Researcher

BBC Studios; Salford; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

BBC Studios in Salford is looking for researchers to join the Rip Off Britain production team. The role is office-based at MediaCityUK with a start date from 9 November 2026 through April 2027, involving developing stories, sourcing experts and managing contributors.

You will need strong journalistic skills, the ability to verify facts, and excellent time management to handle a busy workload while maintaining accuracy and impartiality.

Qualifications

• Demonstrates journalistic skills with ability to digest and fact-check stories.
• Experience finding, contacting and managing contributors.
• Ability to write concise, accurate summaries of a story.
• Strong time management and organisational skills.
• Confident interviewing and communicating with contributors by phone.

Responsibilities

• Research accurately using a wide range of sources while following BBC policies.
• Set up and maintain information systems for optimal output.
• Suggest, develop and present ideas to the producer/line manager for feedback.
• Liaise with contributors, experts and talent.
• Support senior production team on technical/digital tasks as required.

Skills

BBC values

Broadcasting passion

Time management

Resilience

Problem solving

Job description

BBC Studios is looking for researchers to join the Rip Off Britain production team.

START DATE: 9th November 2026 to April 2027

DEPARTMENT: BBC Studios Documentary unit

LOCATION: MediaCityUK, Salford

You'll be part of the teams finding and securing compelling case studies, developing the stories that come into our inbox, working on your own journalistic investigations, sourcing the best experts and more. People are at the heart of every Rip Off Britain story, so you must be confident picking up the phone and talking at length to a potential contributor to get the best out of them and get to the bottom of their story. Then you'll source relevant experts, advice and wider context. You will need to demonstrate journalistic skills and have experience digesting and understanding complicated stories. Working with evidence is essential, and all candidates will be expected to have had experience finding, contacting, and managing contributors, as well as evidencing each detail of their stories and conducting a rigorous fact check of the resulting script. You must be able to write concise, accurate summaries of a story; pitch your idea to producers/SP and answer their questions succinctly and accurately. It's a busy show so you'll also need great organisational and time management skills. This role is office based but also involves working on our HQ shoots and may include occasional location filming with the Advice Clinic team, but this is predominantly an office-based role with no self-shooting.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

Rip Off Britain is BBC One's flagship consumer series, presented by Gloria Hunniford, Julia Somerville and Louise Minchin. The series tackles the problems viewers ask for our help with, holds to account the companies in the wrong, and arms the audience with invaluable advice. We are a team that cares passionately about the work we do, our contributors, and our audience. We believe in the importance of consumer journalism and its power to make a difference to people's lives. BBC Studios is looking for a range of people to join our Salford-based team.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• To research accurately when producing original content in keeping with editorial brief, using a wide range of sources and reference material in-keeping with audience needs and expectations & adhering to known BBC policies & guidelines.
• To set up and maintain information systems for optimal output.
• Suggest, develop and research appropriate ideas and present these to the producer/line manager for feedback and review.
• To liaise with contributors, experts and talent.
• Support the senior members of the production team in a wide variety of tasks, including technical/digital by the needs of the production as required.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Understanding of the importance of the BBC's values in accuracy and impartiality.
• Passion for broadcasting and the media industry
• Demonstrable time management and organisational skills and the initiative to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Resilience and stamina to sustain performance when under pressure from a high volume of work and conflicting priorities.
• The ability to problem solve and suggest effective solutions.