Head of Innovation

Job Overview

Al Jazeera Media Network seeks a Head of Innovation to lead the Innovation section by managing a team of Innovation Leads. The role aims to enhance operational excellence, elevate broadcast standards, and inject innovative approaches into live and pre/post-production workflows. Reporting to the Manager of Innovation and Compliance, this position formalizes the Network's operational vision into actionable frameworks, establishing standards, workflows, and improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Innovation Leads, prioritizing and delegating work to ensure uniform high-quality standards across the team.
• Possess strong operational knowledge of news programming and live broadcast environments, including control room and production roles.
• Collaborate with Editorial leadership and Innovation teams to define and enact the operational vision for studio and post-production activities.
• Manage and oversee implementation of production changes, including new set designs, graphics, show formats, and associated workflows.
• Develop, enforce, and communicate standardized policies and procedures for studio and pre/post-production operations.
• Oversee the technical delivery of newsroom and studio outputs aligning with editorial requirements.
• Coordinate with Editorial, Creative, Studio Operations, and technical teams to achieve desired channel outputs and formats.
• Partner with Technology teams to ensure smooth functionality of the entire production chain including studio automation.
• Establish and maintain superior technical quality standards across channel outputs.
• Design, endorse, and implement efficient operational workflows and serve as a leader for problem-solving through collaboration and communication with senior management.
• Identify skill gaps and guide creation of training materials and documentation to build operators' capabilities.
• Research industry trends and emerging technologies, providing innovative strategies to advance the business.
• Support business continuity and disaster recovery planning.

Additional Duties

• Offer expert advice on media, production, and newsgathering operations within the innovation domain.
• Maintain hands-on knowledge of all control room and production roles and familiarity with computerized automation in news systems.
• Stay informed about broadcast industry advancements and innovation best practices.
• Collaborate with News and Planning teams to aid in budgeting for new programming.
• Act as deputy for the Manager of Innovation and Compliance in operational and standards-related matters when necessary.
• Execute other duties as assigned by management.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in media-related disciplines or equivalent significant professional experience; postgraduate credentials preferred.
• At least 12 years in a high-caliber live broadcast environment with a minimum of 3 years in leadership, standards, or supervisory roles.

Eligibility

The role requires candidates with extensive expertise in live television operations and leadership in broadcast innovation, suited for professionals aiming to lead operational excellence at a prestigious international media network.