Senior Journalist – The World at One and PM

As a Senior Journalist, you will shape agenda setting coverage, lead teams in a fast moving environment, and craft distinctive audio journalism that helps audiences understand the biggest stories of the day.

Job Requisition ID: 41794

Job Closing Date: 29th March 2026

London, GBR, W1A 1AA

JOB DETAILS

JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: 6 Month Fixed Term Contract/Attachment
DEPARTMENT: BBC News
LOCATION: London Broadcasting House
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: Up to £49,000 + London Weighting, depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

We’re happy to discuss flexible working. If you’d like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there’s no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Rosie Seed – Deputy Editor, WATO/TW2 & PM – [email protected]

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

Join the team behind Radio 4’s flagship news programmes—The World at One, PM, Broadcasting House and The World This Weekend. As a Senior Journalist, you will shape agenda setting coverage, lead teams in a fast moving environment, and craft distinctive audio journalism that helps audiences understand the biggest stories of the day.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM
You’ll work at the heart of some of Radio 4’s most respected news programmes, collaborating with talented journalists who thrive on rigorous reporting, creativity and original storytelling. This is an opportunity to grow your editorial leadership, work across varied programme styles, and help create engaging content that deeply connects with a highly informed audience.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Drive the editorial and journalistic shape of live and pre-recorded programmes across the WATO/PM portfolio.
• Lead production teams with clarity and confidence, ensuring high quality, news making output.
• Make decisive editorial judgments under pressure while maintaining BBC editorial standards.
• Develop creative treatments and original ideas that bring complex stories to life for a national audience.
• Collaborate closely with editors, presenters and colleagues to deliver distinctive, insightful and engaging radio.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Strong editorial judgment and high quality writing skills, with proven radio experience or the ability to translate substantial journalism experience into audio.
• Experience of editing or outputting live news in a fast changing environment, or demonstrable ability to do so.
• Strong understanding of UK domestic politics and the wider news agenda.
• Insight into audience needs and what makes compelling, creative radio.
• Ability to take an editorial overview of a flagship programme while leading and supporting production teams.

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

• Experience working across multiple programme styles or formats.
• Ability to develop innovative audio treatments that strengthen audience engagement.
• Strong collaborative skills across multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience communicating complex issues accessibly while reflecting diverse perspectives.
• Confidence contributing to long term editorial planning and programme development.

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Recruitment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

For any general queries, please contact: [email protected]

Redeployment

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC 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.