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IA Team Leader, BBC New Media
May 16 04
Source: SigIA List
Information Architecture Team Leader
BBC New Media
Location \ London
Applications to be received by 24 May
Summary information
BBC New Media...
....is responsible for the UK's largest media-based website.
The New Media Central team develops products and services like the bbc.co.uk homepage, message boards, and search and content management solutions. The team develops products and services that can be used by bbc.co.uk, increasing interactivity, navigation and user engagement.
Responsible for information architecture practice...
....you'll provide leadership and strategic direction for a team of information architects, as well as delivering cross-platform projects through effective resource allocation. The focus of the role is bottom-up information architecture, working with XML schemas, taxonomies and content objects to create the best content-led products within the BBC.
As a leader of information architecture...
....you'll have five years' experience as an information architect and a degree in library and information science (or similar) along with in-depth knowledge and experience of bottom-up information architecture. Experience in usability and interaction design, and in creating vocabularies and content objects is essential, as is familiarity with content management systems and knowledge of XML and SGML.
More information
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Information Architecture Team Leader
Division: New Media and Technology
Department: New Media Central
Grade: 9D
Ref: 74154
ROLE PURPOSE
To provide practical expertise, line management and leadership to the Information Architecture team. Has accountability for:
1. information architecture practice within the New Media Central 2. the strategic direction of the team's information architecture output 3. the delivery of cross platform projects through effective resource allocation 4. leading and developing a team of information architects
CONTEXT
BBC New Media... ...is responsible for the UK's largest media based web site, constantly evolving to remain at the forefront of the media. It is currently developing exciting new sites and services, becoming more organised and accessible than ever.
The New Media Central team develops products and services like bbc.co.uk homepage, message boards, Search and content management solutions. The team develops products and services that can be used by bbc.co.uk to increase interactivity, navigation and user engagement.
We are now seeking a Senior Information Architect to be part of the New Media Central team developing products and services like Search, content management systems and message boards.
The focus of this role is bottom-up information architecture, working with XML schemas, taxonomies and content objects to create the best content-lead products within the BBC. This position is a quarter team leadership and three quarters IA practitioner.
REPORTING LINES
The Information Architecture Team Leader reports into the Senior User Experience Design Manager.
KEY OUTPUTS
1. Lead the information architecture and user experience streams within projects, working directly with producers, technical teams and designers to create new and revise existing products
2. Create controlled vocabularies (taxonomies), and content objects for use within content management systems, and data and syndication products
3. Lead a team of information architects, taxonomists and search assistants including the development of IA strategy
4. Ensure that the IA team is well informed about the latest technologies, techniques and ideas in information architecture
5. Be an expert within the BBC on information architecture; providing advocacy, consultancy and training to the New Media Central group
6. To develop and drive the strategy for information architecture team including overall direction, new tools and techniques and the operational management of the team.
7. To play a central role in the management of the user experience design team, contributing to its strategy and ensuring a strategic profile is created and maintained in the department.
8. To evangelise information architecture and user centred design, ensure that there is a coherent user interface that supports the business purpose and constantly improve and refine this as user preferences and technologies evolve.
9. To represent BBC externally and to ensure that the BBC's interactive output is viewed as a leading innovator by the creative industry and audiences.
10. To keep abreast of industry developments in new platforms and technology and be able to interpret how these would impact BBC services from an information architecture perspective.
11. To be aware of personal financial authority limits and to ensure that this authority is exercised in accordance with BBC financial arrangements.
HEALTH & SAFETY
BBC New Media Central embraces the general statements of policy issued by the BBC with respect to the health, safety and welfare of employees and endeavours to provide a safe working environment. All staff have safety responsibilities and must be made aware of them by providing appropriate information and suitable training. Staff must participate in appropriate training activities and refresher courses.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
1. Bachelor's degree in library and information science or related field or equivalent experience.
2. 5+ years' experience as information architect
3. In-depth knowledge of and experience of bottom-up information architecture
4. Knowledge of and experience in usability and interaction design
5. Experience in creating controlled vocabularies and content objects
6. Experience working with content management systems
7. Experience in writing information architecture reports and working with designers, producers, and software developers
8. Knowledge of XML or SGML
9. Experience leading teams of information architects, including performance appraisals, contributing to resource plans and providing creative direction
10. Experience teaching information architecture
11. Leader in information architecture as demonstrated through writing and speaking
12. The ability to think creatively; generate innovative ideas, prioritise complex tasks, and work well under pressure
13. Excellent presentation, communication and interpersonal skills and proven ability to communicate complex processes at all levels
14. Excellent project management skills, showing the ability to prioritise and plan activities taking all factors such as deadlines and resource requirements into account
15. Excellent negotiating skills.
16. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to present information concisely; and to influence others, and to negotiate, persuade and sell ideas whilst maintaining trust and confidence.
17. Excellent organising and administrative skills.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
1. First class interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate clearly and confidently at all levels.
2. The ability to use your own initiative.
3. A flexible and positive attitude.
4. Ability to present compelling arguments.
5. Excellent organizational skills and the ability to plan work effectively to meet critical deadlines.
6. Ability to inspire and lead and get the best out of everyone in the IA team.
7. Ability to generate new concepts and product ideas.
COMPETENCIES
Managerial Skills
Leadership skills - able to assume a formal position of authority. Can establish goals and actively encourage a climate in which potential can be realised. Is able to recognise that potential and provide support, direction and feedback to foster the development of it. Effectively selects teams, utilises their capabilities and develops their potential.
Business/Financial Management - understands the commercial and business imperatives and trading relationships. Is able to apply the business principles in terms of costs, the market and added value. Can use financial information to support/influence decision-making
Change Management - is able to understand and anticipate the need for change. Can build frameworks to plan and manage the continuous process of change.
Planning and Organising - able to think ahead to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others. Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all the relevant issues such as deadlines, staffing and resource requirements.
Thinking / Reasoning Skills
Decision-Making - able to identify objectives and take responsibility for making rational decisions, rendering judgements and taking action following a logical evaluation of the facts, to meet the end goals.
Strategic Thinking - able to identify the goals together with the plans required to be implemented to meet them and can take a broad overview of issues, assessing situations, decisions in the short and long term.
Analytical Thinking - able to simplify complex problems, processes or projects into their component parts. Can explore and evaluate them systematically, can identify causal relationships and construct frameworks for problem solving and/or development.
Imagination/Creative Thinking - able to come up with creative solutions using existing or new ideas in a novel way. Is able to transform creative ideas / impulses into practical reality.
Interpersonal / Communication Skills
Influencing and Persuading - able to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others. Can draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behaviour change.
Communication - able to get one's message understood clearly by adopting a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information.
Drive and Resilience
Resilience - able to maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, set backs or when dealing with difficult situations. Approach to work is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy.
How to apply
For this job, the BBC will only consider applications from those who already have the right to live and work in the UK.
This is because in order for the BBC to apply successfully for a work permit, we need to show that there are no suitable candidates who are normally resident in the UK or who are nationals of the European Economic Area (EU States plus Norway and Iceland).
Under certain circumstances, the BBC may contribute to interview travel expenses from UK locations, provided the amounts are agreed with us prior to any travel booking being made
Please note our recommended method of applying is using our online application form. The information sent to you by post is the same as the information on this page.
Apply online - using our quick and easy application form http://www.bbc.co.uk/jobs/e74154.shtml
Request an application form and pack by:
Phone: Call 0870 333 1330
Textphone: Dial 020 8008 4300
Applications to be returned by 24 May