Executive Producer, BBC Persian and BBC Arabic channels, World Service Group

BBC Group and Public Services; London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

The BBC is seeking an Executive Producer for its Persian and Arabic channels. The role involves strategic leadership, managing content delivery, and ensuring compliance with editorial guidelines. Ideal candidates will demonstrate a passion for diverse television content and possess strong managerial skills.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Excellent career progression

Unrivalled training and development opportunities

Defined pension scheme

Discounted healthcare and gym memberships

Qualifications

• Strong track record of delivering high-quality content.
• Experience in managing budgets and resources effectively.
• Ability to develop innovative content and motivate team members.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and strategic vision for the channels.
• Manage content selection, scheduling, and delivery.
• Negotiate acquisition contracts and oversee workflows.

Skills

Leadership

Editorial confidence

Creativity

Planning and organizing

Job description

Executive Producer, BBC Persian and BBC Arabic channels, World Service Group Press Tab to Move to Skip to Content Link

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Language Log in to Profile BBC Employee Login Job Description Job Title: Executive Producer, BBC Persian and BBC Arabic channels, World Service Group Executive Producer, BBC Persian and BBC Arabic channels, World Service Group Content Permanent - Full Time Job Closing Date: 13/06/2025

THE ROLE

Job Introduction

BBC Persian and BBC Arabic are satellite TV channels broadcasting to the MENA region in the Persian and Arabic languages respectively. They are part of the BBC World Service and have a combined weekly reach of over 30 million.

We have an excellent opportunity for an Executive Producer who will provide effective leadership to the team and be responsible for setting the strategic & creative vision from conception through to final delivery and compliance.

Main Responsibilities

Reporting to the Channels Head of Evolution and Streaming, MENA region the specific tasks involve:

• Managing the Arabic and Persian channels in all aspect of content selection, scheduling, delivery and playout.
• Be editorially, financially and managerially responsible for a range of productions and output.
• Innovating & evolving strategy for the department, anticipating audience needs & maintaining relevance on all existing and future platforms.
• Responsibility for the selection of acquisitions from external distributors to complement inhouse Arabic and Persian news and programmes. These should reflect awareness of the different channel identities and audiences and aim to enhance reputation and reach, particularly amongst underserved audiences. A passionate interest in a diverse range of television content that you will introduce to the channels is essential.
• Responsibility for the overall channels’ forward plans and approval of advance schedule changes and replacements, working closely with the scheduling and dubbing teams.
• The negotiation of acquisition contracts and fees with an excellent knowledge of issues around pricing and budgets, Fair Trade, compliance and BBC editorial guidelines.
• The sourcing of appropriate rights cleared content from inside the BBC and overseeing workflows to ensure materials are delivered to dubbing houses in a timely way.
• The management of the regional promo team, production, and delivery process, setting priorities and managing resources to ensure deadlines can be met, working with the team to evolve new formats and workflows according to channel priorities.
• The main point of contact between the channels and playout, ensuring issues arising on either side (errors, accuracy, late deliveries) are referred back to the relevant team and dealt with promptly.
• The management of the Arabic and Persian schedule coordinating team and delivery staff, dealing with escalated issues in a timely way.
• The ongoing initiation and implementation of ad hoc projects to improve the on air look of the channels such as the introduction of new channel branding, dynamic web slates or new channel slots and features, in line with leadership strategy.
• The management of the backup raven servers for the channels, ensuring content is regularly refreshed.
• Maintaining a thorough knowledge of industry trends, innovations and creating effective networks.

Are you the right candidate?

The role involves a high level of editorial confidence and experience with proven leadership and team management skills. This is a new and evolving role so certain responsibilities and staff reporting lines will evolve over the coming months as the channels’ new structures take shape. Knowledge of the region and media landscape is preferred. Knowledge of one of the channel languages is an advantage but not essential.

Knowledge, skills & experience:

• Ensure compliance with the BBC editorial guidelines and has a thorough knowledge of all BBC’s legal, contractual agreements and regulations as they apply to programme making, broadcasting and digital media.
• Demonstrable passion for creating content to the appropriate audience, and knowledge of those subjects which inform, educate & entertain the audience.
• Strong track record of delivering high quality content with a passion for media and an understanding of audience trends
• Able to create a clear editorial vision for the lifecycle of content across all platforms.
• Strong experience of developing and maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external partners,.
• Effective planning and organizing skills. Ability to concentrate on several areas of work at one time, prioritizing, delivering consistently to deadlines and reacting positively to changes and conflicting priorities.
• Ensuring teams works to deadlines and supported sufficiently to deliver their best work for the BBC.
• Demonstrable high level of creativity with ability to develop innovative content, be open to new ideas and motivate colleagues to take creative risks, within the parameters of the BBC Guidelines.
• Contribute to the overall strategic management of the department and region.
• Evidence of a commitment to creating both diverse content and staff base to reflect our audiences.
• Financial acumen and a strong sense of driving best value for the license fee. Able to manage budgets, control costs and maximize value across all expenditure.

Package Description

Job Reference: 24020

Band: E
Contract type: Permanent role
Location: Office base is London.
Salary: £55,300 - £65,300 per annum, depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience + London Weighting (£5,319). The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

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.

• Excellent career progression – the BBC offers great opportunities for employees to seek new challenges and work in different areas of the organisation.
• 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, a flexible 35-hour working week for work-life balance and 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym. You can find out more about working at the BBC by selecting this link to ourcandidate pack .

If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process please contact [e-mail]. For any general queries, please contact: [e-mail].

About the BBC

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC for different reasons 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.

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 clickhere .

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

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.

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