TECHNICAL MANAGER

The Whisper Group•London, CA

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Whisper is a leading global production company, specialising in sports, unscripted and branded entertainment. Our diverse team of over 285 international employees produce top-level sports such as Formula One, UEFA and The Paralympics, as well as branded content, prime time documentaries, and entertainment quiz shows for a raft of broadcasters. Whisper’s creativity and storytelling are BAFTA-winning and Emmy International-nominated.It is also a Sunday Times Best Places to Work. We are looking for a Technical Manager (TM) to work with the Chief Technical Officer (CTO), and be a single point of contact for all technical requirements relating to the technical delivery of assigned productions, primarily but not exclusively, sports, contact sports, and esports events. The TM would initiate conversations between technical suppliers and production teams, establishing a clear vision of all technical requirements and creating suitable documentation. Where pre-empting isn’t possible, acting as a central point of contact for any technical issues that may arise, ensuring that issues are fully understood with suitable mitigation in the future. The successful candidate will be involved in individual programmes/projects as well as Whisper’s long-term planning and technical strategy. A strong knowledge of a wide range of onsite and remote broadcast workflows, industry innovations are essential for this role, as are relationships with technical providers and manufacturers. Whisper is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, communities, and lived experiences. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Please note that responsibilities may be amended, added to, or removed to reflect the changing needs of the production or organisation.

Requirements

Proven background in live broadcast Technical Operations or Production Engineering.
Previous experience as team or project lead.
Excellent communication skills.
A team player with a strong capability in relationship management.
Depth of experience working in a live production environment and working closely with Production and Editorial teams.
Understanding of Production needs and requirements, proven ability to interpret Editorial requirements and to offer engineering solutions
Detailed knowledge of broadcast technical and working practices.
Ability to understand discussions and solutions from technical groups
Ability to multitask across multiple concurrent projects.
Willingness to innovate and design creative solutions.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience with Baseband and IP broadcast solutions.
Experience in remote workflows.
Knowledge in cloud production.
International experience.

Responsibilities

Provide a single technical point of contact and support for Whisper Production teams.
Provide a conduit for new technical ideas that could add production value
Involvement in planning of longer-term strategic projects – this could be leading on technical installation, including selection and coordination of suppliers, high-level design or planning, overseeing the framework and managing the final implementation.
Provide solutions for Production requests - discuss options and give input for additional Production value.
Assist in preparation for contract bids and be part of the team that presents and pitches to prospective clients.
Generate RFP’s and Tech Specs that capture full requirements for third-party suppliers
Act as primary liaison for third-party tech providers – such as OB companies, power, connectivity, lighting, event or venue tech teams.
Appraise third-party quotes to ensure they meet our technical requirements and advise production on the best vendor solution based on technical suitability and cost.
On-site – be the conduit between Production and suppliers, ensure the technical rig and rehearsal are kept on schedule, technical processes are in line with best practice, be responsible for any required technical decisions, check that facilities are fully tested and end-to-end tests are carried out - be accountable for the successful technical delivery of the event and take overall technical responsibility.
On-site - ensure that all technical staff and third-party engineering suppliers operate safely and in accordance with UK Health & Safety guidelines
On-site - monitor and assist on any issues arising in specific technical areas, ensuring all technical areas are made aware of issues – follow up any technical issues to ensure that resilient solutions are in place
Seek feedback from Production on all Whisper productions regarding technical running – follow up with third-party suppliers where necessary.
Meet regularly with suppliers to discuss new developments – research new technology and innovation.