Principal Technician - South African Broadcasting Corporation

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MAIN PURPOSE OF POSITION

• To maintain and support the various departments and facilities within PCS and lease with the internal and external clients.
• Interpretation of tactical needs to enhance and promote technology infrastructures and customer user requirements and specifications
• Provide technical and operational support to Broadcast Clients (internal and external) to coordinate/plan/setup/prepare/record and playout of broadcast material in support of all platforms with expected standards and available facilities and equipment.
• Provide oversight, planning and control over the day-to-day operations of PCS.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Ability to effectively execute component-level repairs on broadcast equipment.
• Above average rating on SLA reviews.
• Design innovative solutions and plan of in-area system projects with implementation and monitoring to their completion on-time and within constraints

• Ensure fault reports to safeguard department facilities, equipment functionality and any shortfalls are adequately addressed.
• Send and receive audio/visual material to and from RMC and MCR.
• Plan, obtain, setup, test and operate facility equipment (POC).
• Setup and operate audio and IP cameras for internal and external broadcasts.
• Full and comprehensive understanding of mic placements and industry best practises.
• Guide and set up in the field programming, recordings, mixing and front-of-house for all audio requirements.
• Monitor sound/video quality to broadcast standards.
• Setup mix-minus and program audio mixing consoles.
• Operating digital playout systems.
• Understanding of Audio/Visual final mix, performed in accordance with customer requirements & broadcast standards.
• On time delivery of production equipment and material, within scope & within specifications.
• Contribute to procurement of correct digital solution in line with customer requirements & Company Procurement policy & procedures.
• Support of comprehensive multi-layered drama productions with FX, music and different audio streams.
• Plan and execute recordings in accordance with customer requirements and broadcast standards.
• Provide operational designs, risks, migration requirements, project implementations plan, integration system implementations, commissioning and workflows to deliver on functional requirements and avoid on-air disruptions.
• Implement and test DR an BC strategies.

Systems Support and Maintenance:

•  Prevention of on-air technical faults to less than agreed SLA %.
• Response time to match urgency for technical assistance in accordance with delivery. requirements (in support of the % availability of the on-air systems). 
• Effective technical advice & support to users to reduce downtime.
• Correct configuration & testing of digital equipment to ensure less than agreed % of technical on-air faults
• Compliance of upgrades with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications to ensure integrations with internal broadcasts systems
• Ensure virus free, secure, functional, streamlined and reliable digital systems
• Establish and sustain compatibility & integration between all digital systems
• Ongoing assessment of system functionality through logs & system checks
• Proper analysis of daily fault reports to identify & address non-compliance
• Technical inputs & specifications to support procurement of correct equipment and software.  
• Prevent re-occurring issues and workflow processes with the design of innovative solutions.
• Monitor and control compliance with agreed planned & preventative maintenance schedule.
• Monthly controlled digital equipment and systems failover tests to promote reliable system resilience and ensure full functional, reliable and backup recovery is always sustained.
• Daily analysis of report logs and equipment against checklist to determine system health/ availability to identify and proactively correct non-compliance. 
• Monthly report of maintenance, system integrity and health of digital systems.
• Daily/ Monthly backup of all system data in line with Broadcast Continuity.
• Ensure Compliance of maintenance with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications and digital system requirements.
• Development of checklists to promote proactive system health checks to ensure preventative and corrective initiatives.
• Quarterly review and update of all technical documentation.
• Design, update and monitor workflow drawing and technical drawing accuracy.   
• Daily shift and monthly reporting of faults, tasks, risks, red flag escalations and status progress of deliverables.  
• Design and assist (when required) with rigging of facilities, ensuring the efficient and effective functionality and subsequently dismantling of the complete infrastructure without existing facility disruptions (For OB facilities safe return to the SABC base).
• Support (when required) all Outside Broadcast infrastructure to operate and adhere to technical, operational and safety specifications, maximising the utilisation of facilities and resources for successful recording, production and broadcast.

