The BBC has named a new director of unscripted on Wednesday (May 18), with Kate Phillips stepping into the newly created role.

The personnel move follows an internal restructuring of BBC Television’s senior leadership team that’s meant to accelerate the broadcaster’s strategic priorities. The new structure brings together into a single unit the BBC’s commissioning teams in entertainment, factual, arts and classical music, and daytime, early-peak and events programming.

Phillips will be responsible for the unit’s commissioning strategy, covering the full range of unscripted content. A statement from the BBC says Phillips’ leadership will ensure the strength of each of the broadcaster’s individual specialities in unscripted, while driving more value from new collaborations between genres and with the Nations commissioning teams. Phillips will also be accountable for the overall performance and editorial strategy of BBC’s unscripted programming.

Phillips previously worked as controller of BBC One, as channel executive for BBC One and BBC Three, and as creative director of formats for BBC Worldwide.

In her new role, Phillips will report to chief content officer Charlotte Moore. The role’s creation also means the closure of the existing roles of director of entertainment and director of factual, arts and classical music.

The heads of commissioning who will report directly to Phillips are Suzy Klein (arts and classical music), Lindsay Bradbury (daytime, early peak and events), Clare Sillery (documentaries, history and religion), Jack Bootle (natural history and science), Catherine Catton (popular factual and factual entertainment) and a yet-to-be-named head of entertainment commissioning.