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Pioneer PBS invites applications for the position of Director of Engineering. This position is responsible for the technical management of the station, including the operation of the broadcast facility and technical quality of all material leaving the station via transmission, stream, or file for Pioneer PBS.  The Director of Engineering oversees the maintenance of all technical equipment and ensures that the station follows current FCC regulations.

Pioneer PBS is based in Granite Falls, Minnesota and operates transmitters in Western Minnesota: KWCM-Appleton (Channel 10) and KSMN-Worthington (Channel 20), and translator K-08 near Fergus Falls. As a full member of PBS and a community licensee, the station has been operated by the nonprofit West Central Minnesota Educational Television Company since it went on the air in 1966. With a staff of 25 and an operating budget of nearly $3 million, the station produces seven local series. Local productions have earned Upper Midwest Emmy Awards for the past seven years in a row, with three Emmy awards in 2019 alone. Over the past four years, the station eliminated long-term debt, finished its first-ever capital campaign, and moved into a new 18,000-square foot state-of-the-art studio facility on six acres of land in the scenic Minnesota River Valley.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• • Provides overall supervision and coordination of studio and transmission sites
  • Creates annual department and capital budget, and evaluating equipment needs
  • Establishes preventive maintenance for station equipment; guides and directs others to do the same.
  • Reviews technical discrepancy reports from operations and maintenance daily
  • Responds to emergency repair calls pertaining to Operational or Technical issues.
  • Supervises studio and transmitter building grounds custodian.
  • Maintains a neat, clean and organized workplace.
  • Performs inspections of transmitters to ensure proper calibration.
  • Maintains or supervises maintenance of computer systems in studio and at transmitters.
  • Maintains or supervises maintenance of studio equipment, satellite receive systems, remote production equipment, and associated transmission equipment.
  • Informs General Manger of industry changes, designs and installs new systems as required. 
  • Assists the General Manager in technical equipment budgeting preparation.
  • Other duties as assigned and within realm of job.

Experience and requirements

• Completion of two years of college or graduation from trade school with technical degree in electronics technology or equivalent and 5-7 years of related employment experience.

• Strong written communication skills are required to compose technical letters to manufacturers of engineering and communications equipment regarding problems with or evaluations of equipment, as well as to write memos and prepare reports. 
• Excellent phone skills required for dealing with manufacturing companies. 
• Ability to effectively communicate with all employees and external partners, vendors and other key stakeholders of Pioneer PBS.
• Excellent organizational skills in preparing work guidelines and schedules, as well as records, reports, and inventory control. 
• Ability to analyze budgets and bid proposals. 
• Must be able to quickly determine the solution to complex problems and emergency situations. 
• Mobility and physical stamina necessary to facilitate driving to remote locations, carrying 70-80 pounds of test equipment, climbing buildings and hoisting the equipment across difficult-to-access areas, even in adverse weather conditions. 
• Ability to operate Broadcast test equipment, interpret results, and take corrective action.

Reports to:   General Manager

Direct Reports: Programming Director; Operations and Engineering Director; Broadcast Engineer; Facility Maintenance Manager

HOW TO APPLY:

Send cover letter, resume and references to Pioneer Public Television, Human Resources, 1 Pioneer Drive, Granite Falls, MN 56241 or e-mail to dmonahan@pioneer.org.  Review to begin immediately.    

Please apply by August 14, 2020

Pioneer PBS is an Equal Opportunity Employer