Trainee prop hand (EastEnders)

Closing date: 14th January 2025

Contract: 18 Month FTC (broken into three 6 month elements based on performance review to progress through the stages)

Band: A

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

Location: BBC Elstree, Borehamwood

Do you have a true passion for Drama and always wondered what it was like to work as a prop team member on set? Are you a practical thinker who loves a challenge and doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty? 

BBC Studios is a world-renowned content studio and channels & streaming business, powered by British creativity, with a reach that touches audiences in every corner of the globe.  From BAFTAs to RTS Awards, BBC Studios is Britain’s most awarded production company and the only producer with three of the top ten shows on IMDB; we’re the home of bbc.com, the widest-read English language news website in the world; and the UK’s largest distributor of British content.

BBC Studios Drama Productions is renowned for bringing audiences together week after week. We are the creative powerhouse behind award-winning Drama such as EastEnders, Silent Witness, Father Brown and Sister Boniface Mysteries to Casualty, River City, Pobol y Cwm and Anfamol. In addition to our iconic brands, we have an ambitious growth strategy with a slate of fresh and exciting new shows in development. 

EastEnders is a multi-award winning soap broadcast four times a week. It currently ranks as one of the most watched TV dramas in the UK tackling many controversial and taboo issues previously unseen on television in the UK.   

EastEnders are offering an amazing opportunity for someone looking for an entry into the Television and the Props department.  The successful candidate will be provided with all the essential training to develop the skills and relevant aspects required to become a fully trained Prop Hand in order to become an integral part of the larger EastEnders prop team.

This 18-month on-site training will cover studio standby, setting and striking of scenery, action prop delivery to set and the general duties to cover cleaning and set housekeeping.  During the full period, it will be broken down into three, six month stages of training and based on the successful candidates performance to progress and move through the various aspects of the role.

Responsibilities

Reporting to our EastEnders Props and Setting Manager alongside EastEnders Prop Store Manager, you will gain an understanding of the connection to the larger design team working alongside Designers and Art Directors including experienced Film and Television professionals where you will gain an in-depth understanding of what it entails to work on a large drama production. 

You will have the opportunity to train and develop into an industry proficient Prop Hand and join our successful 12-year production line of previous trainees working in the outside film and TV world with our freelance pool of accomplished Prop Hand talent. 

You will be asked to carry out a multitude of tasks, some repetitive, which will all be mentored by either EastEnders Charge Hands or our experienced Action Prop teams. Your duties will include:

• Setting and striking of scenery, with heavy lifting involved
• Studio standby
• Action Prop breakdown and delivery to set
• Understanding of continuity of sets and props within filming action
• General duties including set and studio housekeeping and cleaning

Knowledge, skills and experience

We’re looking for someone who is looking for an entry-level position into the TV industry and is someone who is self-motivated with a willingness to learn and develop new skills.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Passion for prop roles within the industry, advantageous if within Drama
• Experience of working with hand & power tools
• Possession of a valid and clean driving licence is essential
• Experience of working as part of a team and sharing tasks; communicating information and taking direction from others 
• Understanding of working in environments where there are conflicting priorities and problems to solve  
• Passion and knowledge of Drama, especially EastEnders
   

Life at BBC Studios

We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and behaviours here.

The BBC is committed to building a culturally diverse workforce, that represents the audiences we serve, and encourages applications from candidates from any background, especially people from diverse communities. Equity of opportunity is important to us, and we endeavour to make our processes equal, fair and meritocratic for everybody. More information on our D&I plan can be found here.

BBC Studios puts sustainability at the heart of everything we do both onscreen and offscreen, including delivering against the BBC Group’s science-based Net Zero targets. More information on sustainability at BBC Studios can be found here.
 

WHAT WILL YOU GAIN FROM WORKING AT BBC STUDIOS

• We offer a competitive salary package
• Parental leave for new parents, regardless of gender, of up to a year with 18 weeks fully paid
• 26 days holiday (plus an additional day which is a Corporation Day) with the option to buy an extra 5 days
• A defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care, gym and much more
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Excellent career progression – access to courses, webinars, workshops and the opportunity to work in different areas of the organisation

NEXT STEPS

We appreciate your interest in this position and understand how important this opportunity is to you. Due to the high volume of interest we may need to close the application period earlier than anticipated. This step is necessary to ensure we can provide a high level of attention and service to all applicants. Thank you for your understanding.

REASONABLE ADJUSTMENT

As a Level 2 Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview." If you require any reasonable adjustments in order to apply please contact us on reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk

To be considered for this role you will need to be at least 18 years of age at the commencement of your employment.

Please include in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.