Senior Producer, Podcasts (Audio and Video)

Middle East Broadcasting Networks; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) seeks a Senior Producer, Podcasts (Audio & Video). The role oversees the development, production, and editorial direction of MBN’s podcast portfolio in both Arabic and English, guiding shows from concept to distribution.

You will manage hosts, shape narrative arcs, and ensure quality aligned with audience expectations across platforms in the US and MENA regions. Ideal candidates have 5+ years in podcast production at a news or public broadcaster, strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, audio/video production, or related field.
• Full professional bilingual fluency in Arabic and English.
• 5+ years of podcast production or long-form journalistic audio storytelling.
• Experience building shows for Arabic-language audiences.

Responsibilities

• Develops, launches, and oversees MBN’s podcast portfolio from concept through production through distribution.
• Shapes the editorial identity of each show for Arabic- and English-language audiences.
• Works in both Arabic and English, developing show concepts independently.
• Manages podcast hosts and recurring contributors across productions.
• Tracks listenership and uses data to optimize distribution and clips.

Skills

Arabic-English bilingual

Podcast production

Editorial instincts

Team management

AI audio tools

Podcast platforms

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Deezer

Job description

Senior Producer, Podcasts (Audio and Video)

(US or MENA Region)

About MBN

Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) is the premier Arabic-first media organization that connects the Middle East and the United States. The company is in the midst of an exciting digital transformation and looking for energetic and talented people who care about journalism and the Middle East to join us on this journey.

We provide original and indispensable reporting, perspectives and commentary on the Middle East and how America’s engagement impacts the region. MBN delivers content in both Arabic and English across multiple platforms, in formats including written articles, short‑form video, newsletters, podcasts, data trackers and social media.

Our target audience is decision‑makers, influencers, and residents of key capitals across the Middle East, as well as the next generation of globally engaged, digitally connected youth.

About The Role

The Senior Producer Podcasts (Audio & Video) is responsible for the development, production and oversight of MBN’s entire audio/video podcast portfolio. These podcasts require the same sourcing discipline, the same editorial care, and the same respect for the audience’s intelligence as anything that is published on Alhurra.com.

The Senior Producer Podcasts is responsible for creating content in two languages – Arabic and English – and must understand that Arabic audio storytelling has a different relationship to pace, to silence, and to the weight of a phrase than English audio does.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The following tasks are considered essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions:

Show Development and Editorial Direction

• Develops, launches, and editorially oversees MBN’s podcast portfolio from concept through production through distribution
• Shapes the editorial identity of each show including how it distinguishes itself from every other podcast in its category
• Works in both Arabic and English — developing show concepts for each language independently
• Collaborates with colleagues on cross-platform extensions

Production and Audio Standards

• Manages the end-to-end production workflow for all MBN podcasts: guest booking, pre‑interviews, scripting, recording, editing, sound design, mixing, mastering, and distribution
• Sets and enforces MBN’s audio quality standard — the specific standard of a long‑form podcast built for a politically engaged Arabic‑speaking and English‑speaking audience
• Shapes narrative arcs and episode structure
• Integrates AI‑assisted audio tools such as noise reduction, stem separation, automated leveling, transcription, translation workflow — into the production pipeline

Host and Contributor Management

• Manages MBN’s podcast hosts and recurring contributors
• Prepares hosts thoroughly before each episode
• Conducts pre‑interviews with guests to understand their actual position before the recorded conversation
• Works directly with Arabic‑language and English‑language hosts to ensure that each speaks in the register their audience expects

Performance and Audience

• Tracks listenership, completion rates, share behavior, and audience feedback across all platforms and brings specific editorial recommendations from that dataWorks with the Platform & Distribution Editor to ensure that each episode is optimized for its distribution platform — title, description, clip selection, and timing

Other Duties

Perform additional job‑related duties and take on new responsibilities as needed based on organizational requirements and circumstances.

Qualifications and Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, audio/video production, or related field or equivalent professional experience.
• Full professional bilingual fluency in Arabic and English — editorial fluency and working fluency.
• 5+ years of experience in podcast production or long‑form journalistic audio storytelling at a news organization or public broadcaster.
• Demonstrated experience building and producing shows for Arabic‑language audiences.
• Strong narrative and editorial instincts
• Experience managing audio teams, hosts, and guests across multiple productions simultaneously
• Fluency in AI‑assisted audio production tools and an understanding of their specific limitations in Arabic‑language contexts.
• Experience with podcast distribution platforms — Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer — and an understanding of the specific audience behavior on each in the MENA market

Preferred

• Background in journalism or news production
• Experience developing bilingual or multilingual audio products
• Familiarity with MBN’s coverage areas — U.S. foreign policy, the Gulf, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran, extremism and security

MBN is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.