Senior Journalist, Sport+ (Insight)

The Bbc; Salford; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media organization based in Salford is seeking a creative and experienced senior journalist to lead their Insight series. The role involves commissioning and delivering high-quality long-read features aimed at UK and global audiences. The successful candidate will engage in storytelling that highlights the human aspects of sports while maintaining impactful and well-crafted content. Candidates should have a strong background in feature journalism and a passion for human-interest stories. The salary range is £44,000 – £54,000 based on skills and experience.

Qualifications

• Strong track record in writing and commissioning long‑form journalism.
• Deep understanding of what makes a compelling feature.
• Thorough knowledge of digital platforms and audience engagement strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Insight series by generating ideas and overseeing delivery.
• Write original long‑form pieces and commission freelance contributors.
• Develop briefs and provide editorial guidance to meet BBC standards.
• Collaborate with production on content planning and budget.
• Ensure content is engaging and tailored for digital audiences.

Skills

Writing and commissioning long‑form journalism

Editorial judgement

Developing writers' work through feedback

Digital platforms knowledge

Audience engagement strategies

Passion for human-interest stories

Job description

BBC Sport is seeking a creative and experienced senior journalist to lead our Insight series within the Sport team. This role involves commissioning and delivering high-quality long‑read features aimed at both UK and global audiences. Insight is a series dedicated to uncovering the human stories behind the sport. From exploring how a Premier League footballer rebuilt his confidence after a career‑threatening injury to revealing the personal sacrifices behind an Olympic gold medal Insight pieces aim to get under the skin of athletes and the sporting world they inhabit. The successful candidate will lead this storytelling commissioning and crafting features that are rich in character, emotion and perspective content that resonates deeply with audiences and reflects the BBC’s commitment to thoughtful high-quality journalism. You will balance writing your own pieces with guiding and commissioning others ensuring all content is impactful, well‑crafted and editorially sound. You will also contribute to wider Sport projects helping shape long‑form and evergreen content from concept to delivery and managing associated written output. This is a hybrid role based in Salford with an approximate 70/30 split between office and remote working.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Insight series by generating ideas, commissioning features and overseeing delivery and promotion.
• Write original long‑form pieces and commission freelance contributors including expert analysis and interviews with high‑profile sports figures.
• Develop clear briefs and provide editorial guidance to ensure all content meets BBC standards.
• Work alongside Production Manager on the most efficient use of the budget, planning content to maintain consistent output.
• Collaborate with the Sport and BBC Sport website teams on broader projects, contributing to ideation, production and written content strategy.
• Ensure content is engaging, timeless and tailored for digital audiences with strong performance across platforms and social media.

Qualifications

• Strong track record in writing and commissioning long‑form journalism.
• Excellent editorial judgement and a deep understanding of what makes a compelling feature.
• Demonstrable experience of developing writers’ work through constructive feedback.
• Thorough knowledge of digital platforms and audience engagement strategies.
• A solid grounding in sports journalism with the ability to make informed editorial decisions and a demonstrable passion for human‑interest stories in sport and a commitment to quality storytelling.
• Desired: Experience managing freelance budgets is desirable.

This is a senior role and we are seeking candidates with demonstrable experience in feature journalism. Please review the criteria carefully before applying.

PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £44,000 – £54,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.