Band: C

 Contract type: TBC - Talent Pool

Location: Hybrid/Bristol base

 Countryfile, one of the BBC’s most successful brands, is looking for Rural Affairs Assistant Producers. 

This is an exciting opportunity to drive the journalistic and creative ambition of one the UK’s top-rating year-round programmes and help influence its future direction.

Job Purpose

Working to the Rural Affairs Producer and Series Editor, you'll be a self-starter; able to use your contacts and strong journalistic abilities to unearth, generate and assist in the delivery of original stories for Countryfiles’ investigations strand; both the hard-hitting exclusives fronted by Tom Heap and Charlotte Smith and lighter, character-based films.

Key to the role will be your ability to build relationships, with both the major national players who dictate the rural agenda and contributors with compelling human stories.

With support from the Rural Affairs Producer you’ll be expected to develop stories, write scripts, self-shoot with the aid of a camera assistant or crew and direct contributors on location. You’ll also oversee offline edits.  

Knowledge, Skills, Training & Experience

The ideal candidate will have a demonstrable passion for, and a broad knowledge of rural affairs, encompassing Farming, Rural Crime, the Rural Economy, Heritage, Wildlife, Conservation and Environmental issues.

A proven track record in TV; in particular, experience of generating and developing original rural affairs films in both quick-turn-around and long-form settings, as well as experience filming on location, and working in an edit. 

Be able to demonstrate the ability to translate current issues and trends into deliverable story ideas, together with a proven eye for strong narratives. Experience of pitching high- impact stories in a concise form is also necessary.

Proven research skills and these will include a keen eye for detail and factual accuracy, also an awareness of how data and the representation of information can be manipulated.

A working knowledge of permissions, rights and media law pertaining to filming and using materials for broadcast is additionally essential.

You will be able to generate, submit and chase FOI & EIR requests and have the experience to work on investigations that involve gathering previously unreported information, interrogating facts and accurately reflecting complex data found in official documentation

The ability to work to a tight and evolving schedule, often with an eye on multiple projects is key.