Broadcast Engineer, Distribution Engineering

Versant•Englewood Cliffs, NJ

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Versant Media has an immediate opening for an experienced distribution engineer to join Distribution Engineering. The engineer in this role owns distribution systems independently, runs operations without escalation, and is a technical authority on how Versant's signal moves from the building to the audience. This opening is specifically weighted toward cloud and IP distribution depth. The ideal candidate brings deep, hands-on experience with Amagi, Nevion, TAG Video Systems, and AWS media services.

Requirements

3+ years of experience owning cloud or IP video distribution systems in a broadcast, streaming, or media environment.
Deep, hands-on, production-level experience with Amagi cloud playout and distribution.
Deep, hands-on experience with Nevion IP media transport and/or TAG Video Systems monitoring.
Working experience with AWS media services: MediaConnect, MediaLive, MediaPackage, CloudFront.
Working knowledge of broadcast signal flow, IP networking fundamentals, and system monitoring.
If you're new to Versant, you'll complete a structured 90-day certification of these core broadcast-engineering fundamentals as part of onboarding.
Strong communication skills. Able to work directly with engineering and vendor stakeholders during live operations.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, 24/7 live production environment.
Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Technology, Computer Science, or equivalent hands-on experience.
Cloud & IP Distribution Platforms (primary focus) Amagi - cloud playout, channel origination, ad insertion, CDN delivery configuration Nevion - IP media transport orchestration, SDI/IP gateway design, virtualized routing TAG Video Systems - IP video monitoring, QoE/QoS alarming, multiviewer configuration AWS media services - MediaConnect, MediaLive, MediaPackage, CloudFront
Broadcast & IP Infrastructure SMPTE 2110 - how distribution signal flow integrates with IP production infrastructure Signal flow fundamentals - video, audio, data, source to destination Networking - VLANs, multicast, firewalls, DNS, TCP/UDP
Terrestrial & RF (growth area — not required at hire) Satellite uplink operations - antenna systems, HPAs, modems, frequency converters RF signal theory - modulation, MPEG-4/HEVC compression, multiplexing, encryption Fiber transport - circuit provisioning, OTDR troubleshooting
Monitoring & Documentation System monitoring and alerting for live distribution operations Ticket systems - Jira/ServiceNow SOP and runbook authorship

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with satellite uplink, RF, or fiber transport operations.
Experience supporting distribution for major live news or sports events (election coverage, championship events, and similar).
Familiarity with cloud cost optimization for media workloads.
Prior experience mentoring junior engineers.

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end reliability and performance of Versant's cloud and IP distribution path, including Amagi cloud playout, Nevion IP media transport, and TAG Video Systems monitoring.
Design, deploy, and maintain AWS media services workflows: MediaConnect, MediaLive, MediaPackage, and CloudFront.
Monitor distribution QoE/QoS across the delivery chain and lead resolution of degradations before they reach air or affected platforms.
Design and maintain redundant path architecture for distribution systems supporting live, 24/7 operations.
Work alongside the team's terrestrial/RF engineers on satellite uplink and fiber transport operations, building toward independent ownership of that side of the discipline over time.
Coordinate with satellite uplink and terrestrial transport vendors on capacity, scheduling, and technical issue resolution.
Lead new distribution system installations, upgrades, and cloud migrations, coordinating with engineering and vendor stakeholders.
Partner with IP infrastructure and broadcast operations teams to integrate distribution signal flow into Versant's SMPTE 2110 environment.
Evaluate emerging cloud distribution and playout technology and make adoption recommendations.
Own the technical relationship with Amagi, Nevion, TAG Video Systems, and AWS.
Escalation point for support cases, upgrade evaluation, and licensing questions.
Mentor Production Support Engineers working alongside the distribution team, raising the technical floor of the group.
Write and maintain SOPs, runbooks, and documentation the team actually uses.
Participate in post-incident reviews for major distribution failures, owning the learning and follow-through.
Provide surge support for major live events, including election-night and other high-stakes broadcast coverage.
Maintain readiness and coverage for 24/7 distribution operations in partnership with the broader Production Engineering team.