Camera Operator - News in Birmingham

Camera Operator ITV News Central Maternity Cover - 9-month contract

Office location: Birmingham

Hiring range: £30,195 - £54,293

The team

Our ITV News teams deliver high quality, trustworthy and impartial journalism to millions of people on television and online. It’s a fast moving environment with a huge variety of roles on offer and plenty of challenges. We operate from 11 main news production centres across England, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Channel Islands. We also have a Political Unit based in the heart of Westminster and produce a range of current affairs & factual programming at ITV Wales, UTV and ITV Border.

The role

ITV News Central is looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Camera Operator to join its team in the Midlands to provide content using a range of cameras, sound, editing and lighting equipment for our award winning news service based in Birmingham and covering the whole of the Midlands. The successful candidate will have a track record of first class shooting and sound skills you’ll need for our frontline news gathering requirements, covering all aspects of our on-screen and online output. You’ll be part of a small team so being self-sufficient will be essential and you will be an excellent communicator and problem solver. You'll also be able to demonstrate your flexibility around working hours and to travel to every corner of the patch. Your passion for news, a great work ethic and your ability to work effectively within a multi-skilled team are also key to the role.

An essential part of the role is to work closely with the editorial team to ensure our online stories are up to date and relevant, offering ideas to assist in the creation of a highly polished product. You will be expected to live in the patch so you are part of the community you serve and have the ability to react quickly when needed. You must be willing to cover breaking news outside of normal rostered hours, including evening and weekends.

Key Responsibilities

• To shoot, collate, edit and send to base high quality footage/packages for all aspects of our output using a variety of production tools.
• To choreograph and shoot live segments of our programmes using our News Production Vehicle (NPV), LiveU or other newsgathering technology.
• To maximise the quality of on-screen and online output by developing and building a strong knowledge base of the region, its locations, live locations, keeping up to date with technology for shooting and sending, and share this information in order to contribute to improving the quality of output.
• To understand the requirement for flexibility in order to best cover new stories. This can involve working outside of normal rostered hours where required.
• To make full use of Wolftech for story briefs and assignments and then maintain proactive contact with the news desk throughout the day in order to maximise communication.
• If required, be willing to ask questions at the scene of a breaking news story or conduct interviews for a simple contribution, following a briefing with a member of the editorial team.
• To provide front line technical support on camerawork and editing for the editorial team, flagging up technical issues and working closely with colleagues to resolve any technical problems as they occur.
• Where capable to do so, to provide support within the Production Specialist pool as required.
• To act as an ambassador for the company when out on location or dealing with members of the public.
• To be proactive about diversity, equity & inclusion ensuring the output reflects news stories and issues across the audience spectrum.
• To edit packages in a confident, creative and efficient manner, making full use of all production tools in order to make the most interesting item possible.
• To curate ITV’s digital offering on the website or ITVX as required.
• To meet all online and on-air deadlines throughout the day, reacting quickly to breaking stories, and regularly liaising with the news desk.
• To undertake project work and contribute to network news output as required.
• To provide guidance to colleagues with less experience, maintaining professional standards and adhering to ITV’s Legal & Compliance, ITV Trust and OFCOM guidelines.
• To be proactive in encouraging interaction with the audience.
• To promote and sustain a multi-skilled approach to news journalism and production.

Skills you’ll need (minimum criteria)

If one has been requested as part of the recruitment process - your showreel will be assessed as part of the interview process. In addition we are looking for:

• Experience as a frontline camera operator working in a news environment across all output from ‘hard’ news to features.
• A full UK driving licence in order to drive newsgathering vehicles.
• Excellent technical skills encompassing camera skills, sound, lighting and editing and the ability to quickly embrace new technology & workflows.
• Working knowledge of Ofcom code, media law and compliance.
• A demonstrable passion for video news production, particularly in a creative and operational capacity.
• An excellent communicator who is quick thinking and calm under pressure, able to digest and react to information efficiently.

Other things we’re looking for (key criteria)

• The willingness to work flexibly, to be able to react to the demands of newsgathering.
• The ability to shoot and edit a polished news item and deliver it to base using the appropriate technologies and to keep up to date with new techniques to facilitate this.
• Excellent communication and listening skills; Camera Operators should be friendly and approachable both towards the newsroom and when on location with journalists, contributors and members of the public.
• Willingness and ability to use the full range of newsroom technology (following appropriate training).
• A strong knowledge of the patch, its cultural heritage and an awareness of the types of stories that engage our audiences.
• An understanding of the importance of Diversity and Inclusion in determining output.
• Commitment to working as part of a successful team, sharing the responsibility for supporting programme production and our digital platforms.
• The ability to work to deadlines is crucial. Camera Operators will have an organised approach with effective logistical skills.
• The ability to plan well, work efficiently and keep calm and focussed under pressure is essential.
• The ability to use initiative, be self-motivated and quick-thinking with strong and decisive decision making skills.
• The ability to remain calm and resilient in what is often a busy work environment.
• The willingness and aptitude to learn new skills and to be happy to share skills with others for the benefit of the whole team.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Clear understanding of and commitment to DE&I and Health & Safety policies.

The rostered hours for this role will include weekend, early and late working. Operators need to be willing to offer flexibility to cover breaking news outside of normal rostered hours, including evening and weekends. Some individuals may be required to travel to district offices or to work in other news operations as well as attending relevant forums, development sessions and meetings off site as part of their role. You must be in possession of a full UK driving licence in order to drive ITV newsgathering vehicles. Newsrooms are busy and pressurised environments, involving live news production, which often requires colleagues to make quick decisions under pressure. We also need people who are able to use their initiative. We need to test these abilities at the interview stage to understand how candidates will react when operating in a pressurised environment. This is a fundamental requirement of the role. We will always consider any request for reasonable adjustments as part of the interview process, for example sharing key themes when that is requested in connection with a neurodivergent condition, whilst still ensuring that we are able to test a candidate's ability to operate in the specific environment of a newsroom.