Manager, Compression Engineering

Warner Bros. Discovery; Sterling (IL); On-site; USD 93,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Retirement savings plan

Paid holidays

Job summary

Warner Bros. Discovery in Sterling, VA seeks a Manager of Compression Engineering to lead a multi-team engineering group responsible for stability, evolution and strategic direction of compression and monitoring platforms.

This senior role partners with Architecture, Distribution Operations and Live Events to deliver scalable, future-ready solutions. The position requires 5+ years in video compression, strong MPEG expertise, and on-site availability in Sterling.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in video compression or broadcast distribution.
• 5+ years leading engineering teams.
• Deep MPEG technologies expertise.
• Hands-on experience with DigiCipher, PowerVu, or Harmonic.
• Strong executive-level communication skills.
• Experience supporting 24/7 mission-critical environments.
• On-site availability in Sterling, VA.
• Willingness to participate in on-call leadership rotations.

Responsibilities

• Provide oversight of staff scheduling and project direction.
• Interface with operational management to determine user requirements.
• Maintain SOPs for compression systems maintenance and emergency action procedures.
• Drive accountability, operational excellence, continuous improvement, and technical innovation.
• Partner with Architecture, Cloud Engineering, Distribution Operations, and Live Events to ensure scalable, resilient solutions.
• Review system design documents including drawings and layouts.
• Establish standardized testing, acceptance, and deployment practices across regions.
• Manage and operate all compression technology in use at Discovery communications.
• Identify trends in outages and document them for improvement.
• Ensure robust monitoring, telemetry, alerting, and reporting frameworks.
• Develop and administer training for new TOC and Distribution Engineering staff.

Skills

Video compression

Broadcast distribution

Engineering leadership

MPEG technologies

DigiCipher

PowerVu

Harmonic

Executive communication

Tools

Visio

Lucidchart

AutoCAD

Job description

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

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.

Your New Role…

The Manager, Compression Engineeringis a senior people and technical leader responsible for the stability, evolution, and strategic direction of WBD’s global compression and monitoring platforms. This role leads a multi‑team engineering organization and owns service reliability, operational readiness, and long‑term technology execution across a complex broadcast and IP distribution ecosystem.

Operating with WBD’s “One Team” mindset, this leader partners closely with Architecture, Distribution Operations, Global Broadcast Engineering, and Live Events Engineering to define and deliver next‑generation compression and transport strategies. The role serves as the highest escalation point for compression operations and live event readiness and plays a key role in shaping WBD’s future distribution capabilities.

Your Role Accountabilities…

Organizational Leadership & People Management

• Provide oversight of all staff scheduling and direction on project execution.
• Interfacing with operational management to determine user requirements.
• Maintain and create Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) for Compression systems maintenance, and emergency action procedures.
• Drive a culture of accountability, operational excellence, continuous improvement, and technical innovation.

Technology Strategy & Platform Evolution

• Conduct testing of new technologies relating to compression systems as directed by Senior Management.
• Partner with Architecture, Cloud Engineering, Distribution Operations, and Live Events to ensure scalable, resilient, and future‑ready solutions.
• Review of system design documents including single line drawings, cable schedules and equipment layouts.
• Establish and enforce standardized testing, acceptance, and deployment practices across regions.

Operational Excellence & Service Reliability

• Manage, maintain and operate all compression technology in use at Discovery communications.
• Identify and document trends in service affecting outages.
• Ensure robust monitoring, telemetry, alerting, and reporting frameworks are in place and continuously improved.
• Develop and administer training seminars and courses to successfully indoctrinate new TOC and Distribution Engineering staff members on the daily operations and functions of DCL’s compression systems

Portfolio, Vendor, & Financial Management

• Take part in vendor and equipment selection
• Lead strategic vendor relationships, including contract negotiations, performance governance, and SLA accountability.
• Own budget planning and financial oversight for hardware, software, cloud services, and lifecycle investments.
• Provide clear reporting on operational performance, reliability metrics, and program execution.

Cross‑Functional Partnership & Enterprise Alignment

• Ensure operational and technical readiness for major global broadcasts, live sports, and high‑visibility premieres.
• Coordinate across global sites to maintain consistent standards, performance, and service quality.
• Supports Regional Affiliate Sales teams on an as needed basis.

Qualifications & Experiences…

Required

• 5+ years of experience in video compression, broadcast distribution, or related engineering disciplines.
• 5+ years of experience leading engineering teams, including managers or senior‑level engineers.
• Deep expertise in MPEG technologies, baseband video/audio/metadata, and IP video transport.
• Hands‑on experience with DigiCipher, PowerVu, Harmonic, or comparable compression systems.
• Strong strategic leadership, operational judgment, and executive‑level communication skills.
• Experience supporting 24/7/365 mission‑critical environments with global scope.
• On‑site availability in Sterling, VA, including support during emergencies or major events.
• Willingness to participate in on‑call leadership rotations as required.

Preferred

• Experience with cloud‑based video and hybrid broadcast/streaming workflows.
• Familiarity with RF uplink/downlink, satellite distribution, and IP contribution networks.
• Experience with SNMP‑based monitoring platforms and telemetry pipelines.Proficiency with design and documentation tools (e.g., Visio, Lucidchart, AutoCAD).
• Experience supporting global live sports or other high‑profile broadcast events.

Additional Information

This position is designated essential. On‑site presence may be required during inclement weather, emergencies, or major broadcast events to ensure business continuity.

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discovery’s total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $92,750.00 - $172,250.00 salary per year.

• Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards.
• In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation.