Programming Lead - Factual & Factual Entertainment

Description

• Considerable experience within a scheduling or programming function with demonstrable success in delivering creative schedules / content release plans that effectively reach target audiences.
• Experience of delivering content to screen that represents the diversity of people in the UK.
• Experience of leading and managing a team.

• Knowledge and understanding of VoD platforms, content requirements and content release patterns. 
• Excellent knowledge of content, audiences and a clear knowledge of competitors and the wider television and media landscape.
• Awareness of how competitors are designing content releases schedules for successful VoD services and what tactical and strategic options are being implemented.  
• Thorough knowledge of audience research and data and how it can be utilised to make scheduling and content decisions to drive performance. 
• Understanding of rights, including linear and non-linear exploitation.

• Able to make sound editorial judgements around programme selection which reduces the channel’s exposure to commercial and reputation risk.
• A clear ability to work at a strategic level and adopt an analytical approach to schedule development and content release plans.
• Able to precisely manage a large volume of complex and detailed information in a highly process-oriented environment. 
• Skilled at drawing insights from data sets and reporting to understand and improve performance, and able to justify decisions made based on this information. 
• Has a proactive and flexible approach to work and is comfortable within a dynamic environment with constantly changing priorities. 
• A skilled multitasker who can manage multiple projects concurrently utilising their excellent organisational skills.
• Strong relationship management and communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across a number of departments, services and levels. 
• A genuine passion for television and content that inspires our audiences. 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a high performing team, providing them with clear goals and direction. Work to inspire, empower, motivate, and develop them, fostering an inclusive environment where they can perform at their best.
• Assist the Director of Programming to identify content requirements to deliver the relevant genre strategy.
• Make recommendations and provide information for the Director of Programming about schedule needs and requirements and input into recommendations for Programme Licence Agreement (BBC PLA) content decisions to deliver the genre strategy.
• Responsible for the delivery of the relevant genre content performance across the network to ensure the delivery of: 

1. genre targets on UKTV Play (monetisable views, profile, and seasonality) across all relevant VoD platforms
2. Linear targets (SOCI/ Profile) for their relevant channels
3. Pay TV Consumption Targets. (where relevant)
4. Responsible for the delivery of Sky Total Consumption targets

• Work with Head of Digital Curation and Digital Curation Lead to maximise content performance on VoD platforms and supply content for curation planning.  
• Ensure editorially robust programme schedules that comply to the Ofcom code and the BBC's editorial standards. 
• Lead creative and editorial discussions around the channels and genre on VoD.
• Work with Director of Programming and Head of Digital Curation, to consider, review and recommend release strategies for scheduling of genre content across the network. 
• Accountable for delivery of long-term content release plans and schedules, identifying content requirements (placeholders) planning 18-24 months ahead.   
• Assist Director of Programming with the identification of content required to manage relevant FAST channels and any audio services. 
• Work with Schedule Managers and Network Planning and Process Manager to identify and manage network prioritisation and linear clashes.
• Work with research, data, and insights to analyse performance across VoD and linear, ensuring data is at the heart of content release decision making. 
• Work with research, data and insights to understand relevant target audiences and their content requirements. Use this to plan for content release to appeal to current, lapsed and new audiences in line with the unified network content strategy. 
• Maintain a strong knowledge and awareness of competitors strategies and analyze what is successful across the market and applying this knowledge to decision making.
• Work with Schedule Managers to understand content stock levels and responsible for managing content fatigue, ensuring programmes are played out within licence periods and, working with finance, amortised effectively and in accordance with the channel budgets. 
• Work with the Network Planning and Process Manager to ensure schedules meet 3rd party requirements, targets and quotas. (e.g. Sky sharing) 
• Be aware of, and across, any news events that will impact our editorial output. With Schedule Managers, identify impacted content and liaise with relevant Director of Programming where necessary on recommendations, in line with the BBC’s editorial standards, on any necessary courses of action. 
• Working with the Network schedule and process Manager identify any clashes within the network or with the BBC PS schedules, highlighting crossover content and assist in finding resolutions. 
• Accountable for the creation and successful delivery of:

1. linear channel schedules
2. VoD catch up schedules
3. VoD boxset schedules
4. any relevant FAST schedules

• Accountable for the liaising and collaboration with 3rd party audio platforms on the co-ordination of genre content across UKTV’s audio and audio-visual output.  
• Aware of all clearance, compliance, and materials issues, working closely with the relevant internal and external stakeholders to respond appropriately and amend schedules where necessary.
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of competitors’ schedules and a clear understanding of the UKTV Network requirements and priorities.
• Work closely with the marketing and creative teams to ensure that the brand promotion strategy is in line with the Unified network content strategy.  
• Work with the marketing team to help compile promotions make lists, provide programming brand and schedule insights, identify key opportunities and areas for weekly and longer-term strategic promotions and approving programme trails.

How we lead: Our Leadership Qualities

• Translating strategic ambition into clear and measurable goals for your team/s.
• Using storytelling to create a vision and inspire your team to deliver their best work. 
• Driving collaborative working across teams to deliver value for our audiences.
• Pro-actively contributing to areas of company-wide strategic focus.

• Identifying and integrating data and insights to better inform business decisions in your area.
• Encourage a test and learn approach, ensuring your teams can iterate and adapt their work based on results.
• Embrace new ways of working, tools and technologies to improve agility.

• Challenging the status quo, championing a growth mindset and continuous change.
• Role-modelling resilience and a growth mindset that recognises the need for ongoing change.
• Having strategies for dealing positively with your own discomfort and emotions.

• Creating and maintaining a psychologically safe environment, ensuring all perspectives are valued and exclusive behaviour is challenged.
• Being curious about yourself and others; know your own strengths and areas of development as a leader, actively listen and challenge your own thinking, seek feedback and adapt your approach.

• Being bold and decisive; adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and be prepared to take risks.
• Facing into challenging conversations, difficult decisions and messages.

• Pro-actively identifying and developing capabilities within your team.
• Creating a continuous improvement mindset in your team and a culture of constructive feedback.
• Coaching your team and supporting them to develop their skills; proactively manage talent in your team.
• Empowering your team to take responsibility for their own development, helping them grow and thrive.

• Purposefully putting diversity at the heart of your decision-making. 
• Fostering a sense of belonging and proactively creating and maintaining an inclusive working environment. 

• Role modelling the desired behaviours and set the standards for those around you.
• Creating a high support/high challenge culture which delivers on strategy.
• Setting ambitious goals that stretch and empower your team/s and motivate them to deliver.
• Challenging where behaviours or standards are not being met.

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