Senior Journalist (Social) in Cardiff

Cardiff, GBR, CF10 1FT

JOB DETAILS

• JOB BAND: D
• CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
• DEPARTMENT: BBC Wales News, Digital
• LOCATION: Wales, hybrid
• PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £41,200 - £49,133, 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. Welsh language skills aren’t necessary for this role.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

Lead BBC Wales News’ social media team. You’ll help to set social strategy, run the on-day operation, and turn our strongest journalism into scroll-stopping posts and reels across BBC Wales News’ accounts. Sitting in Digital but working closely with Commissioning, Planning and Stories & Specialists, you’ll grow loyal, returning audiences—especially underserved groups—while upholding BBC standards in a fast-paced environment.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

This is where BBC Wales News’ pivot to digital really lives: you’ll shape social formats, sharpen workflows, and help define how social media feeds our journalism (and vice versa). You’ll have autonomy, clear KPIs and fast feedback loops—with your learnings feeding directly into commissioning and planning. It’s hands-on and high-impact public service journalism.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Lead daily social output: Plan, create and publish highly engaging social coverage of on-day, pre-planned and breaking news that is distinctive, visual and editorially compliant.
• Optimise content for each platform’s behaviour and our brand voice.
• Align with digital video, site and app, and linear to maximise cross-platform impact.
• Own the social strategy: Set priorities according to audience need.
• Develop formats that work well with social audiences and stay abreast of ever-changing social media algorithms.
• Create engaging content that also drives referrals back to our website.
• Coach and empower: Lead a small team of journalists to produce social content.
• Build playbooks, edit scripts and upskill reporters/producers on social storytelling and audience motivations.
• Track and share audience insights (views, engagement, watch times etc) to inform future commissions.
• Uphold the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and legal responsibilities.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Senior-level judgement and proven social news leadership—setting priorities, shaping output, staying calm under pressure.
• Expert craft for social: Proven experience of creating and commissioning social slideshows, thumbnails, captions, reels and other platform-specific content.
• Audience-centred: Use data and research to inform choices – know what appeals to younger audiences in Wales.
• Balance the pursuit of engagement and reach with our responsibilities as a public service broadcaster.
• Strong understanding of the importance of accuracy, impartiality and inclusion.
• Confidence in navigating user generated content (UGC), safety and legal considerations.
• Flexibility: Shift work, including some evenings and weekends within our hybrid set-up.

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

• Welsh language skills (spoken and written) or experience commissioning bilingual output.
• Familiarity with Photoshop, SocialFlow and Wolftech.
• Experience of designing and evaluating pilots and reporting impact against newsroom KPIs.
• Experience partnering with correspondents and producers to land high-impact, social-led treatments.

HOW THIS ROLE FITS:

You’ll sit within the Digital team, working day-to-day with the Digital Senior News Editor and Assistant Editors, to surface social opportunities early, shape pitches, and close the loop with audience insight.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

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.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

Information at a Glance

This is your BBC At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Find out more about the BBC Life at BBC Here you will benefit from:

• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values-based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract. Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

Candidate pack

You belong We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential. We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity. We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy

Disability confident

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss: reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk