Video Journalist, Great Lakes

The BBC Great Lakes is hiring two Video Journalists for their Nairobi office, focusing on producing high-quality video content about the Great Lakes region. Responsibilities include shooting, editing, and presenting news stories, collaborating with teams, and ensuring adherence to BBC standards. The role requires strong video production skills and a passion for storytelling. Candidates outside Kenya are encouraged to apply, with a relocation package offered.
Job Introduction

BBC Great Lakes (Gahuza) is a highly respected provider of news and information in Kinyarwanda and Kirundi. This includes courageous journalism that holds the power to account. It also offers engaging stories on politics, economics, environment, health, and social issues, along with highlighting achievements and innovations in Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo and neighboring countries. Now as we strive to expand our audience reach, we are focusing our radio and digital operation in Nairobi, Kenya.

BBC Great Lakes is seeking two passionate and talented Video Journalists to join our dynamic news team. The successful candidate will be responsible for producing high-quality video content that captures compelling stories from the Great Lakes region, providing audiences with in-depth reporting and engaging visual narratives. This role combines journalistic integrity with technical proficiency in video production, editing, and storytelling.
• This work-from-office job is based in Nairobi and highly qualified candidates living outside Kenya are encouraged to apply. We can offer the BBC’s standard Relocation Package to the successful candidate who might need to relocate to Kenya.

Main Responsibilities

• To shoot and edit high-quality video segments for broadcast and digital platforms, ensuring content is visually engaging and adheres to BBC standards. Ensure content is informative, accurate, and engaging, reflecting the diversity of our audience’s experiences and perspectives

• To use appropriate video equipment and technology to capture footage, conduct interviews, and create compelling visuals

• To provide voiceovers for video segments when necessary, ensuring a strong narrative voice that enhances the visual content

• To collaborate with the graphic design and digital teams to create visually appealing web content, social media clips, and promotional materials

• To write clear, concise, and engaging scripts for video reports, ensuring all information is accurate and effectively communicates the intended story

• To attend events, press conferences, and breaking news situations to gather firsthand information and visual documentation

• To present news stories, reports, and features live on air for both visualized radio/podcast and digital video. This includes adapting style and tone to suit different formats and audiences

• To utilize social media to promote video content, engage with audiences, and gather feedback on stories

• To ensure that BBC Editorial principles and all relevant legal, contractual and copyright requirements are met, referring upwards in cases of difficulty or doubt

• To work closely with editorial colleagues, producers, and field reporters to develop and execute story ideas. Participate in team discussions and contribute to the overall editorial direction of Focus on Africa

• To maintain up-to-date knowledge of current affairs, cultural happenings, and developments within Africa and beyond. Analyze trends and issues impacting the continent in order to produce timely and relevant news

• To oversee the digital presence of BBC Great Lakes, including social media platforms

• To coordinate with other BBC departments and international bureaus to source stories, enhance coverage, and collaborate on cross-platform features

• To build and maintain relationships with correspondents and contributors as needed

• To build and maintain diverse contact lists; compile and distribute information with other members of the team

Are you the right candidate?

• Exceptional writing, editing, and communication skills in Kinyarwanda, Kirundi and English are all essential

• Demonstrable experience of producing original short and mid-form videos that have been impactful and reached new audiences and knowledge of social media best practice

• Strong storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex issues into compelling video narratives

• In-depth knowledge of the news agenda across the Great Lakes region and its diaspora; ability to spot an interesting, shareable story - and generate eye-catching headlines and content to go with it

• Excellent communication and interviewing skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse subjects and audiences

• Track record of creativity in the use of pictures, graphics and audio to illustrate and explain fast-moving events and complex stories

• Experience of working under pressure and meeting tight deadlines. A self-starting individual – you will be able to come up with ideas, get them commissioned made and delivered efficiently

• Strong working knowledge of the data and analytics tools available and demonstrable evidence of using them effectively

• Strong research abilities to prepare for broadcasts, with the capability to analyze and distil complex information for audience consumption

• An understanding of and respect for diverse cultural perspectives, enabling thoughtful engagement with various community topics and issues

Job Package

Job Title: Video Journalist, Great Lakes

Job Reference: 23199

Band: C

Contract type: 2 x Permanent role – local terms and conditions apply

Location: Office Base is Nairobi, Kenya

Final date to apply: Sunday 27th April 2025

We’re happy to discuss flexible working. Please indicate your choice under the flexible working question in the application. There is no obligation to raise this at the application stage but if you wish to do so, you are welcome to. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

Unrivalled training and development opportunities – our in-house Academy hosts a wide range of internal and external courses and certification.

Benefits - We offer a negotiable salary package and a flexible 35-hour working week for work-life balance. You can find out more about working at the BBC by selecting this link to our candidate pack.

If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process please contact the reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk. For any general queries, please contact: bbchr@bbc.co.uk.

Please note that the application process will require you to upload a CV and complete the online application form with the opportunity to detail your experience, skills and knowledge required for the role.

About the BBC

We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and behaviours here.

Diversity matters at the BBC. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC – whether that’s to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles, unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.

To find out more about Diversity and Inclusion at the BBC, please click here.

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.