Distribution Operations Engineer

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company in Greater London is seeking a dynamic professional for a critical role in monitoring and supporting broadcast technology. You will manage transmission systems and assist with training staff in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate requires a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Engineering or related field, along with in-depth knowledge of television distribution systems. This 24/7 position demands strong troubleshooting skills and excellent communication capabilities, making it essential for ensuring operational reliability.

Benefits

Career-defining opportunities

Thoughtfully curated benefits

Opportunities for growth and development

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a broadcast, media, or telecommunications environment.
• Working knowledge of digital baseband signals.
• Specific experience in troubleshooting and correcting signal-quality issues.

Responsibilities

• Monitor all of WB Discovery's channels.
• Manage transmission systems during emergencies.
• Provide input and reports on transmission reliability.
• Assist with training of distribution staff.

Skills

In-depth knowledge of television distribution systems

Excellent communication skills

Ability to troubleshoot signal-quality issues

Work without supervision

Knowledge of MPEG-2/4 encoding technology

Computer literacy

Ability to respond to emergencies

Education

Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Engineering or related field

Tools

Video waveform monitor

Transport-stream analyser

Telemetry monitoring systems

Job description

Responsibilities

• Monitoring all of WB Discovery's channels
• Manage the necessary switching of transmission systems during normal or emergency conditions to ensure that all services remain on the air.
• Respond to all affiliate enquiries and maintain on‑going communication with customers, keeping them up‑to‑date with the progress of their tickets
• Serve as a liaison between other support teams and the customer as required by working collaboratively across all leadership levels
• Outage vetting – initiating of critical outage situations
• Manage incident and planned work tickets: uphold professional ticket management from the get‑go for the benefit of the rest of the global support teams by ensuring all ticket types are logged, work logs comprehensively updated and then carefully manage routing to ensure resolution
• Liaise with third‑party fibre, uplink and playout providers during fault investigations.
• Provide input and issue written reports to various factions of the Technology & Operations groups about transmission system reliability.
• Routinely check the health of distribution equipment.
• Proactively identify and address potential risks and vulnerabilities in our distribution infrastructure, recommending mitigation strategies
• Develop corporate oversight/participation in distribution technologies
• Assist with training and development of distribution staff members as needed.
• Create and update documentation and procedures
• Implement, or assist with implementation of, changes to distribution infrastructure
• Identify, adjust, and help establish new monitors and metrics needs
• Other duties as required. Onsite Working – this role is advertised as onsite, meaning all working hours and days (regardless of shift pattern) will be carried out at the place of work. Subject to any applicable laws, WBD / your line manager reserves the right to change this working agreement, where this is essential to business needs and upon reasonable notice to you.
• With a focus on networking, international satellite & fibre methodology and compression & distribution technologies, reporting to the Senior Director of Distribution Engineering, this position is critical in monitoring and supporting WBD's global television distribution infrastructure and supporting our live events output. You will be a part of our Tier 1 behind‑the‑scenes operations support team expected to have a versatile skill set both technically and personally with the ability to stay focused and continually develop as an experienced and skilled technician. Operations engineers in this role will have experience in leading difficult situations, staying calm, reacting quickly under pressure and being able to execute on the key responsibilities noted below. Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a broadcast, media, or telecommunications environment.
• In‑depth knowledge of television distribution systems, platforms, and standards.
• Working knowledge of digital baseband signals, SDI, HD‑SDI and ASI for video and PCM, Dolby D and E and its variants for audio signals as well as awareness of TCP/IP network concepts including multicast traffic.
• Knowledge of and experience with SMPTE 2110.
• Working experience with television distribution systems – fibre and satellite‑based encoding, as well as telemetry monitoring and control systems.
• Ability to operate associated test and analysis equipment including but not limited to video waveform monitor, vector scope and transport‑stream analyser.
• Specific experience and expertise in troubleshooting and correcting signal‑quality issues, signal routing, systems integration and maintenance.
• Candidate should have working knowledge of MPEG‑2/4 encoding technology, encryption/authorization technology and TVRO receive systems.
• Able to work without supervision, combining initiative with discretion.
• Computer literacy, excellent oral and written communication abilities and close attention to detail are required.
• Overnight, weekend, holidays, and rotating shifts are required as this is a 365/24/7 mission‑critical position to support the distribution reliability of WBD services.
• This position is considered an essential position. This means that during times of inclement weather, emergencies, or when access to the workplace may be impeded, employees in this position are expected to report to work to support business continuance, unless otherwise instructed by the direct manager.
• Able to communicate technical matters to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Understand and be able to work with monitoring systems and related technologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and a friendly disposition.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Must be able to independently research, troubleshoot, and resolve trouble tickets within established service level agreements.
• Ability to provide total call ownership to include handling irate customers, escalating issues as appropriate and providing the necessary follow‑up before incidents are closed.
• Ability to define and document IT support procedures as required.
• Ability to maintain focus in a high‑pressure environment.

When we say, "the stuff dreams are made of," we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD's vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what's next… From brilliant creatives to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career‑defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive. Our team… As Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) portfolio continues to grow – around the world and across platforms – the Technology & Operations team is building media technology and IT systems that meet world‑class standards for which WBD is known. T&O builds, implements and maintains the business systems and technology that are critical for delivering WBD's products, while articulating the long‑term technology strategy that will enable WBD's growing pay‑TV, digital terrestrial, free‑to‑air and online services to reach more audiences on more platforms.

On June 9, 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to separate into two publicly traded companies, Warner Bros. and Discovery Global, with an expected completion in mid‑2026. For more details, including leadership appointments and information on individual brands, please visit our newsroom here. Although you will be hired by Warner Bros. Discovery, upon the planned separation in 2026, your employment likely will transition to Discovery Global. During this period of transformation, you'll have an exciting opportunity to lay the foundation at one of the world’s premier entertainment brands.