POSITION IDENTIFICATION
TITLE Chief Engineer – TV & Radio
CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 5080
GRADE 37
CLASSIFICATION Exempt
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Director of Broadcast Services
GENERAL FUNCTION
The Chief Engineer – TV & Radio ensures that the technical facilities of Ozarks Public Broadcasting (OPB), comprised of Ozarks Public Television (OPT) and KSMU Radio, operates at the highest quality within required guidelines and within the established budget. The Chief Engineer - TV & Radio - provides daily management and supervision of operations and technical staff. This position administers a large unit of employees where the nature of the managerial work involves providing general direction for other supervisory personnel. The Chief Engineer role has substantial responsibility for the operation of a unit including responsibility for the budgeting process, budgetary and inventory control, purchasing, and regulatory compliance, as well as administrative authority over staffing issues and disciplinary outcomes.
MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Electronics, Applied Science, or a related field is required; a Master’s degree in Electronics, Applied Science, or a related field is preferred. An equivalent combination of years of experience and education may be considered for substitution of educational requirements.
Experience: At least four years of experience as a broadcast engineer is required. Supervisory experience is required. Experience developing and monitoring capital and operations budgets is required. Knowledge of the principles, and documented experience working with emerging technical advances, and methods of television and radio production technology is required.
Skills: The ability to manage multiple projects and employees with different skills and job function is required. The ability to design, procure, install, and maintain broadcast facilities is required. Effective oral and written communication skills are required. Skill in using a variety of test equipment, hand tools, and an understanding of the operation, maintenance, and repair of broadcast equipment is required. Grant writing skills preferred.
Effort: Occasional long hours may be required for maintenance or repair of equipment and transmission facilities. Must be able to lift and move heavy equipment weighing up to 50 pounds on a weekly basis, assisting others, or using devices to move heavier objects on an occasional basis. Must have vision correctable to read test equipment meters and gauges and sufficient mobility and coordination to operate hand tools. Access to reliable transportation and a telephone are required.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Ensures the highest quality television and radio transmission by overseeing the daily operations of the engineering and master control functions.2. Ensures that broadcast equipment is maintained and operates within broadcast standards and guidelines provided by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other regulatory agencies by developing, scheduling, performing, and supervising routine, preventive, and emergency maintenance of technical equipment located in the studios and at transmitter sites.
3. Ensures stations remain in regulatory compliance by maintaining the required FCC documents for daily operations, updating federal agencies that have funded equipment, and filing reports with the FCC and other federal and local agencies as required.
4. Responsibility for exercising primary control over a limited budget, including developing budgets and distributing budgetary funds for the capital equipment budget for OPB based on input from all station departments by researching current and new technologies in the broadcast and media production industries,
5. Develops processes to assure the future of Ozarks Public Broadcasting by coordinating major activities across units that directly impact the design, budget planning, development, and technical considerations, of production and broadcast facilities.
6. Ensures high quality broadcasts by recommending the purchase of equipment, parts, and supplies as needed, assuring that purchases are within the constraints of the operating budget, developing plans for the installation of new and replacement equipment, and creating technical plans and wiring diagrams, as needed.
7. Prepares specifications for bids, recommending the purchase of equipment, designing, and updating CAD drawings, developing installation plans, and installing the equipment.
8. Coordinates grants and other sources of funding for the purchase of broadcast and production equipment by researching available grants and preparing grant applications.
9. Ensures the continuing operation of stations by ensuring appropriate on-call coverage and providing technical advice for staff on-call.
10. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development seminars, and attending training and/or courses as required by the General Manager-KSMU and Ozarks Public Television.
11. Helps to ensure the continued success of OPT by performing all other duties as assigned.
SUPERVISION
The Chief Engineer – TV & Radio supervises various full-time, part-time and student professional and technical staff in both TV and Radio.
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
REVIEWED JANUARY 2026
