Technical Director (Los Angeles, Ca)

The Athletic Media Company•Los Angeles, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Athletic is seeking a Technical Director to spearhead the technical execution of their new flagship daily live show. This role is central to the broadcast, responsible for translating editorial cues into real-time on-screen action. It's a highly technical, fast-paced position requiring instantaneous decision-making. The Technical Director will operate the video switcher, manage multi-cam studio setups, route remote guest feeds, and oversee the health of the live stream from start to finish. The ideal candidate is an experienced control room professional with a strong understanding of modern IP/digital streaming workflows and the ability to remain calm under pressure during breaking news situations.

Requirements

5+ Years of Live TD Experience: A proven track record of switching daily, fast-paced live programming (sports, news, or high-volume talk formats).
Hardware & Software Mastery: Deep technical fluency with industry-standard switchers and streaming platforms—specifically vMix, NewTek TriCaster, Ross Carbonite, or Blackmagic ATEM systems.
IP Video & Protocols: Expert knowledge of modern video transport workflows, including NDI, SRT, RTMP, and traditional SDI workflows.
The "Live" Mindset: Exceptional reaction time and spatial awareness, with the ability to multitask and execute precisely on cue.
Problem Solver under Pressure: A proactive troubleshooter who always has backup plans for potential gear failures.
Team Collaborator: Ability to work seamlessly alongside other control room personnel.

Responsibilities

Physically operate the production switcher during the daily live broadcast, executing clean cuts and video effects instantly on the Senior Producer's call.
Configure and maintain the control room architecture, building and saving custom macros, registers, and snapshots for consistent show presentation.
Manage all incoming and outgoing signals, coordinating the seamless integration of remote guests via Zoom, ensuring low-latency video and mix-minus audio.
Monitor video and audio levels throughout the broadcast to ensure compliance with premium streaming standards and prevent technical issues like frame drops, stream lag, or audio syncing problems.
Oversee the studio’s physical technical infrastructure, including robotic cameras (PTZ), lighting grids, encoders, and hardware/software updates.
Diagnose and resolve technical failures mid-broadcast without interrupting the viewer experience.
Manage the master recording configuration, ensuring clean and dirty cuts of the broadcast are properly encoded, archived, and handed off to post-production and social teams.