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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Broadcast Engineer

💰 $ - $

EngineeringBroadcastMediaTechnical Operations

🎯 Role Definition

A Broadcast Engineer is responsible for the design, deployment, operation and preventative maintenance of broadcast transmission, studio and playout systems. This role combines RF/transmitter expertise, IP video and SDI signal management, broadcast automation and monitoring, and vendor coordination to ensure 24/7 on-air reliability. The ideal candidate blends hands-on troubleshooting with strong documentation, hardware/firmware upgrades, and familiarity with regulatory frameworks (FCC/EAS) and industry standards (SMPTE, AES67, Dante).

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Broadcast Technician / Operator
  • RF Technician / Tower Technician
  • AV Systems Technician

Advancement To:

  • Senior Broadcast Engineer / Lead Broadcast Engineer
  • Transmission Engineering Manager / Head of Broadcast Operations
  • Systems Architect — Media & Broadcast Networking

Lateral Moves:

  • Network Media Engineer (SMPTE ST 2110 / IP Video)
  • Media Systems Integrator / Solutions Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Maintain, calibrate and repair transmitter sites, solid-state transmitters, antenna systems and RF chain components to ensure continuous compliance with licensed parameters and on-air signal quality.
  • Monitor and operate broadcast automation and playout systems (e.g., Ross, Grass Valley, Dalet, Imagine) to guarantee scheduled programming, commercials and live events air correctly, resolving playlist or media faults rapidly.
  • Troubleshoot and repair baseband and digital video/audio signals (SD, HD, 3G-SDI, 12G-SDI), including connectors, distribution amplifiers, frame syncs and timebase correctors to eliminate picture/audio artifacts.
  • Configure, maintain and troubleshoot IP video infrastructure, including SMPTE ST 2110 deployments, SRT/RTMP workflows, NDI, multicast routing, and edge/ingest encoders and decoders for live streaming and contribution.
  • Maintain and administer audio-over-IP and AoIP systems (Dante, AES67), including channel mapping, clocking, latency analysis and patching to prevent audio dropouts and sync issues.
  • Perform preventative maintenance programs at studios and transmitter sites—cleaning, firmware upgrades, battery and UPS checks, generator load testing and spare parts inventory management.
  • Design, test and maintain STL/RTU links, microwave and satellite uplink/downlink equipment; perform RF path analysis and antenna alignment to maximize link reliability and spectral efficiency.
  • Monitor on-air and ingest signal quality using waveform monitors, vector scopes, audio meters and closed-circuit monitoring systems; document incidents and implement corrective actions for continuous improvement.
  • Administer and troubleshoot broadcast routers, signal matrices and patching systems (video & audio routers), including routing control systems, SNMP monitoring and failover logic.
  • Implement and manage EAS (Emergency Alert System) equipment, workflows and logs to ensure regulatory compliance and rapid emergency messaging across multiple platforms.
  • Lead and execute studio and remote broadcast setups for live events and ENG/OB trucks—audio patching, camera signal routing, tally and intercom configuration, and feed stabilization.
  • Plan and implement equipment upgrades and technology refresh projects, producing technical specifications, RF and network diagrams, BOMs and test plans to meet operational and budgetary requirements.
  • Administer systems running on Linux, Windows and virtualization platforms; manage media servers, ingest automation, and playout VMs with disciplined change control and rollback procedures.
  • Perform root-cause analysis and post-incident reporting for outages or quality degradations, coordinating cross-functional teams, vendor support and corrective action plans to prevent recurrence.
  • Maintain transmitter site security, tower climbing supervision (if applicable), grounding and lightning protection systems, ensuring compliance with OSHA and site safety protocols.
  • Program and maintain broadcast control systems, GPIO/tally interfaces, macros and automation scripts to integrate disparate systems and reduce manual intervention during live broadcasts.
  • Install, configure and maintain encryption and DRM systems for contribution and distribution, ensuring secure transmission of premium or rights-restricted content.
  • Coordinate with content, production and traffic teams to ensure media asset integrity, metadata accuracy, proper ingest, and reconciliation between automation and traffic logs.
  • Maintain FCC and regulatory records, including station logs, proof-of-performance measurements, frequency coordination and licensing renewals; respond to regulatory inquiries or inspections.
  • Test and commission new broadcast equipment and systems in lab and field environments, developing acceptance test procedures (ATP) and working with vendors to remediate installation defects.
  • Manage and maintain auxiliary power systems (UPS, generators, ATS), monitor battery health and implement fuel/maintenance schedules to ensure site resilience during outages.
  • Perform spectrum analysis and interference hunting using RF analyzers and monitoring receivers to identify co-channel issues, spurious emissions or environmental impacts on coverage.
  • Support remote monitoring and control systems (SNMP, NMOS, Zabbix/PRTG) and implement alerting thresholds, escalation policies and runbooks for on-call technicians.
  • Maintain thorough technical documentation, rack elevations, IP addressing schemes, firmware versions, and wiring diagrams to streamline troubleshooting and future upgrades.

