Chief Broadcast Engineer & AI Innovations Lead

Wvtm 13; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401(k) matching

PTO

Job summary

WVTM Birmingham seeks a Chief Engineer to lead the station's engineering team in a fast-paced, live-broadcast environment. You will collaborate with department heads, oversee daily operations, and drive improvements in technology, reliability, and workflow efficiency.

The role requires budgeting, capital planning, and personnel management with a focus on future-ready, AI-informed solutions. Collaboration with Hearst Television leadership is expected.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in television broadcast engineering or related field with leadership experience.
• Experience with RF transmission, studio and newsroom tech, automation and IP-based workflows.
• Ability to manage budgets, vendor relations, and capital projects.
• Strong troubleshooting and decision-making under deadline pressure.
• Experience with live operations and after-hours support.

Responsibilities

• Lead the station's engineering team, including staffing, scheduling, AI adoption, performance feedback, training, and on-call coverage.
• Oversee reliability, maintenance, and lifecycle planning of broadcast, newsroom, production, automation, and transmission systems.
• Ensure FCC/EAS obligations, safety, and disaster recovery planning are met with proper documentation.
• Develop budgets and capital plans; evaluate improvements in IP-based workflows and emerging technologies; apply AI where appropriate.

Skills

Broadcast engineering

RF transmission

IP workflows

Cybersecurity

Budgeting

Education

College degree

Trade school diploma

Professional certificates

Military training

Tools

Broadcast automation

IP video

Cloud services

Job description

WVTM Birmingham seeks a Chief Engineer to lead the station's engineering team in a fast-paced, live-broadcast environment. You will collaborate with department heads, oversee daily operations, and drive improvements in technology, reliability, and workflow efficiency.

The role requires budgeting, capital planning, and personnel management with a focus on future-ready, AI-informed solutions. Collaboration with Hearst Television leadership is expected.