Operations Director

Current Newspaper; San Luis Obispo (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

KCBX in San Luis Obispo seeks an Operations Director to supervise the daily broadcast and streaming operations, acting as Chief Operator and ensuring FCC compliance and regulatory accuracy.

You will diagnose failures, coordinate programming, and provide IT support to staff and volunteers while maintaining operational reliability and quality across all platforms.

Qualifications

• Three or more years in radio operations with direct responsibility for keeping a station running.
• Hands-on automation experience with ENCO, WideOrbit, Zetta, or Rivendell.
• Working knowledge of FCC rules for non-commercial stations, including EAS and the public file.
• Digital audio production and multi-track editing skills.
• Degree in broadcasting/communications or five years of demonstrable equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily broadcast operations across FM, HD, and streaming to ensure accurate airing and quality.
• Serve as principal operator for ENCO DAD, maintaining clocks and schedules.
• Maintain FCC compliance, EAS testing, logs, and operator records.
• Manage scheduling, airing, and documentation of programs and underwriting credits with the development team.
• Train staff and volunteers on consoles, studios, and production tools.

Skills

Radio operations

Automation configuration

FCC compliance

Audio production

Staff training

Troubleshooting

Problem solving

Early hours availability

Education

Broadcasting degree or equivalent experience

Tools

ENCO DAD

WideOrbit

Zetta

Rivendell

Streaming platforms

Job description

KCBX is seeking an Operations Director to oversee the daily operation of its broadcast and streaming services. As the Operations Director, you’ll own the technical and regulatory side of the broadcast day and serve as the station's Chief Operator — covering ground that larger stations divide among several people. You keep the broadcast day accurate, technically clean, and compliant with FCC requirements; you execute programming; and you provide technical instruction and IT support to staff and volunteers.

This is the position that diagnoses a failure at 5:45 a.m., tells station leadership what a proposed schedule change will actually take, and keeps the systems running reliably enough that no one has to think about them.

Primary Responsibilities

• Daily broadcast operations. Ensure that programming airs accurately and at appropriate technical quality across FM, HD, and streaming, including network carriage, local breaks, and operational continuity through holidays, emergencies, and pledge drives.
• Automation administration. Serve as principal operator and troubleshooter for the ENCO DAD system, building and maintaining the clocks, and schedules.
• FCC compliance and recordkeeping. Serve as Chief Operator, with responsibility for EAS testing and logs, required cybersecurity controls, and the station's operational records.
• Traffic and continuity. Manage the scheduling, airing, reconciliation, and documentation of programs, underwriting credits, promotional announcements, and station messaging in coordination with the development team.
• Technical instruction and documentation. Train all on-air staff and volunteers in the operation of the consoles, studios, and production tools; maintain current operating procedures and documentation; and cross-train staff so essential functions continue during absences.
• Production support. Produce station imaging, promotional spots, and fundraising elements, and provide technical support for local programming, remote broadcasts, and on-air fund drives.
• Additional station operational support. Serve as a fill-in on-air host, the in-house technology lead, station safety officer, and provide facilities support.

Required Qualifications

• Three or more years in radio operations, traffic, production, or a closely related role, with direct responsibility for keeping a station running.
• Hands-on automation experience at the configuration level — ENCO, WideOrbit, Zetta, Rivendell, or comparable. What matters is that you have built and repaired schedules, not only operated them.
• Working knowledge of FCC rules for non-commercial stations, including EAS, the public file, underwriting identification, and sponsorship identification.
• Digital audio production and multi-track editing skill.
• The patience to teach console and studio operation to people of every technical comfort level, volunteers included, and ability to operate a broadcast board, with sufficient experience to troubleshoot for staff operators.
• Independent judgment to diagnose and resolve problems.
• Availability to work early mornings, weekends, holidays, and occasional off-hours for transmitter and other technical emergencies.
• A degree in broadcasting, communications, or a related field, or five years of demonstrable equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Public radio experience and familiarity with Content Depot and PRX. Prior service as Chief Operator. Comfort with transmitter-site coordination, STLs, and remote broadcasts. Music licensing and metadata knowledge. Experience in producing for on-air fund drives. Experience with Grove, the NPR website platform.

Reports to General Manager Status: Full-time Classification: Exempt Effective date: ASAP Supervises: Operations staff, various volunteers and other staff as needed. Deadline to apply: October 29, 2026, 5:00 PM PT Location: San Luis Obispo, CA (on-site).