Senior Journalist, Northern Ireland

Job Details

Job Band: D

Contract Type:
Attachment / Fixed-term Full-time until 27/03/2026. We may have an additional opportunity for a short-term fixed-term contract. Details will be provided at interview.

Department: BBC News Northern Ireland

Location:
Belfast

Proposed Salary Range:
Up to 49133 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 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 Journalist (producer) to work with our Digital News team for five months to 27/03/26 as well as additional short term positions across BBC News NI.

Senior Journalists in BBC News NI have high levels of production skills, a reputation for creative thinking and a thorough grasp of the BBCs Editorial Guidelines and journalism law.

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. Its a dynamic environment where your voice matters and your decisions will really shape the content we offer to our audiences.

• Lead daily production meetings in their output area and then assign tasks to Journalists, Reporters and Researchers.
• Commission output for their production area and deploy resources in a cost-effective way, provide forward planning and production support.
• Motivate teams to think creatively and respond quickly to breaking news and support junior staff members to help them grow and develop in their role.
• Contribute to the production of original journalism.
• Deal with complex legal and editorial issues.

Essential Criteria

• Possess strong news judgement, strong decision making skills and experience of operating calmly under pressure.
• Be a creative storyteller and have a passion for and experience of producing original journalism that sets the news agenda and gets people talking.
• Be a resilient self‑starter with an in-depth knowledge of politics, cultural life as well as domestic and foreign news.
• Having an understanding and experience of the changing media landscape with digital storytelling at the forefront.
• Have the ability to write clear concise copy that can run across all outlets.

Desired but Not Required

• Experience in managing people, good interpersonal and communication skills and a keenness to collaborate.
• A track record in delivering original journalism.
• Have knowledge of our audience needs and output demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Have experience using audience insight tools to look at and measure engagement.
• Have an understanding of how audiences operate in a digital space.

Senior IC