Senior Journalist (Social) EXTEND

JOB DETAILS

JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent Full-time
DEPARTMENT: BBC Wales News Digital
LOCATION: Wales hybrid
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: 41200 - 49133 depending on relevant skills knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

Were happy to discuss flexible working. If youd like to please indicate your preference in the application though theres no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

Welsh language skills arent necessary for this role / Nid yw sgiliaur Iaith Gymraeg yn hanfodol ar gyfer y swydd hon

BBC EXTEND

This role is advertised as part of our BBC Extend programme for disabled people. To apply for this role you should identify as deaf disabled or neurodivergent and must meet either the definition of disability in the Equality Act (2010) or the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) if applying in Northern Ireland. Youre broadly defined as disabled under both acts if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative or adverse effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. This definition includes both apparent and non-apparent conditions and impairments and medical conditions such as Cancer HIV or Multiple Sclerosis.

We are committed to making the process of applying for this role as accessible as possible. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the application process or have any questions about our Extend programme please contact

The BBC are fully committed to providing workplace adjustments to help eliminate barriers in the workface that disabled people face. To do this we have our own dedicated BBC Access and Disability Service that provides assessments and support throughout employment with us. If you are successful in applying for this role and require workplace adjustments we will work with you to get your adjustments in place.

If youd like more information on BBC Extend please visit the BBC Extend webpage. (EXTEND code: EX2324).

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

Lead BBC Wales News social media team. Youll help to set social strategy run the on-day operation and turn our strongest journalism into scroll-stopping posts and reels across BBC Wales News accounts. Sitting in Digital but working closely with Commissioning Planning and Stories & Specialists youll grow loyal returning audiencesespecially underserved groupswhile upholding BBC standards in a fast-paced environment.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM
This is where BBC Wales News pivot to digital really lives: youll shape social formats sharpen workflows and help define how social media feeds our journalism (and vice versa). Youll have autonomy clear KPIs and fast feedback loopswith your learnings feeding directly into commissioning and planning. Its hands-on and high-impact public service journalism.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Lead daily social output: Plan create and publish highly engaging social coverage of on-day pre-planned and breaking news that is distinctive visual and editorially compliant. Optimise content for each platforms behaviour and our brand voice. Align with digital video site and app and linear to maximise cross-platform impact.
• Own the social strategy: Set priorities according to audience need. Develop formats that work well with social audiences and stay abreast of ever-changing social media algorithms.
• Make social the front door to our journalism: Create engaging content that also drives referrals back to our website.
• Coach and empower: Lead a small team of journalists to produce social content. Build playbooks edit scripts and upskill reporters/producers on social storytelling and audience motivations.
• Measure what matters: Track and share audience insights (views engagement watch times etc) to inform future commissions.
• Run safe compliant channels: Uphold the BBCs Editorial Guidelines and legal responsibilities.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Senior-level judgement and proven social news leadershipsetting priorities shaping output staying calm under pressure.
• Expert craft for social: Proven experience of creating and commissioning social slideshows thumbnails captions reels and other platform-specific content.
• Audience-centred: Use data and research to inform choices know what appeals to younger audiences in the pursuit of engagement and reach with our responsibilities as a public service broadcaster.
• Editorial standards: Strong understanding of the importance of accuracy impartiality and inclusion. Confidence in navigating user generated content (UGC) safety and legal considerations.
• Flexibility: Shift work including some evenings and weekends within our hybrid set-up.

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

• Welsh language skills (spoken and written) or experience commissioning bilingual output.
• Familiarity with Photoshop SocialFlow and Wolftech.
• Experience of designing and evaluating pilots and reporting impact against newsroom KPIs.
• Experience partnering with correspondents and producers to land high-impact social-led treatments.

HOW THIS ROLE FITS :

Youll sit within the Digital team working day-to-day with the Digital Senior News Editor and Assistant Editors to surface social opportunities early shape pitches and close the loop with audience insight.