What are the responsibilities and job description for the MEDIA SYSTEMS ENGINEER - KOLN/KSNB position at Gray Local Media, Inc?
About Gray Media:
Gray Media, or Gray, is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, formally known as Gray Television, Inc. The company is the nation's largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 113 television markets that collectively reach approximately 36 percent of US television households. The portfolio includes 77 markets with the top-rated television station and 100 markets with the first and/or second-highest-rated television station, as well as the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 45 markets totaling nearly 1.5 million Hispanic TV Households. The company also owns Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Gray's additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.
About KOLN/KSNB:
KOLN is the CBS affiliate in the Lincoln, Hastings, Kearney market. Located in the thriving capital city of Lincoln, the station is the area`s dominant news leader, with number one newscasts in every daypart. The 1011NOW news brand is well-known throughout the region as a trusted source for quality news, weather, and sports coverage.
Job Summary/Description:
Are you the kind of person who sees a complex technical glitch and thinks, "Challenge accepted"? Do you dream in gigabytes and broadcast frequencies, and thrive on the adrenaline of keeping a 24/7 operation running flawlessly? We’re looking for a Media Systems Engineer to be the technological heartbeat of our central and western Nebraska stations. Whether it’s maintaining massive tower sites or ensuring a live stream hits every phone in the state, you’ll be the wizard behind the curtain, making sure our communities stay connected and informed.
Duties/Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Master the infrastructure: Maintain and evolve broadcast systems across Hastings, Grand Island, North Platte, and every tower site in between (yes, you’re the guardian of the signal!).
• Drive technical innovation: Don’t just fix things—improve them. You’ll execute a strategic plan to keep our technology modern, digital-first, and ahead of the curve.
• Support the storytellers: Provide expert engineering for studios, post-editing suites, and field production teams so they can focus on telling great stories.
• Own the live moment: Ensure every piece of gear is ready for the spotlight during live broadcasts and streaming events, documenting and crushing technical hurdles before they hit the air.
• Stay compliant and sharp: Keep us in the good graces of the FCC and FAA by managing all regulatory requirements for our tech components.
• Monitor the pulse: Keep a close eye on multiple air channels and transmitters, ensuring our "on-air" product is always high-quality and high-definition.
• Bridge the IT gap: Use your deep knowledge of server and desktop operating systems to keep our newsgathering, weather, and graphic systems running at peak performance.
Qualifications/Requirements:
• The Foundation: An engineering or electronics degree (or equivalent experience) plus 2-3 years in the broadcast or professional tech world.
• Digital Fluency: You’re a pro with IP-based video/audio transport and streaming technologies—you know the future of media is multi-platform.
• Cool Under Pressure: When the "On Air" light is red, and something breaks, you’re the calmest person in the room.
• A Strategic Mindset: You’re detail-oriented, self-motivated, and always thinking two steps ahead of the next technical update.
• Communication Skills: You can explain complex tech to a non-technical producer without breaking a sweat.
• Road Warrior Spirit: You’ve got a clean driving record and are ready to hop in a company vehicle to support our Nebraska properties (with the occasional overnight stay).
• 24/7 Readiness: You understand that news doesn’t stop at 5:00 PM and are ready to support a round-the-clock operation.
If you feel you’re qualified and want to work with a great group of people, go to https://gray.tv/careers#currentopenings, you may type in the job title, station call letters, or click on "apply now", upload your resume, cover letter, and references
(Current employees who are interested in this position can apply through the Gray-TV UltiPro self-service portal)
KOLN/KSNB-TV/Gray Media is a drug-free company
Additional Info:
Gray Media provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Gray Media complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Gray Media expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Gray’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.