Senior Operations Engineer - EXTEND

BBC Group and Public Services; Greater London; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading broadcasting organization is seeking a Senior Operations Engineer in London to support and maintain broadcast systems. This role demands proficient knowledge of live TV technologies and the ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences. Responsibilities include delivering high-quality support services, managing incidents, and fostering collaboration among engineers. The ideal candidate will lead responses to service disruptions and ensure documentation is up-to-date, contributing to the BBC's mission to provide a quality media experience.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

Opportunities for professional development

Inclusive working environment

Qualifications

• Proficient knowledge of supporting broadcast systems and technologies within live TV.
• Able to explain information to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Accountable for out-of-hours support for the operational team.
• Proficient in utilizing the knowledge-management database.
• Lead the response to service disruption.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a high-quality support service for BBC content.
• Act as a point of contact for production teams.
• Support engineers in maintaining and managing technology systems.

Skills

Broadcast systems support

Communication with diverse audiences

Out-of-hours operational support

Knowledge management utilization

Incident response leadership

Tools

Video editing software

Networking tools

Remote access technologies

Job description

JOB BAND: D • CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time • DEPARTMENT: Technology Operations – Studio & Broadcast Infrastructure • LOCATION: London, Broadcasting House • PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £48,700- £58,700 • Interviews to take place from 26th January 2026

BBC EXTEND

This role is advertised as part of our BBC Extend programme for disabled people. To apply for this role you should identify as deaf, disabled or neurodivergent and must meet either the definition of disability in the Equality Act (2010) or the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) if applying in Northern Ireland. You are broadly defined as disabled under both acts if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long‑term negative or adverse effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. This definition includes both apparent and non‑apparent conditions and medical conditions such as Cancer, HIV or Multiple Sclerosis. We are committed to making the process of applying for this role as accessible as possible. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the application process, or have any questions about our Extend programme, please contact [e-mail]. The BBC are fully committed to providing workplace adjustments to help eliminate barriers that disabled people face. We have a dedicated BBC Access and Disability Service that provides assessments and support throughout employment. If you are successful and require workplace adjustments, we will work with you to put them in place. For more information on BBC Extend, please visit the BBC Extend webpage. EX2324

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

Technology Operations provides support for TV and radio studios broadcast infrastructure, digital production systems, other core broadcast facilities and PC and Mac desktops across domestic and international offices. As a Senior Operations Engineer (SOE) you will be familiar with the W1 support arrangements and proficient in supporting the production teams and workflows. Your role is also to ensure documentation is up to date and co‑ordinate new services from specialist teams and project engineers; when required, update documentation with any changes. Periodically we require you to engage and encourage junior engineers or newer team members, helping them to understand complex technology systems through guided overviews, coaching or use of our knowledge‑management database.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

Studio Broadcast & Infrastructure Engineers deliver a high‑quality support service on behalf of the BBC. They ensure that equipment and systems used to create, capture, manipulate and distribute BBC content meet targets for availability, performance and safety. Technicians, Engineers and Senior Engineers support and enable multi‑media production and broadcast activities, ensuring the BBC provides a quality service to its audience. As an SOE, you will act as a point of contact for production teams and help co‑ordinate resources alongside duty team leaders. Engineers use innovation, creativity and change to develop solutions to incidents, problems and safety management. As an SOE you support engineers to maintain and manage current and developing technology, undertaking engineering design and development of systems and services where appropriate.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Proficient knowledge of supporting broadcast systems and technologies within live TV, Radio or multimedia currently in use in BBC studios and technical areas.
• Able to explain information to technical and non‑technical audiences, including communicating with large, diverse audiences during incidents and acting as the point of contact for operational management.
• Accountable for out‑of‑hours support for the operational team, management of internal and audience services and duty of care to engineering colleagues in the absence of the Team Lead Operations Engineer.
• Proficient in utilising the knowledge‑management database and ensuring updates are added with relevant changes or known errors.
• Lead the response to service disruption and support proactive measures to prevent recurrence, keeping a keen awareness of broadcast requirements and informing production colleagues of persistent outages.

DESIRED:

• Ensure the Health and Safety at Work Act, Working Time Directive and other workplace legislation is observed; responsible for ensuring risk assessments and/or method statements are completed, reviewed and meet BBC standards.
• Considerable experience diagnosing and fixing technically complex problems across a variety of broadcast systems, especially large‑scale IP‑based Video & Audio production systems and traditional broadcast infrastructure.
• Diagnostic competency with file‑based video editing (e.g. Quantel & Apple), media management systems, Graphics (e.g. VizRT), TV Studio Channel Automation (e.g. Mosart). Familiarity with camera automation and robotic systems (e.g. Shotoku, Furio) is preferable.
• Good knowledge of networking, AoIP, Dante, MADI and diagnostic tools (e.g. Wireshark). Familiarity with remote access support using VPN, MSTSC, iLO and VMware.
• Excellent ability to identify broadcast requirements and recognise whether these can be met effectively from resources, timescales, skills and funds available within the engineering team.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct employment screening checks which include reference checks; eligibility to work checks; and, if applicable, safeguarding and adverse media/social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and will give priority consideration to those employees, alongside anyone at risk of redundancy, before considering non‑redundant candidates.

Life at BBC

At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract.

Find out more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

You belong

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better we can respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief.

Find out more about diversity, inclusion, and belonging in our strategy below.

Disability confident

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact [e-mail].

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.