BBC
Senior Journalist, BBC DARS
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JOB DETAILS
JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: BBC News
LOCATION: London
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £42,000 - £52,000 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.
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference through content with real social impact. You’ll be part of a passionate, creative and collaborative team producing innovative, multi-platform educational programming for underserved audiences around the world. BBC Dars combines trusted journalism, inspiring global stories and engaging learning experiences to help young people fulfil their potential. As the programme continues to grow, including its expansion into Arabic, you’ll help shape its exciting future.
WHY JOIN THE TEAM
Join the BBC Dars team to help deliver high-quality educational content and impartial global journalism to young audiences aged 11–16 who face barriers to learning. BBC Dars is an award-winning World Service programme providing engaging lessons in subjects including maths, English, science and life skills across TV, audio, digital and social platforms. Originally launched in Dari and Pashto to support learners affected by restrictions on education, the programme is now expanding its reach into Arabic.
Your Key Responsibilities And Impact
- Lead the commissioning and delivery of BBC Dars content across TV, audio, digital and social platforms, working closely with education consultants to ensure high-quality, curriculum-relevant output.
- Assign, brief and guide presenters, producers and video journalists, shaping editorial treatments that maximise audience impact, multi-platform reach and value for money.
- Oversee programme output from planning through to transmission, including studio recordings, presenter performance and delivery across multiple platforms.
- Maintain the highest journalistic, editorial and production standards, ensuring all content is accurate, compliant, fact-checked and aligned with BBC Editorial Guidelines, while effectively managing editorial risks.
- Supervise, coach and motivate a team of journalists, fostering collaboration across Afghan and Persian teams and using audience insights and analytics to support digital growth and engagement.
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Essential Criteria
YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- Significant experience in senior editorial, output-producing or commissioning roles, with a strong track record of delivering high-quality content across television, audio and digital platforms.
- Excellent editorial judgement and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess risk, manage breaking priorities and ensure compliance with legal and BBC editorial standards.
- Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with experience managing, developing and inspiring teams to deliver engaging content under pressure and to tight deadlines.
- Demonstrable understanding of digital storytelling, audience analytics and platform best practice, with the ability to drive audience growth through innovative, multi-platform content strategies.
- Full fluency in Pashto or Dari/Farsi, with excellent written and spoken English; able to write, edit, restructure and translate content to a high standard across languages and formats.
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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: bbchr@bbc.co.uk
We are unable to accept applications via CV and only applications made online will be considered. Please click on the APPLY NOW button to proceed with your application.
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.
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