Senior Journalist, Dars (Arabic), Cairo

Job Introduction

BBC World Service is an international multimedia broadcaster, part of BBC News, delivering a wide range of language and regional services and working increasingly with other parts of BBC News to serve global audiences. It uses multiple platforms to reach its weekly audience of over 300 million globally, including TV, digital platforms, radio, digital satellite and cable channels.

BBC Dars is an award-winning programme from the World Service which supports learning aimed at 11-16 year olds. It is designed for audiences of need where children are denied or restricted from accessing education. Since 2023, it has aired in Dari and Pashto and the team have produced 4 series of 12 episodes each for TV, audio, digital and social; each episode features maths, learning English, science, history, news and global inspirational stories. We have now expanded the programme to Arabic.

Our programme brings quality, accurate educational content and impartial global journalism to young audiences.

Main responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for the output of the Dars Arabic TV, radio and digital programmes. They will manage a small team of journalists in Cairo, and be responsible for planning, production and delivery of multiplatform content. They will represent the Dars Arabic team internally and externally where necessary.

You Will Also

• Commission Dars output for multiple platforms through liaising with education consultants
• Assign and commission stories, briefing presenters/producers/VJs. Steering treatments, with an emphasis on multiplatform output and value for money
• Overseeing deliveries for TV, radio and digital/social is required
• Maintain a high level of journalistic, linguistic and production standards in the output. Giving proper editorial consideration to all output and making decisions based on risk, safety, suitability, quality and emergency changes
• Ensure material is fact-checked, legally clear and compliant with BBC editorial policy, including flagging up issues and discussing them with member of editorial hierarchy
• Supervise, support and motivate a team of journalists to produce lively, interesting and high-quality content relevant to audience
• Support digital growth through effective application of analytics and best practices
• Liaise proactively and collaborate across Arabic colleagues
  
  

Are you the right candidate?

• This role requires Arabic as first or equivalent language and the ability to write engagingly and edit to a high standard, including rewriting and restructuring scripts and stories where necessary. This role requires the ability to communicate effectively in English (written and spoken) and translate pieces from English to Arabic and vice versa
• Experience of output producing TV recordings in studio and output producing presenters
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills needed
• Pro-active decision-making is required
• A high standard of editorial judgment, writing ability and production skills based on substantial broadcast journalism experience
• Maximises opportunities offered by existing and emerging technologies to their fullest extent
• Ability to work effectively as a member of more than one team. Resolving conflicts as necessary
• Ability to manage resources, staff, technical facilities and budgets, in order to make challenging broadcasting in the most cost effective manner
• Demonstrates a commitment to improving diversity in the BBC and understands how individual differences can benefit the BBC
• Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources
• The flexibility and adaptability to sustain performance, particularly under pressure to meet deadlines and changing priorities and circumstances
• An understanding of health and safety procedures and how they apply to broadcasting
  
  

Job package

Job Title: Senior Journalist, Dars (Arabic), Cairo

Job Reference: 22493

Band: D

Contract type: Fixed Term Contract or attachment until 31st March 2026 – local terms and conditions apply

Location: Office Base is Cairo, Egypt

Final date to apply: Tuesday 22nd April 2025

Any offer of employment with the BBC will be conditional upon you having the right to work in Egypt.

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 [email protected]. For any general queries, please contact: [email protected].

Freelancers are eligible to apply for an internal role if they are on a Worker Contract and they have worked continuously for 6 months. If they have worked for less than 6 months continuously or have a break of 3 weeks or more between engagements, they must seek Divisional HR approval to apply for an internal role prior to submitting an application.

If you are unsure which contract you are on, you can speak to your booker or the HR BP, however if it helps - both a PAYE freelance or Modus Gross contract is considered a Worker contract and covered by the Worker terms found here .

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.