[Sigia-l] Job - Information Architecture Team Leader

[Margaret Hanley]

-------------------------------------------
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


	
	
		
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