Job Description
Job Title: Director - Breaking & Live
Reports to: Executive Editor & Managing Director, Sky News
Division: Sky News
Base location: Osterley
We are putting in place a new leadership structure to strengthen collaboration across the newsroom and support delivery of our 2030 vision for a premium, video‑first Sky News, built for the digital future.
Role Overview
The Director – Breaking & Live (B&L) is a pivotal leadership role within the newsroom, responsible for shaping and delivering the organisation's B&L content.
The Director – Breaking & Live sets the strategic direction for how B&L news is gathered, produced, commissioned and delivered, ensuring that it is delivered at pace, while remaining accurate, authoritative and engaging.
This role will be accountable for embracing tech solutions to improve the B&L operation and drive efficiencies. They will need to drive change.
With a remit that spans strategy, talent management, and cross-platform delivery, the role requires a blend of strategic vision, editorial judgement, and operational leadership, as well as the ability to collaborate across departments and manage complex stakeholder relationships.
This role leads the Breaking & Live operation — an integrated team of on-screen talent, producers, and editors tasked with delivering high-impact B&L content that informs and resonates with diverse audiences.
They will advocate for the categorising of B&L stories and work with the premium hub directors to ensure that the right level of resource is allocated from the premium hubs to the B&L desk to ensure sufficient coverage of important B&L events.
What You'll Do – Main Responsibilities
Set the strategic direction for how Breaking & Live (B&L) news is gathered, produced, commissioned, and delivered.
Ensure B&L content is delivered with speed, accuracy, authority, and audience engagement.
Champion Sky News's vision to be a premium, video-first, digital news organisation.
Drive change across editorial and operational practices, embracing tech solutions to improve the B&L operation and drive efficiencies.
Manage and direct high performing teams within the B&L operation, comprising on-screen talent, producers, and editors.
Oversee the categorisation of B&L stories to determine editorial priority and resource allocation.
Collaborate with premium hub directors to ensure appropriate coverage and support for major B&L events.
Work with platform teams to ensure that content resonates with audiences.
Oversee departmental budgets.
Be a fully committed member of the Sky News leadership team, aligned wholly with Sky News' collectively agreed strategic vision and goals, and embody these in the leadership of the B&L operation.
What You'll Bring – Required Skills & Experience
Highly experienced cross-platform journalist and newsroom leader with strong editorial judgement.
Exemplary communication, coordination and operational skills.
Resilience and an ability to respond well under extreme pressure in fast moving breaking news environments.
Commitment to innovation, experimentation and challenging the status quo – this role must embrace and drive change.
Proven ability to lead large, multi-disciplinary teams across platforms.
Experience in cross-platform content delivery – especially premium digital video.
Strategic leadership skills, with the ability to align editorial output with organisational goals.
Experience managing high-profile presenters and correspondents, with a focus on performance, development, and editorial alignment
Excellent stakeholder management skills.
Demonstrated experience in budget management and resource planning.
Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and editorial integrity.
Sky News
At Sky News, our mission is to bring you the full story, first. We take you there, 24:7, reporting from the heart of the events changing our world. We ask the big questions of everyone, revealing what you want to know. And our style is bold and independent, giving you a fresh perspective.
In the UK, Sky News is a compelling alternative to the public service broadcasters and opinion-driven news outlets, reaching one in three people every month.
Across the world, we are one of the most-followed English language news brands on social media, bringing award-winning British journalism to a global audience.
Sky News is part of Sky, one of Europe's leading media and entertainment companies, owned by Comcast Corporation.
Watch Sky News, free, wherever you get your news.
The Rewards
There's a reason people can't stop talking about. Our great range of rewards really are something special, here are just a few:
Sky Q, for the TV you love all in one place
The magic of Sky Glass at an exclusive rate
A generous pension package
Private healthcare
Discounted mobile and broadband
A wide range of Sky VIP rewards and experiences
How You'll Work
We know the world has changed, and we want to offer our employees the chance to collaborate at our unique office spaces, whilst enjoying the convenience of working from home.
We've adopted a hybrid working approach to give more flexibility on where and how we work. You'll find out more about what this means for this role during the recruitment process.
Osterley
Your office base:
Our Osterley Campus is a 10-minute walk from Syon Lane train station. Or you can hop on one of our free shuttle buses that run to and from Osterley, Gunnersbury, Ealing Broadway and South Ealing tube stations. There's also plenty of bike shelters and showers.
On campus, you'll find 13 subsidised restaurants, cafes, and a Waitrose. You can keep in shape at our subsidised gym, catch the latest shows and movies at our cinema, get your car washed and even get pampered at our beauty salon.
Inclusion
We are a Disability Confident Accredited Employer, and welcome and encourage applications from all candidates. We will look to ensure a fair and consistent experience for all and will make reasonable adjustments to support you where appropriate. Please flag any adjustments you need to your recruiter as early as you can.
Why wait?
Apply now to build an amazing career and be part of a brilliant team. We can't wait to hear from you.
To find out more about working with us, search on social media.
Just so you know: if your application is successful, we'll ask you to complete a criminal record check. And depending on the role you have applied for and the nature of any convictions you may have, we might have to withdraw the offer.