Assistant Editor, BBC Great Lakes

Role overview

BBC Great Lakes (Gahuza) is a trusted source of news and information in Kinyarwanda and Kirundi. The service delivers bold journalism that holds power to account, alongside coverage of politics, the economy, the environment, health, social issues, and stories that showcase progress and innovation across Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, and nearby countries.

About the role

BBC World Service is looking for an experienced Assistant Editor to guide the news team in creating accurate, engaging, and high-quality journalism for broadcast and digital audiences. The role is central to shaping editorial direction across platforms, maintaining strong brand and production standards, and making sure the team has the skills needed to deliver excellent work.

This position suits an editor with strong news judgment and a clear interest in digital growth. You will help drive a major shift toward a digital-first, video-led service while protecting the editorial standards and audience confidence that define BBC Great Lakes.

Key responsibilities

• Set and uphold the editorial vision for BBC Great Lakes, ensuring coverage reflects the complexity and diversity of the audience.
• Maintain consistently high editorial standards and ensure reporting remains independent, fair, and rigorous.
• Support the move toward a digital-first, video-led operation by encouraging ambition, accountability, respect, and ongoing learning within the team.
• Create and deliver a data-informed video strategy aimed at driving measurable digital growth, especially among younger and female audiences.
• Use audience research, analytics, and platform trends to shape commissioning, distribution, and editorial choices.
• Define the news agenda by prioritising stories that matter most to target audiences.
• Commission, shape, edit, and publish standout original journalism, including exclusives, investigations, explainers, and content designed first for digital use.
• Coach and motivate a varied team of journalists, helping them grow professionally and strengthen their storytelling.
• Give clear, constructive feedback and help build a collaborative environment that values different viewpoints.

Requirements

• Recent senior-level experience leading content production and output across radio and digital, with a focus on news from the Great Lakes region.
• Proven ability to manage and motivate teams across multiple locations in fast-moving newsroom settings.
• Demonstrated success in creating and implementing data-led video strategies that produced measurable audience growth online.
• Strong editorial judgment with the ability to quickly spot and develop important stories that reflect complex issues and varied perspectives.
• Recent experience launching digital products or programmes that increased reach and strengthened reputation across platforms.
• Track record of producing breaking news, features, investigations, and original reporting on the Great Lakes region.
• Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills in Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, and English.
• Ability to shoot, script, and edit video stories using tools such as Final Cut Pro and QEdit, with content tailored for platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Terms and conditions

This is a permanent, full-time position in Job Band E within the BBC World Service department, based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Flexible working can be discussed. If you would like to be considered for flexible arrangements, you may indicate your preference in the application, although it is not required at this stage. Any flexibility options will be discussed later if an offer is made.

This job description outlines the main duties, accountabilities, skills, knowledge, and experience needed for satisfactory performance, but it is not intended to cover every task in detail.

If offered the role, you will be required to complete employment screening checks. These may include reference checks, right-to-work verification, and, where relevant, safeguarding checks plus adverse media or social media checks. Any offer will depend on these checks being satisfactory.

Before your start date, you may also need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges in line with recruitment policy. This helps the organisation assess any support needs and potential risks. Failing to disclose this information could lead to the offer being withdrawn.

For general queries, contact [email protected].

Applications must be submitted online; CV-only applications will not be accepted.