Regional Broadcast Engineer

Description

Position Title: Regional Broadcast Engineer
Reports To: RMCR Engineering Committee Chair
Location: Rocky Mountain Region (CO, UT, WY, NM)
Travel: Significant regional travel required
Position Type: Full-time, salaried

Position Summary

The Regional Broadcast / IT Engineer supports RMCR member stations by strengthening technical systems, reducing engineering risk, improving documentation and infrastructure visibility, and helping build a more resilient engineering support network across the Rocky Mountain region.

This position is designed as a shared-service and support role. It is intended to complement—not replace—existing station operations management, which, depending on the specific station, may include engineers, contractors, and local technical staff. The role emphasizes coordination, preventive maintenance, documentation, project implementation, remote monitoring, mentorship, and long-term system resilience.

Member stations vary significantly in location, technical infrastructure, staffing models, and local resources. Therefore, flexibility, travel, communication, and relationship-building are central to this position.

The engineer will also play a key role in technical training and mentorship for future interns, apprentices, or regional trainees, including up to three trainees placed in regions with concentrations of member stations. The engineer will guide technical learning, support project-based work, and model best practices in documentation, troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, remote monitoring, and station support.

Project Coordinator Support

The engineer will not be responsible for managing the initiative’s full administrative structure alone. The Project Coordinator will support intake, scheduling, station communication, documentation tracking, training logistics, and coordination of future apprentice, intern, or regional trainee work. This allows the engineer to focus primarily on technical assessment, project implementation, troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, training, and station support.

Primary Responsibilities

Technical Support and Engineering Coordination

• Provide technical support to RMCR member stations for broadcast, studio, transmission, monitoring, and IP-based systems.

• Assist member stations with maintaining, designing, installing, troubleshooting, repairing, and improving technical systems.

• Support prioritized station projects identified through the RMCR assessment process.

• Coordinate with existing station engineers, contractors, vendors, and staff to support local needs without replacing local control.

• Help identify, document, and prioritize technical risks across member stations.

• Assist with emergency troubleshooting and response when appropriate and within the agreed service model.

Broadcast, RF, Studio, and IT Systems

• Support RF transmission systems, AM/FM transmitters, translators, STL/TSL systems, satellite receive systems, audio routing, automation systems, streaming systems, encoders, and studio equipment.

• Support LAN/WAN systems, managed switches, firewalls, VLANs, VPNs, wireless links, remote access systems, and IP-based broadcast infrastructure.

• Assist with monitoring systems, remote control systems, UPS systems, generators, electrical power systems, HVAC-related site concerns, grounding, and other site-support systems as appropriate.

• Keep current with evolving broadcast, RF, IT, networking, software, monitoring, and distribution technologies.

Documentation and Standardization

• Develop and share documentation standards and best practices for member stations.

• Help create and update air-chain diagrams, system maps, equipment inventories, wiring documentation, maintenance records, and site information.

• Document critical systems, procedures, access policies, and known risks.

• Evaluate current systems, access policies, and documentation practices.

• Help build repeatable documentation practices that improve troubleshooting, onboarding, continuity, and shared support.

 

Remote Monitoring and Preventive Maintenance

• Assist stations in evaluating and implementing remote monitoring solutions.

• Help stations evaluate, document, and implement appropriate remote monitoring and remote access systems based on local policies, security needs, and station approval.

• Support preventive maintenance planning.

• Help improve system visibility and reduce emergency failures.

• Coordinate monitoring and alerting approaches where appropriate.

• Support stations in moving from reactive maintenance toward preventive maintenance.

Project Implementation

• Lead or assist with prioritized technical projects.

• Support equipment replacement planning.

• Coordinate infrastructure upgrades.

• Help stations develop phased technical plans.

• Use station projects as opportunities for documentation, training, and shared learning.

• Work with vendors, contractors, and station staff to support successful project completion.

