK and also one of the leading international news apps in the world.
Africa is home to some of our most compelling stories, and you’ll be at the centre of how we tell them. As a senior journalist, you will be expected to run live pages on the biggest moving stories, produce news stories and sharp angles in text and video, and work with BBC correspondents and reporters across the continent and beyond to bring our reporting to millions of people.
You may be deployed at short notice to cover breaking news on location. This role may involve weekend working.
YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:
• Write, edit, and produce sharp, accurate and contextual news stories, live pages, features and video scripts for African and global audiences.
• Collaborate closely with BBC correspondents, reporters and editors across Africa, London and other regions to deliver distinctive coverage.
• Lead live coverage during major breaking stories, making fast editorial decisions and ensuring the highest standards of accuracy and clarity.
• Use audience data, search trends and social insights to improve storytelling, broaden reach, and help set editorial strategy.
• Contribute creative treatments, visual ideas and innovative digital formats to strengthen BBC News’s offer across platforms.
• Support, mentor or guide journalists during shifts, contributing to a collaborative, high performing team culture.
YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:
• Substantial experience of writing and editing fast-paced, breaking news coverage in text for English language digital platforms, with attention to accuracy, context and tone.
• Experience writing or commissioning features, explainers or analysis pieces.
• Excellent knowledge of African news, culture and politics, with the ideas and contacts to uncover untold stories.
• Strong knowledge of the international news agenda
• Proven understanding of the formats, tools, and techniques used to produce rolling news coverage including live blogs, text news stories and video clips and edits for digital platforms.
• Experience of using curation tools, social media, search and audience data to improve digital storytelling, broaden our editorial agenda and reach new audiences.
• Excellent editorial judgement and a proven understanding of the BBC’s editorial values
• The ability to lead small groups of journalists in coverage and experience of working with teams in different departments and/or regions.
DESIRABLE:
• Experience editing news video scripts and producing news videos.
• Experience working collaboratively with journalists across multiple countries, time zones, or cultural contexts.
• Knowledge of emerging digital news formats and audience behaviours in Africa.
• Fluency in at least one non-English African language.