Secondary Functions

  • Provide technical support and hands-on assistance for studio and remote production crews during rehearsals, live shows and special events.
  • Develop and deliver training and onboarding materials for junior engineers and operations staff on systems, monitoring tools and safety protocols.
  • Participate in budget planning and vendor selection; evaluate vendor proposals, test alternatives and recommend cost-effective solutions that meet technical requirements.
  • Support disaster recovery and business continuity planning for broadcast operations, including secondary playout sites and redundant transmission paths.
  • Assist in building and maintaining signal path inventory and spare parts strategy to minimize mean time to repair (MTTR).
  • Contribute to project scoping, timeline estimates and technical design reviews for new channel launches, facility expansions or format conversions.
  • Collaborate with IT and network teams to maintain security best practices, VLANs/QoS for media traffic and integration of broadcast equipment within corporate networks.
  • Assist with on-call rotation, providing remote diagnostic triage and on-site escalation during critical incidents and after-hours outages.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • RF engineering and transmitter maintenance: transmitter tuning, antenna systems, RF safety and spectrum analysis.
  • Baseband video/audio expertise: SDI (3G/12G), HDMI, analog troubleshooting, timecode, ancillary data and embedded audio.
  • IP video and media networking: SMPTE ST 2110/ST 2022, SRT, RTMP, multicast routing, IGMP/MLD and NMOS fundamentals.
  • AoIP and digital audio: Dante, AES67, AES/EBU, digital audio routing and sample-rate/clock domain troubleshooting.
  • Broadcast automation and playout systems: configuration, scripting, playlist management and failover strategies.
  • Video/audio encoding and compression: H.264/H.265/XAVC workflows, transcoders, OTT ingest and packagers.
  • Network and systems administration: Linux (shell scripting), Windows Server, virtualization (VMware), DNS/DHCP and basic routing/switching.
  • Monitoring tools and protocols: SNMP, telemetry, waveform/vector monitoring, Loudness (LUFS) metering and EAS monitoring.
  • Power and infrastructure: UPS/generator maintenance practices, grounding, tower safety and environmental controls (HVAC).
  • Test & measurement instruments: spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, multimeters, TDRs and waveform monitors.
  • Regulatory knowledge: FCC rules, EAS requirements, and broadcast logging/documentation.
  • Cloud and hybrid workflows: experience with cloud playout, CDN integration, media asset management and remote production toolchains.

Soft Skills

  • Strong analytical troubleshooting and root-cause investigation skills under pressure.
  • Clear written and verbal communication for incident reports, technical documentation and cross-team coordination.
  • Team orientation with ability to mentor junior technicians and liaise with production, IT and vendors.
  • Time management and prioritization—managing multiple concurrent issues during live operations.
  • Detail oriented with disciplined change control and documentation habits.
  • Customer-service mindset; able to translate technical status into business impact for non-technical stakeholders.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate degree in Electronics, Broadcast Technology, Telecommunications or equivalent technical certification plus hands-on experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Broadcast Engineering, Telecommunications, Media Technology or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Electrical / Electronics Engineering
  • Broadcast & Media Technology
  • Computer Networks / Telecommunications
  • Audio Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3–7 years of broadcast engineering, RF transmission, studio operations or similar technical roles.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of progressive responsibility in broadcast plant operations, transmitter site management, IP video deployments or large-scale playout environments. Experience working on-call and supporting 24/7 broadcast operations is highly desirable.
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