FCC Compliance and Technical Operations

• Support stations with FCC technical compliance, EAS systems, technical records, transmitter logs, and coordination with designated Chief Operators where applicable.

• Assist stations in identifying compliance-related technical risks and support engineering-related FCC filings, as needed.

• Support technical planning related to FCC filing opportunities, translators, transmitters, and facility changes when appropriate.

Training and Workforce Development

• Support workforce development by helping train and mentor future interns, apprentices, or regional trainees through project-based work at RMCR member stations.

• Provide technical guidance, model best practices, and help identify appropriate learning opportunities related to documentation, troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, remote monitoring, and station support.

• Work with the Project Coordinator to coordinate trainee scheduling, station communication, training logistics, and administrative tracking.

• Support a regional trainee model, currently envisioned as up to three people placed in areas with concentrations of RMCR member stations.

• Assist Project Coordinator with developing training materials.

• Participate in technical education opportunities.

Peer Learning and Community Building

• Facilitate technical knowledge-sharing across member stations.

• Support monthly office hours, calls, and technical discussion groups.

• Help reduce duplication across the network.

• Build relationships with external technical partners.

• Identify opportunities for shared tools, shared equipment, coordinated purchasing, and peer problem-solving.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of broadcast engineering, RF, IT/networking, or related technical experience.

• Demonstrated experience installing, maintaining, and repairing RF systems, AM/FM transmitters, translators, STL systems, satellite receive systems, streaming, and studio systems. (Experience with systems such as Nautel, GatesAir/Harris, BE, Crown, Comrex, Barix, Ubiquity, Mosley, Burk, or similar equipment is preferred)

• Demonstrated knowledge of networking, automation, remote monitoring, and IP-based broadcast systems. (Experience with Wheatstone, Axia/Telos, WideOrbit, NextKast, AudioVault, ENCO, SAS, Audioarts, or similar systems preferred)

• Understanding of FCC technical compliance requirements and technical filings.

• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.

• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.

• Ability to explain technical concepts to varying audiences.

• Valid driver’s license and excellent driving record.

• Ability to travel regularly across the RMCR service region.

Preferred Experience and Qualifications

• SBE certification, such as CBRE, or the ability to pursue certification within one year.

• Experience working with community, tribal, nonprofit, or public media organizations.

• Experience working across distributed systems at multiple sites.

• Experience mentoring, training, or supervising technical staff, interns, or apprentices.

• Experience with FCC compliance, technical documentation, and broadcast regulatory requirements.

• Experience with managed switches, VLANs, VPNs, wireless point-to-point links, and remote-control systems.

• Experience with technical drawings, schematics, or CAD software.

Physical and Field Requirements

• Ability to lift at least 50 pounds.

• Ability to work in studios, equipment rooms, transmitter buildings, remote sites, and outdoor environments.

• Ability to work in confined or physically constrained spaces when needed.

• Ability to discern audio problems through listening.

• Ability to travel significant distances by vehicle.

• Occasional non-standard hours and emergency response availability may be required.

• Work at tower sites may be required, but tower climbing is not assumed unless separately agreed and appropriately trained/certified.

Key Characteristics

• Collaborative rather than controlling.

• Comfortable operating in highly varied environments.

• Flexible and adaptive.

• Systems thinker.

• Strong documentation habits.

• Service-oriented mindset.

• Respectful of local station knowledge and autonomy.

• Able to build trust across multiple organizations.

• Committed to prevention, continuity, and long-term resilience.

Compensation and Support

• Salary range: $110,000–$130,000 annually, commensurate with experience. Final employment terms will be confirmed before hire.

• Benefits include 100% employer-paid health/vision/dental insurance and paid sick and vacation time.

• Travel expectations are significant, but included within scheduled work hours and include per diem travel expenses.

• RMCR intends to provide the vehicle and tools required for the role.

Application Submission

• Submit Cover Letter and Resume to RMCR Project Coordinator via email at [email protected]

• Applications will be reviewed after the June 30 submission deadline.