Director, News Documentaries and Long Form Journalism

Position description

BBC News is the world’s most trusted news organisation, delivering independent, impartial journalism in an increasingly polarised world. We are now seeking a strategic, transformational leader with excellent editorial credentials to take on a pivotal new role on the BBC News board. 

As the Director, News Documentaries and Long Form Journalism, you will sit at the heart of the BBC News Senior Leadership Team, shaping the strategic vision and direction for our long-form journalism and current affairs output.  This role will, for the first time, provide unified strategic oversight of all long-form documentary commissions, including world service and international commissioning and production.

The role will deliver the digital transformation of the BBC’s Current Affairs offering across all platforms including BBC iPlayer – the UK’s fastest growing streamer. It offers a rare opportunity to lead the BBC’s most groundbreaking and impactful storytelling. You will bring a forward-thinking vision, ensuring our journalism remains essential, innovative and connects with where audiences are going, not just where they’ve been.

The role is being introduced as part of the BBC News Action Plan  in response to the recent Peter Johnston Review  into the BBC documentary Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone. The Director will have the mandate to review the BBC structures and processes to ensure we continue to produce powerful public interest current affairs journalism, while also upholding robust editorial compliance and fully implementing the findings of the Review.

The Director will also play a key role in shaping broader editorial strategies and driving excellence across the organisation by strengthening cross-divisional collaboration with BBC Nations and the Content division.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM  

Each and every day, BBC News brings audiences the very best journalism on the stories of the moment. Our outstanding current affairs teams produce exceptional documentaries and original and investigative journalism that is both ground-breaking and thought provoking. As Director, News Documentaries and Long Form Journalism you’ll join a team committed to journalistic excellence and innovation, with the opportunity to shape the future of long-form storytelling at a critical time. You’ll lead a talented and passionate group of programme-makers, working on some of the most high-impact journalism in the UK and globally. With the full backing of senior leadership, you’ll have the platform to drive meaningful transformation, ensuring our long form output continues to challenge, inform, and inspire audiences in new and powerful ways. 

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT

•    Provide strategic oversight and direction for all documentaries and long-form journalism across every BBC News platform to deliver audience growth and maximise impact and efficiency. 
•    Ensure all documentaries and long-form output complies with the highest editorial standards, legal obligations, and risk management protocols, through effective oversight of editorial leads, as well as holding overall responsibility for the relationship with the independent production sector.
•    Shape and influence broader News, Nations and Content strategies, ensuring long-form content aligns with the BBC’s editorial, digital, and audience growth objectives. 
•    Partner with senior stakeholders in the Content division, regularly attending executive-level meetings to strengthen cross-divisional collaboration. 
•    Drive innovation and modernisation of long-form and quick turnaround long-form journalism, increasing reach on digital platforms such as iPlayer, YouTube, and podcasts. Use audience insights and data to inform content strategy and platform prioritisation.
•    Embed commercial thinking into long form teams—identifying opportunities for growth in reach, reputation, and revenue through partnerships, events, and innovative formats.
•    Foster collaboration across the BBC to maximise the impact and reach of long-form journalism, including the development of new long-form brands and content.
•    Accountable for the documentaries and long-form content budget, setting clear priorities to ensure commissioned content aligns with strategic and financial goals.
•    Design and embed structures and processes which ensure editorial compliance, digital transformation, growth, increased cross divisional collaboration and operational efficiencies. 
•    Promote diversity and inclusion in all editorial and staffing decisions, ensuring content and teams reflect the audiences we serve. 
•    Represent the BBC at a senior level, contributing to divisional and corporate strategy and leading the delivery of high-impact projects.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

•    Experienced strategic leader who can undertake a review of structure and resourcing ensuring robustness of compliance with the highest editorial standards in place.
•    Strong editorial judgement and proven ability to manage significant reputational risk and high-profile content.
•    A proven track record driving digital transformation, platform innovation, and audience-first content strategies for long-form journalism.

•    Experience and understanding of what it takes to develop high-impact documentaries and long form journalism.
•    Demonstrated success as a digital disruptor, with deep experience in commissioning and producing content tailored for emerging platforms such as streaming, podcasts, and social media.
•    Possess a deep understanding of evolving audience behaviors, ensuring content strategies anticipate and meet audiences where they are heading, not where they have been.
•    Bring strong expertise of the media landscape, digital trends and emerging technologies, including the opportunities of AI to aid innovation and creativity.
•    Proven ability to lead large, multi-disciplinary teams in a fast-changing environment, fostering a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
•    Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence at the highest levels.
•    Comprehensive knowledge of programme commissioning, production, and compliance in a public service context.
•    Experience operating at a senior level in the public or media sector, including managing numerous and diverse senior and executive level stakeholders as well as engagement with external and governmental stakeholders.

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

Application instructions

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