Senior Political Reporter Wiltshire

JOB DETAILS

JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed-term Contract, Full-time /Attachment, Full-time until 27 July 2027
DEPARTMENT: BBC Nations, BBC Radio Wiltshire 
LOCATION: Swindon  
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE:  £41,200 - £50,000 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

Do you live and breathe politics? Do you thrive on the big political stories that happen on your doorstep and how the decisions taken in Westminster affect us locally? Can you decipher a bundle of council papers and find that golden nugget of a story?

With the spotlight on Swindon ahead of May’s local elections, we’re looking for a driven and ambitious new member of our team who would relish the opportunity to make an instant national impact in this exciting role.

You’ll possess the ability to identify and tell the stories that matter most to our audiences across all platforms, bringing them to life in a compelling, engaging way on the BBC News website, on TV on Points West and Politics West, on BBC Radio Wiltshire and on our social channels.

Your stories will make politics simple and easy to understand. You’ll be as comfortable explaining budgets in online articles as you are talking about potholes on TV and the radio. You’ll be able think on your feet and explain the good things politicians do as well as holding them to account if it goes wrong.

This is a rare opportunity to stamp your name on a key position in our newsroom. If you have an in-depth knowledge of politics and strong experience of working in a multimedia environment then we want to hear from you.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

You will be building on the BBC’s strong connections with the communities we serve, where our storytelling is closest to the audience. You’ll be joining a creative and supportive team, with a strong internal culture. In this role, you’ll be looking to ensure the political stories you report on reach as many people as possible, through our digital and social media content and our TV and radio output. This role involves varied working hours and may include some evening and weekend working.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• You’ll work as part of a multi-skilled team, reporting on a range of political stories for digital, TV and radio.


• You’ll be able to draw on a wide range of sources for story ideas and you’ll deliver original stories which surprise and engage listeners and readers in creative ways


• You’ll need a real passion for creating powerful video by understanding our local audiences and what matters to them. You’ll also have a flair for writing crisp, concise online copy.


• We’re looking for an individual who can think and work independently, with a high level of reporting experience across digital, TV and radio.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• A passion for politics, bursting with creative ideas and the ability to look at stories from diverse perspectives.


• Substantial experience of multimedia journalism and reporting, with strong editorial judgement, decision-making skills and the ability to work independently


• Great people skills to collaborate with colleagues across our local platforms


• An ability to demonstrate an understanding of the key issues in both local and national politics.


• Excellent knowledge of the BBC’s editorial guidelines, a thorough grasp of impartiality as it applies to our output, and good knowledge of broadcast law.

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we would love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

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