ABC Network Daily Hire Maintenance Engineer

Job Description:

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally.

The team marries technology with creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world. 

Here are a few reasons why we think you’d love working here:

Building the future of Disney’s media: Our Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come. Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disney’s technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the company’s brands and stories. Disney+. Hulu. ESPN. ABC. ABC News…and many more. These products and brands – and the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry – matter to millions of people globally.  Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms, and solve complex and distinctive technical problems.

ABC Network (Los Angeles) provides professional targeted engineering and support to production, postproduction and broadcast departments in the Los Angeles area. ABC values strong, dynamic, dedicated individuals that get the “always on” TV business.

This Maintenance Engineer supports a stage production by performing critical and preventative maintenance and troubleshooting across all types of studio video and audio equipment. Responsibilities include numerous systems, such as playout technology, studios, production control rooms, remote production, post-production, contribution/distribution systems, production software, and more. The maintenance engineer position works closely under the direction of managers to maintain technology that efficiently and effectively delivers on the requirements set forth by technical, business or operations leaders

***This is Daily Hire role. A Daily Hire is an employee hired to work on a daily basis with no requirement of a regular schedule.***

Responsibilities of the Role:

• Resolve issues that affect production, broadcast, and content distribution networks, including system outages, malfunctions, and related technical problems, as well as to conduct diagnostic testing, repair, and perform replacement activities necessary to solve routine, specialized, and complex problems.
• Analyze and troubleshoot streaming audio/video signals in traditional SDI and IP 2110 essence flow routing environments.
• Specify and procure equipment, supplies, and materials for media technology systems within budget guidelines; receive and maintain equipment and supplies.
• Assist in the development and implementation of policies and procedures regarding technology facilities, with a focus on maximizing the integration of all systems to meet business, marketing, and entertainment goals.
• Provide operational support of all activities related to operating, maintaining, and programming audio and video production/distribution systems across the enterprise and other connected properties.
• Utilize system software health and performance monitoring platforms; troubleshoot and participate in repairing system problems and failures, participate in maintenance of systems, install software patches, updates etc., to resolve and avoid service problems, and troubleshoot system issues as they relate to these services.
• Perform upgrades to system hardware and software workflows under the supervision of a more-experienced engineer or supervisor.
• Must have a solid foundation of TCP/IP fundamentals - able to place, move, and address devices as needed.
• Participate in complex engineering projects at the direction of more-experienced engineers.
• Review, maintain, and contribute to system/workflow documentation.
• Participate in training and development objectives. Conduct peer training and development sessions.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, growth environment with minimal direction, delivering under tight deadlines while multitasking, prioritizing projects, and communicating priority updates to team members.
• Able to operate with limited resources, exhibit dispassionate critical thinking, and creatively solve problems. Motivated and inventive, always finds a way forward—eternal optimist with a committed drive for contributing and making a difference.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3 years of demonstrated and relevant experience in ensuring efficient design/build, uptime, and overall stability of the technical environments of live media production and distribution.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent major, and/or equivalent work experience.
• Experience with component-level electronic bench repair.
• Electronic modification and design are a plus.
• Must be able to respond to immediate time-critical demands with a calm urgency to avoid delays in production.

• Familiarity with SDI video distribution and transmission.
  • Evertz frame synchronizers and video distribution amplifiers.
  • For-A color correction.
  • Leader and Tektronix waveform monitors and vectorscopes.
  • Time code and reference distribution.
  • Evertz master clock and character generators.
• Familiarity with analog and AES digital audio routing and processing.
  • Studer Vista V audio mixing console.
  • AES embedding and de-embedding of SDI video.
  • Wohler analog and digital audio monitors.
  • Shure wireless transmitters, receivers, and Wireless Workbench 6.
  • Mic/line audio level differentiation and applications.
  • Audio gain structure.
• Sony HDC4300 cameras and associated devices - HDCU, BPU, MSU, RCP.
  • Sony viewfinders, Fujinon box and handheld lenses.
• Vinten Quatro and Fulmar pedestals and Merlin crane arm.
• Stanton Jimmy Jib.
• Evertz VIP multiviewers, Magnum controllers, and Xenon routers.
  • Camera and record tally routing and assignment.
• Riedel wireless intercoms - beltpacks, antennas, and I/O devices.
• RTS Adam Intercom frames - ADAM-M.
  • RTS GPI I/O, RTS Telex, KP96 Stations.
• Grass Valley Kayak switchers and CP300 routers.
• Equipment deployment and remote operation
• Broadcast network operations and engineering live transmission.
• RF CATV systems: Encoders and spectrum analyzers.
• Cable termination: BNC Coaxial, XLR audio, RJ45 UTP, Elco audio, F-Type coaxial RF, TRS audio connectors and stereo plugs.
  • SMPTE 311M hybrid and single mode SC/ST/FC connectors are a plus.
• Scripting proficiency will be an advantage (Python, NodeJS, Bash, PowerShell).
• Knowledge of and experience with integrating, implementing, and refreshing broadcast control room equipment, including familiarity with modern broadcast cabling infrastructure used in broadcast environments.
• Proficient in SMPTE standards for broadcast television and video production/streaming environments, with a current certification – including, but not limited to, ST 292M, ST 424M, ST 2110, ST 2059, IEE1588, ST 2022-7, SCTE-104, etc.
• Knowledge of and experience with compression codecs, such as MPEG2/4, HEVC, JPEG 2000, and JPEG XS.
• Knowledge of and experience with Evertz software control systems, such as frame control via VistaLink or Magnum, EQX/EXE routers, and monitoring software (VLPRO, SDVN, VIP, VUE, MVP).
• Knowledge of and experience with major media systems and the vendors that supply them, including asset management systems, file-based workflows, media acquisition, encoding, transcoding, graphics, and NAS/SAN technologies.
• Knowledge of and experience with Nielsen (NACAT), VANC equipment, Linear Acoustics, and other related systems.
• Knowledge of and experience with integrated receiver decoders (IRDs), core devices, edge devices, audio and video media file formats, video and audio timing systems desired.
• Ability to read, create, and maintain technical drawing/documentation (AutoCAD and other similar tools).
• Advanced track record for designing utilizing IP-based broadcast equipment, including one or more of the following:
  • Routers, switchers, audio boards, signal processers, encoders, decoders, video scalers, playback systems, etc.
  • Studio technology, video walls, cameras, image processing systems, touch screens, lighting, etc.
  • File-based workflows, such as enterprise media asset management systems (cloud-based, cloud compute, local network-based), including storage, compute, encode, and distribution.
  • Production control systems, such as Imagine Communications or Grass Valley automation systems, Riedel trunking, Lawo, Calrec, Evertz, Ross, and others.
  • Transmission systems, such as RF (radio frequency), satellite, fiber, etc.
• Physical requirements and work environment: Must have the ability to climb ladders, work on raised structures and roofs of buildings, and operate aerial lift platforms. Must be able to operate motor vehicles (must have a valid California driver license).
• Must be willing to work flexible hours including nights, weekends, holidays as part of a 24/7 operation

#Disney Tech

The pay rate for this role in Los Angeles is $63 per hour. Select benefits may be provided as part of the compensation package, such as medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered. To learn more about our benefits visit: https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits.