CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed-term Contract to January 2027, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: BBC News Northern Ireland
LOCATION: Belfast
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £27,600 - £32,667 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
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. You’re 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 contactextend@bbc.co.uk.
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 you’d like more information on BBC Extend, please visit the BBC Extend webpage. (EXTEND code: EX2324).
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
BBC News Northern Ireland provides breaking news, analysis, features and debate plus coverage on topical issues across all platforms for local audiences and beyond. We are transforming its news operation to make it future fit in a rapidly changing and diversifying news media climate, with audience needs coming first and with digital at its heart.
We are seeking to appoint a Senior Researcher to join the newsroom team working across Radio, TV, Newsgathering and Digital.
As a Senior Researcher in radio, you will primarily work across Good Morning Ulster, Evening Extra and Talkback. The Newsgathering role will involve working closely with a small team, helping to organise staffing and logistical resources. The TV role will involve gallery outputting for BBC Newsline and in Digital you’ll work with the team templating copy and working in social media and streaming. The position requires shift working.
WHY JOIN THE TEAM:
Joining the Belfast newsroom offers the chance to operate and grow in a busy and fast‑paced news environment. Your work will help inform public understanding, drive important conversations across platforms, and make a real impact. It’s a dynamic environment where your voice matters and your decisions will really shape the content we offer to our audiences.
* Work in the radio and TV studios when programmes are on air, assisting the output producer and engineer, studio playout, playing audio and connecting guests.
* Pitch and develop ideas and original stories to present to programme producers and the planning team, with ability to turn them around quickly.
* Research and prep content in keeping with editorial brief and using a wide range of sources and reference material; gather audio; work on live radio production and studio play out, having a familiarity with the appropriate technical operations of our studios such as OpenMedia, Dalet, MusicMaster and MusicBox; template copy in Optimo and contribute to live pages as well as assisting in the digital streaming gallery.
* Assist in driving key stories and deployments across all platforms, maintaining the diary of stories and events.
* Liaise with contributors, experts and talent, where required, source and clear material for broadcasting and publishing, complete music reporting and processing payments for guests.
YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:
* Evidence of bringing in original story ideas and treatments, casting them, researching and writing presenter briefings.
* Demonstrating good editorial judgement and legal awareness.
* Excellent planning, organisational and technical skills.
* A thorough knowledge of current affairs in Northern Ireland, the rest of the UK and internationally.
* Understanding of our radio, television and digital platforms.
* Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with a wide variety of internal and external colleagues and contributors.
DESIRABLE:
* The ability to operate in a live studio.
* Experience of researching and fact checking.
* Resilience and stamina to sustain performance when under pressure from a high volume of work and conflicting priorities.
* Knowledge of audience needs and understanding of commitment to diversity.
If you can bring some of these skills and experiences, 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.
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.
Information at a Glance
This is your BBC
At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.
Find out more about the BBC
Life at BBC
Here you will benefit from:
* Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35‑hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
* Excellent career and professional development.
* Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
* A values‑based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.
Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract.
Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.
Candidate pack
You belong
We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.
We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.
We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.
Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.
Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy
Disability confident
We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss: reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk
BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.
#J-18808-Ljbffr