Operational:

• Identify and coordinate operational production requirements.
• Provide operational submissions to Line Manager regarding Business Unit Strategy input in alignment with the Corporate Plan, the Target Operating Model and the Target Technology's.
• Specialised Sound/Video skills, e.g. Artists Recording, Font of House, Webinars, Internal/External Live Broadcasts, etc
• Submission of ad-hoc incidence fault reports and resolutions to line manager as required.
• Accurate monthly reporting on deliverables (broadcast, recording, production and postproduction), non-conformance & flagging of potential risks with provided solutions/mitigations.
• Contribute to service delivery standards and guide the team to achieve them.
• Participate in Capex project and system execution, commissioning and operational workflows to deliver on functional requirements and avoid on-air disruptions.
• Monitor adherence to OHS and compliance with SABC Company Policies & Procedures

Finance Motivations:

• Contribute to Opex and Capex Plans.
• Capex and Opex contribution to project scope and development.
• Finance Motivations.
• Proper investigation & acceptable explanation of budget for motivations.
• Accurate submission of Capex & Opex inputs into departmental budget.
• Opex contribution to ensure broadcast systems sustainability.

Reasearch and innovation:

• Designing fit-for-purpose innovative technical and operational solutions.
• Keep up with new technologies in the broadcast industry through research and POC's.

Oversight and compliance:

• Maintain discipline in accordance with company policies & procedures
• Provide documentation for reports, tracking and designs as per the requirements of the department.
• Monitor for schedule changes as per customer request.
• Escalate Risk findings reported with corrective treatment plans. 
• 95% of assets verified annually.
• Effective control and management of all assets.
• Customers served in an operational proficient, friendly and helpful manner.
• Monitor compliance of services rendered with customer request and address non-conformance.
• Operational assistance and guidance to customers regarding capability of facilities and to provide best operational options.
• Compliance with performance management policies and procedures.
• Performance agreements with manager annually.
• Formal reviews conducted with manager and documented as per deadlines (Quarterly).
• Individual operational training, coaching and mentoring conducted on an ongoing basis to meet individual team member's needs.

REQUIREMENTS:

• 3-year National Diploma (S4/T3) in Electrical Engineering (Light Current, Communications, Computer Studies or Information Technology) (NQF6).
• BTech for the Electrical Engineering for the above formal qualification an advantage.
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in technical broadcast environment, of the 7 years a minimum of 3 years as Senior Technician level in technical maintenance, system support of broadcasting equipment and client services within a Broadcast Environment. An excellent track record of dependable and sustained standby.
• Willing to do Standby and be rotated in other relevant applicable disciplines.
• Driver’s License.
• Physical attributes: Excellent hearing and eyesight (no colour blindness). Physically able.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a team and lead the team if required.
• Proficient in MS Office, i.e. Excel, Word, Outlook and Power Point.
• Ability to work under pressure and handle conflict.
• Willingness to work irregular hours and shifts to sustain 24/7 on-air facility environment.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• IT Network knowledge Essential. Computer literate (A+) and Network knowledge (N+)
• IT Network knowledge advantage CISCO CCNA (ICDN1 +ICDN2) certified.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a team and lead the team if required.
• AoIP networks (Dante, AXIA).
• Digital audio standards (AES3, SMPTE ST 2110 etc).
• Audio Archiving (Analogue and Digital).
• Advanced knowledge of legacy formats and equipment.
• Ability to repair, maintain and align legacy equipment.
• DHD consoles and routers.
• AVID hardware and ProTools.
• Apple hardware and software.
• Broadcast, production, recording and Archives studio equipment and audio flow.
• Experience with high-level events such as the Elections, summits and major sport events.
• AV podcast studios and equipment.
• Audio and video standards and formats.
• Synchronization in the digital environment.
• Assemble a personal computer and peripherals from modules.
• Calibration of broadcasting equipment.
• Apply the principles of trouble shooting for single user and multi-user computer operating systems. 
• Ability to develop and perform emergency procedures and troubleshooting.
• Performing and guiding Preventative & Corrective Maintenance of Equipment/Facilities.
• Facilitating Broadcast Operational and Technical Training.
• Project Implementation.
• Instrumentation including the maintenance and repairs to broadcast test and measurement equipment.
• Ability to setup and maintain the broadcast Windows Domain/s which includes the deployment of windows patches, Service Packs and the deployment of anti-virus software thereby mitigating the risk on the Broadcast.
• In-depth understanding and application of broadcast and production television. fundamentals, including analogue and digital, radio and television systems, metadata, audio and video (DTT, OTT and VOD Impact).
• A comprehensive understanding of analogue and digital television standards, file and on-line streaming formats and acquisition formats.
• Advanced knowledge & understanding of relevant internal (EBAF) and international standards (e.g. DVB, SMPTE, IEEE, EBU, ISO). 
• Develop, plan and provide Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans.
• Advanced knowledge, experience & understanding of broadcast facility design, system integrations aligned with international best practises.
• Knowledge & understanding of relevant Company policies /procedures
• Knowledge, understanding & application for office administrational tasks and communications.