Editorial trainee (EastEnders)

Closing date: 23rd December 2024

Salary: £22,000 + London Weighting at £5319

Location: BBC Elstree, Borehamwood 

Is writing your thing? Do you constantly have a story buzzing round your head that you're desperate to tell or write down? The EastEnders Editorial Trainee role is for people who love soaps – especially EastEnders - combined with a love for telling and writing. 

The Editorial Trainee is an exciting year-long placement which sees the successful candidate given the opportunity to spend an initial six months working alongside the script team, before spending three months in the story office. After experiencing both worlds of script and story, the final three months of the year-long placement will be spent in either team, chosen by you!  

You will spend the first six months in the script team and will report to the Script Producer and/or Senior Script Editor. You’ll get first-hand experience across the whole script process, learning how to nurture the incredibly important relationships between writers and production teams. You will also gain an understanding of how the Script Editor processes all negative and legal checks (e.g brand names), ensuring that all reasonable action is taken to avoid copyright, libel and defamation issues.  

During this time, you’ll build and develop your skillset in writing shadow script notes for writers with – dependant on experience and progress – the aim of Script Editing one episode.  

You will then spend three months in the story office where you’ll report to the Story Producer and/or Story Editors. Under their leadership, and through shadowing active Storyliners, you will learn the number one aim of a Storyliner which is to deliver high quality, high profile, cost-effective drama. You will be given an insight into the processes of how story ideas are developed into storylines of the highest standard and by supporting the Story Assistant and Research team, you will develop the skills and knowledge to be a valued member of the EastEnders storyroom. 

During this time, you’ll have the opportunity to write shadow storylines with – dependant on experience and progress – the aim of writing storylines for a published story document.  

We’re looking for applicants who have a keen and active interest in the world of TV production, especially Soaps; are hardworking; creative; keen; willing to learn; and are looking for their first step into the world of scripted storytelling.

What will you do?

The Editorial Trainee’s main duties will be:

• Assist the script and story teams to gain a full understanding of the processes involved in each department.
• Support the script and story teams with character and story continuity.
• Support the script and story teams with story trails.
• Take on writing shadow notes and storylines where appropriate and be involved in creative discussions.
• Gain a full understanding of creative problem solving throughout the script and story process.
• Gain a full understanding of the whole production process, from inception to screen.
• Attend various script and story meetings where appropriate. 

What will it take?

The successful candidate will need:

• To display a flair for writing, an ability to work to tight deadlines and as part of a team - and be able to think creatively and outside the box.
• An enthusiasm for script, story and soap - especially EastEnders! - is essential.

We are also looking for:

• Experience of reading and evaluating scripts, which can be from production, theatre, radio, academia or as a hobby/enthusiast.
• Experience of working on a production set, ideally in Continuing Drama.
• Ability to generate and share creative ideas and articulate them verbally and visually through treatments and/or presentations.
• Experience of working under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Experience of administrative and office organisational skills and computer proficiency with Microsoft Office suite.
• Understanding of working on Final Draft is desirable, but not essential.
• Awareness of how to handle confidential information with tact and sensitivity.
• Knowledge of working as part of a team and sharing tasks; communicating information and taking direction from others.
• Knowledge of working with a range of stakeholders and challenging ideas, meditating and influencing.
• Understanding of working in environments where there are conflicting priorities and problems to solve.  

Applicants must be be 18 years or older at time of contractual start.

This role is advertised as part of our BBC Extend programme for disabled people. To apply for this role you should identify as deaf, disabled or neurodivergent and must meet either: the definition of disability in the Equality Act (2010), or the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) if applying in Northern Ireland. You’re broadly defined as disabled under both acts if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative or adverse effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. This definition includes both apparent and non-apparent conditions and impairments, and medical conditions such as Cancer, HIV or Multiple Sclerosis.

Please make sure you state in your application that you found this role via Creative Access.