Director of Engineering

Fox•Austin, TX

About The Position

KTBC FOX 7 Austin is seeking an experienced Director of Engineering to lead the station’s Engineering Team. The position is responsible for the maintenance, reliability, security, technical compliance, and strategic development of infrastructure and systems supporting broadcast, production, transmission, and digital platforms. Applying Project Management Institute (PMI) principles, the Director provides strategic leadership to the engineering team and partners with Broadcast Operations, IT, station leadership, and TVHO Engineering on technology initiatives, capital projects, and infrastructure lifecycle planning. The role leads and supervises engineering staff, manages resources and technical schedules, and directs technical operations and complex initiatives throughout their full project lifecycle. It develops preventive maintenance programs, risk mitigation strategies, equipment lifecycle plans, and technical baseline documentation, and uses root-cause analysis and quality-control frameworks to improve operational reliability. The Director oversees transmission facilities, technical quality assurance, regulatory and technical compliance, emergency preparedness, business continuity, disaster recovery testing, and security coordination with IT and cybersecurity teams. The role also consults with the VP of Engineering/Operations on OPEX and CAPEX budgets, leads procurement and vendor and contract management, oversees critical facility infrastructure, and collaborates on enterprise technology initiatives and implementation roadmaps.

Requirements

Demonstrated leadership experience in television broadcast engineering, media technology, production systems, information technology, or a related technical domain.
Proven experience applying formal PMI project management principles to complex broadcast, production, transmission, or IT infrastructure projects.
Strong knowledge of PMBOK areas: Integration, Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Resource, Communications, Risk, Procurement, and Stakeholder Management.
Strong analytical, troubleshooting, risk assessment, organizational, and executive communication skills.
Practical knowledge of broadcast, production, high-availability networking, and file-based media technologies.
Ability to work effectively in high-pressure live broadcast environments and apply agile problem-solving.

Nice To Haves

PMP®, CAPM®, or equivalent PMI certification.
At least 5 years of progressive leadership experience in television broadcast engineering within a local station, network, or major production facility.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Broadcast Technology, Information Technology, Project Management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Expertise in broadcast transmission systems, FCC regulatory compliance, EAS, ATSC 1.0, ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV, and digital media workflows.
Advanced proficiency in IP-based media infrastructure (SMPTE ST 2110), broadcast automation, newsroom systems, cloud workflows, enterprise networking, and cybersecurity.
SBE certification or other relevant industry technical credentials.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and supervise the Engineering team, fostering safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and technical excellence.
Manage resource allocation, technical schedules, and performance management across engineering initiatives.
Direct technical operations and complex broadcast and facility initiatives from initiation and planning through execution, monitoring, control, and closeout.
Develop and manage preventive maintenance programs, risk mitigation strategies, equipment lifecycle plans, and technical baseline documentation.
Identify root causes of technical issues and implement corrective and preventive actions using risk management and quality-control frameworks.
Oversee station transmission facilities and technical quality assurance, ensuring compliance with FCC regulations, EAS requirements, CALM Act standards, ATSC requirements, and industry benchmarks.
Maintain emergency preparedness programs, business continuity planning, disaster recovery testing, and emergency management protocols.
Partner with IT and cybersecurity teams to ensure broadcast systems comply with FOX security protocols, network architecture standards, and governance policies.
Consult with the VP of Engineering/Operations to develop and manage OPEX and CAPEX budgets.
Lead procurement, contract negotiations, service level agreements, vendor management, and contract administration for equipment and third-party services.
Oversee critical facility infrastructure and lifecycle maintenance, including generators, UPS systems, HVAC supporting technical operations, and specialized building systems.
Collaborate with TVHO Engineering and executive leadership on enterprise technology initiatives, engineering governance, and system implementation roadmaps.