Head – Breaking News (Digital)

Role Overview

We’re looking for a sharp, high-speed newsroom leader to head the Breaking News division on Republic Digital. The candidate must thrive under pressure, have strong editorial judgment, and the ability to steer real-time coverage across video, text, and social media.

The ideal candidate must bring with them a self-driven passion for current affairs, deep knowledge to contextualise breaking news developments in real time, and a competitive news instinct.

They must have the ability to pick a story, visualise it, and deliver it at lightning pace for viewers and users across formats.

The ideal candidate must also have the ability to constantly innovate on formats that ensure Breaking News on Republic Digital is not just first, but also the sharpest, most engaging, and most impactful across platforms — whether it’s a breaking news video, a breaking news story, a push notification, a short video alert, a real-time social post, or a live digital stream.

The ideal candidate must provide clarity of thought in terms of execution and demonstrate strong leadership skills.

Key Responsibilities

* Lead the digital breaking news desk (video first approach, website, app, social).

* Take end to end responsibility of the BREAKING NEWS domain in a Digital environment

*Have the ability to work through breaking news subjects with ease

* Train and manage a team of producers, video editors, graphics, work with reporters reporters, copy editors in real time.

* Ensure speed, accuracy, and sharpness of editorial delivery — always.

* Coordinate with bureau teams, TV desks, and agencies for live and breaking updates.

* Take editorial calls on push alerts, flash headlines, and social breaking formats.

* Maintain systems that demonstrate readiness for emergencies, crises, and round the clock alertness

*Have excellent team building skills and be target focussed as a leader

* Own key metrics: time to publish, traffic spikes, views and news impact.

Must-Have Skills

* 6–10 years of digital/broadcast news experience, with at least 2 in a leadership role.

* Be a news hound, across verticals of content

* Impeccable academic record and professional delivery based on targets

* Strong grip on national, political, global and breaking developments.

* Command over real-time publishing tools (CMS, YT, social dashboards).

* Excellent news copy skills, headline instincts, and SEO knowledge.

* Calm under pressure with the ability to multitask and triage breaking flows.