David Waters

Executive Producer · Journalist · Audio Producer
London, UK · +44 (0) 7931 73 6873 · davidwaterscontact@gmail.com · davidwatersaudio.com

Profile

Award-winning journalist, editor and executive producer specialising in longform narrative audio. More than two decades across journalism and audio, with experience spanning daily news, science, technology, culture, natural history and immersive audio as well as critically acclaimed narrative series. I have led large production teams, launched new editorial formats, reported and produced internationally, and worked across the BBC, CBC, Guardian, Wondery, Sony, iHeart, Audible and other major platforms. My work is character-led, rigorous and story-driven, with a particular focus on finding the human story at the centre of complex subjects.

Experience

Raw
January 2025 – Present
London
Executive Producer, Podcasts
  • Executive producer across Raw’s podcast slate, overseeing story, editorial and production on ambitious narrative projects.
  • Producer on The Expert Witness for CBC, an investigative series examining the use of Cybercheck, an AI-driven investigative tool used by law enforcement.
  • Editor / Executive Producer on Breakin’ the Cycle for BBC Radio 4, shaping structure, narrative, reporting and final edit.
What’s the Story Sounds
August 2023 – December 2024
London
Head of Narrative
  • Led the company’s narrative audio output, developing and producing longform documentary series across international partners and platforms.
  • Executive Producer / Editor on Sea of Lies for CBC, a major investigative narrative series subsequently named by The New Yorker, Audible and Spotify among their best podcasts of 2025 and winner of the 2026 Ambie for Best True Crime Podcast.
  • Editor / Executive Producer on Death on the Farm for BBC, overseeing story development, reporting, edit and final delivery.
Novel
March 2022 – August 2023
London
Head of Production & Executive Producer
  • Led a production department of more than 30 producers, editors and researchers at one of Europe’s largest independent audio production companies, delivering global chart-topping narrative series.
  • Executive producer across shows including The Girlfriends, Stolen Hearts, Harsh Reality and The Superhero Complex for partners including iHeart, Wondery, Sony, Audible and the BBC.
  • Responsible for story development, reporting strategy, scripting, storyboarding, editorial standards, music, scoring, sound design and final delivery; also led recruitment, training, development and client relationships.
Novel
April 2021 – March 2022
London
Head of Documentary & Lead Producer
  • Established and ran Novel’s longform narrative documentary department, producing critically acclaimed and award-winning work.
  • Lead producer on The Superhero Complex and Deliver Us From Ervil; The Superhero Complex was ranked #2 in TIME’s 10 Best Podcasts of 2022 and featured in The Guardian’s end-of-year list.
Campside Media
March 2020 – May 2021
New York / London
Executive Producer
  • Lead producer on the first series of Suspect for Wondery and Witnessed: Borderlands for Sony.
  • Worked across reporting, storyboarding, interviewing, scripting, editing, scoring and sound design. Suspect won the 2022 Ambie for Best True Crime Podcast, the NYU American Journalism Online Award for Best News-Based Podcast and a Gold Signal Award for Best Writing.
The Guardian
March 2018 – March 2020
London
Audio Producer
  • Producer across the Guardian’s audio output, covering daily news, science and narrative factual storytelling.
  • Founding producer on Today in Focus, helping establish its narrative approach to daily news and developing further narrative and factual podcast projects.
Freelance
January 2014 – March 2018
UK / US
Audio Producer & Journalist
  • Produced and reported documentaries, podcasts and branded audio for the BBC, Audible, NPR, ABC, WHYY, Financial Times, Land Rover / Mindshare, Gorillaz, Deezer, Wellcome Collection, Penguin Random House and others.
  • Recorded interviews and contributed production for ESPN, This American Life, Gimlet Media and 99% Invisible, alongside a broad range of reporting and production work.

Selected Awards & Recognition

  • Ambie — Best True Crime Podcast — Sea of Lies, 2026
  • Ambie — Best True Crime Podcast — The Girlfriends, 2024
  • Ambie — Best True Crime Podcast — Suspect, 2022
  • American Journalism Online Award — Best News-Based Podcast — Suspect, 2022
  • Signal Award — Gold, Best Writing — Suspect, 2022
  • British Podcast Awards — Gold, Most Original Podcast; Gold, Best Branded Content; Bronze, Best Fiction — The Discovery Adventures, 2018
  • British Journalism Awards — Winner, Digital Innovation — 6x9: A Virtual Experience of Solitary Confinement, 2016
  • Raindance Film Festival — Audience Award, Best Virtual Reality Film — 6x9: A Virtual Experience of Solitary Confinement, 2016
  • AIB Awards — Winner, Online — 6x9: A Virtual Experience of Solitary Confinement, 2016
  • Lovie Awards — Bronze, Internet Video — 6x9: A Virtual Experience of Solitary Confinement, 2016

Core Strengths

Narrative development and editorial strategy · Reporting and interviewing · Storyboarding and scripting
Editing and story shaping · Music, scoring and sound design · Production leadership and mentoring
Daily news, narrative documentary, science, culture, immersive audio and branded storytelling
Earlier journalism — Prior to specialising in audio, worked for more than a decade in newsroom journalism, reporting and writing on global politics and economics, alongside daily news production and editorial work.