Culture Editor

BBC Studios; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

BBC Studios, London, seeks a senior editor to lead the Culture team on BBC.com and the international BBC app. You will shape and grow culture features with ambitious ideas, across platforms for a global audience, driving editorial excellence.

The role focuses on commissioning and editing arts and culture stories, leading teams, and delivering audience growth while aligning with commercial goals and BBC standards.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience writing, commissioning and editing digital arts and culture features.
• Experience managing a team of journalists and editors.
• A track record of producing high quality arts, culture or entertainment journalism.
• Experience commissioning and editing a diverse cross-section of freelance contributors.
• Experience working with different formats and across platforms, e.g. video, social, newsletters, podcasts.
• A proven ability to analyse, contextualise and clearly communicate arts and culture stories to a general audience.
• An ability to develop distinctive editorial concepts that enhance the BBC’s global reputation while supporting commercial goals.
• Experience of using analytics tools and data to evaluate story performance and inform editorial strategy.
• Enthusiasm for the BBC’s journalism, storytelling, and values.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills

Responsibilities

• Drive the growth and engagement of features on BBC.com and the BBC app with stories that inform and entertain.
• Manage a team of editors and journalists – be responsible for the team's performance and individual growth.
• Lead team meetings and be the main point of contact for the culture features team.
• Commission and edit articles from freelance writers. Developing a diverse network of trusted contributors and voices on BBC.com.
• Lead the culture features team offering across platforms, working closely with colleagues across digital video, social, newsletters and design.
• Embrace innovation in both coverage and formats.
• Review and respond to analytics to understand story performance.
• Maintain a collaborative, team-player mentality, working toward collective goals alongside colleagues.
• Uphold the BBC’s rigorous editorial standards and best journalistic practices.
• Work closely and collaboratively with commercial teams on editorial projects that generate revenue to support the BBC’s larger mission.

Skills

Editorial Leadership

Editing

Commissioning

Digital Arts & Culture

Team Management

Cross-platform

Job description

JOB DETAILS

JOB BAND: D

CONTRACT TYPE: Full-time Perm

DEPARTMENT: BBC Studios

LOCATION: London

PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £50,000- £60,000 + London Weighting (£5,441) depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

About Bbc Studios

A globally renowned media company borne of the BBC. We make and distribute the world’s most sought-after TV, audio and digital content.

Our ambition is to be the home of the most powerful, entertaining and inspiring stories for people all around the world.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM?

This is an opportunity to help lead the Culture team at one of the world’s most respected global brands. You’ll join a diverse, collaborative team dedicated to editorial excellence, innovation and impact. As part of BBC Studios, you’ll help deliver trusted journalism and distinctive storytelling to millions worldwide while working in an environment that encourages creativity, professional growth and purpose-driven work.

Your Key Responsibilities And Impact

BBC Studios is seeking an ambitious, skilled and collaborative senior editor to lead the Culture team on BBC.com and the international BBC app. The ideal candidate will bring big creative ideas about how to shape and grow the culture features across platforms on bbc.com. This is an exciting opportunity to bring the best of the BBC's culture journalism to readers around the world.

The Culture team publishes a regular cadence of features, including text and video, providing lively analysis and thought-provoking context. The focus of the team is stories about arts, culture, entertainment and history that matter to a global audience.

Candidates must have a strong background in digital arts and culture journalism with experience commissioning and editing engaging stories for general audiences. They will need to demonstrate strong experience leading teams and managing other journalists. And crucially, they should be passionate about finding culture stories from all corners of the world and making them relevant to the BBC.com audience.

• Drive the growth and engagement of features on BBC.com and the BBC app with stories that inform and entertain.
• Manage a team of editors and journalists – be responsible for the team's performance and individual growth.
• Lead team meetings and be the main point of contact for the culture features team.
• Commission and edit articles from freelance writers. Developing a diverse network of trusted contributors and voices on BBC.com.
• Lead the culture features team offering across platforms, working closely with colleagues across digital video, social, newsletters and design.
• Embrace innovation in both coverage and formats.
• Review and respond to analytics to understand story performance.
• Maintain a collaborative, team-player mentality, working toward collective goals alongside colleagues.
• Uphold the BBC’s rigorous editorial standards and best journalistic practices.
• Work closely and collaboratively with commercial teams on editorial projects that generate revenue to support the BBC’s larger mission.

Essential Criteria

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE :

• Extensive experience writing, commissioning and editing digital arts and culture features.
• Experience managing a team of journalists and editors.
• A track record of producing high quality arts, culture or entertainment journalism.
• Experience commissioning and editing a diverse cross-section of freelance contributors.
• Experience working with different formats and across platforms, e.g. video, social, newsletters, podcasts.
• A proven ability to analyse, contextualise and clearly communicate arts and culture stories to a general audience.
• An ability to develop distinctive editorial concepts that enhance the BBC’s global reputation while supporting commercial goals.
• Experience of using analytics tools and data to evaluate story performance and inform editorial strategy.
• Enthusiasm for the BBC’s journalism, storytelling, and values.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills

Desired But Not Required

• Experience developing ideas for an international, primarily North America-based audience.
• Experience working with commercial teams.

NEXT STEPS

We appreciate your interest in this position and understand how important this opportunity is to you. Due to the high volume of interest we may need to close the application period earlier than anticipated. This step is necessary to ensure we can provide a high level of attention and service to all applicants. Thank you for your understanding.

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.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Recruitment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

Redeployment

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.