Senior Journalist, BBC Great Lakes

About the role

The BBC is looking for a Senior Journalist for its Great Lakes service, based in Nairobi. The role oversees continuous digital publishing on the BBC Great Lakes website, supports the Assistant Editor in transforming the service into a digital-first, video-led operation, and supervises the daily production of visualised and linear radio output.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee continuous digital publishing on the BBC Great Lakes website, commissioning and editing articles, video embeds, image galleries and social media posts to keep audiences engaged throughout the day.
• Support the Assistant Editor in leading the transformation to a digital-first, video-led service, building a culture of editorial ambition, accountability, mutual respect and continuous learning.
• Develop and implement a data-led video strategy with the Assistant Editor to grow digital reach, especially among younger and female audiences.
• Commission, edit and deliver high-impact original journalism, including exclusives, investigations, explainers and digital-first content.
• Use audience analytics tools to monitor digital performance during and after each shift and adjust commissioning and publishing decisions accordingly.
• Supervise the daily production of visualised and linear radio output, ensuring the live programme meets a high standard and is suitable for streaming on YouTube.
• Manage the practical workflow of the shift, assign tasks, monitor progress against deadlines and redistribute resources as the news agenda changes.
• Contribute to the training and development of junior journalists, giving in-shift coaching on digital production, writing, video and cross-platform work.

Required profile

• Demonstrable experience leading digital-first news output, with a clear understanding of what drives engagement, traffic and audience growth.
• Experience commissioning and editing content across multiple digital platforms at once, including news for website, YouTube, Facebook and YouTube Shorts.
• Experience producing or supervising visualised radio output, with an understanding of how broadcast content works for both audio and on-screen audiences.
• Excellent scripting, writing and sub-editing skills in Kinyarwanda, Kirundi and English.

Required skills

• Strong working knowledge of audience analytics tools and the ability to act on performance data in real time during a shift.
• Understanding of what makes content perform on each platform: SEO on the website, watch time on YouTube, shares on Facebook, and high-retention vertical video for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Reels.