Teton Ridge is a visionary force in Western sports, entertainment, media, lifestyle, and equine culture, dedicated to growing the world of the American West to new fans. Our content and events engage a broad community of fans while preserving the traditions and legacy of the American West.
From large-scale events like The American Rodeo and The Performance Horseman to The Cowboy Channel, short films, digital and print media, and social-first content, Teton Ridge tells the stories of the rich culture of the American West. Join us in shaping the future of Western sports and entertainment!
Who You Are:
The Chief Engineer is the senior technical leader responsible for the uptime, performance, and evolution of all studio and broadcast technologies at The Cowboy Channel’s Fort Worth facility. This role owns the full engineering stack — from signal chain to cloud-based production workflows — and leads a team of two Broadcast Engineers in delivering reliable, high-quality technical operations.
This is a hands-on leadership position that blends deep broadcast engineering expertise with a collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset. The Chief Engineer works shoulder-to-shoulder with Producers and the Broadcast Operations team, serving as the trusted technical authority who understands production needs, clearly communicates technological capabilities and constraints, and proactively identifies creative, cost-effective solutions to elevate our output.
While on-site presence is essential during critical production windows and for hands-on infrastructure work, The Cowboy Channel recognizes that much of this role’s work — monitoring, troubleshooting, vendor coordination, planning — can be performed remotely. A hybrid work arrangement is supported provided on-premises coverage is maintained.
This role reports directly to the VP of IT as a critical infrastructure position within the organization.
What You'll Do:
Infrastructure & Systems Management
- Serve as the single point of accountability for uptime and reliability of all studio, control room, and broadcast transmission systems at the Fort Worth facility
- Architect, maintain, and continuously improve the broadcast technology stack including video routing, audio infrastructure, graphics systems, communications, and production control
- Develop and enforce preventive maintenance schedules, system documentation, and disaster recovery procedures
- Manage vendor relationships, service contracts, equipment procurement, and broadcast technology budgets
Team Leadership
- Directly manage and mentor a team of two Broadcast Engineers, fostering technical growth and operational excellence
- Establish on-call rotations and escalation procedures to ensure 24/7 coverage of critical systems
- Define workflows, standard operating procedures, and best practices for the engineering team
Production Partnership
- Partner closely with the VP of Live Events Production & Broadcast Operations to translate the organization's broadcast vision into engineered systems and technical reality
- Build and maintain close working relationships with Producers and the Broadcast Operations team
- Serve as the primary technical advisor during production planning, clearly setting realistic expectations on what is achievable from a technology standpoint
- Proactively propose creative, cost-effective technical solutions that enhance production quality and capabilities
- Provide real-time engineering support during live productions, including evenings and weekends as required by the broadcast schedule
Innovation & Technology Development
- Evaluate and integrate new technologies into the broadcast stack — there is a genuine opportunity to shape the technical direction of the facility
- Lead the implementation of cloud-based, REMI (Remote Integration Model), and IP-based production workflows
- Stay current with industry trends, emerging standards, and new products relevant to studio and live broadcast environments
- Recommend and drive capital improvement projects to modernize infrastructure
Availability & On-Call Requirements
- Available at all hours for emergency response and critical system failures
- Manage or directly oversee broadcast technology operations during late-night and weekend production hours
- Remote troubleshooting and monitoring is accepted and encouraged when on-premises presence is not required; however, the Chief Engineer must ensure adequate on-site engineering coverage at all times
- Minimum 5-7 years of professional experience in broadcast/studio engineering, with progressive responsibility
- Minimum 3 years in a supervisory or lead engineering role managing broadcast infrastructure and technical staff
- Deep, hands-on expertise with various broadcast systems, including but not limited to:
- Riedel communications and signal transport systems
- Dante audio networking
- Ross Video ecosystem, including Ultrix routing, Carbonite production switchers, XPression graphics, and Mira replay/highlights
- Sennheiser wireless microphone and in-ear monitoring systems
- Strong working knowledge of REMI (Remote Integration Model) production workflows
- Experience with vMix software-based production solutions
- Solid understanding of IP-based broadcast infrastructure (SMPTE ST 2110, NDI, PTP)
- Proven ability to manage vendor relationships, technology budgets, and equipment lifecycle planning
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills — this role requires earning the trust of non-technical production staff and clearly translating complex technical realities into actionable guidance
- Ability to remain calm, decisive, and effective under live production pressure
- Willingness to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays aligned with broadcast operations
- Experience with cloud-based production platforms and workflows (e.g., cloud playout, remote contribution, cloud graphics)
- Familiarity with broadcast automation systems
- Experience in a live sports or live events broadcast environment
- Knowledge of RF coordination and management for wireless systems in a multi-camera production setting
- SBE (Society of Broadcast Engineers) certification (CBTE, CBT, or equivalent)
- Experience building out or commissioning a new broadcast facility or studio
- Familiarity with IT/network infrastructure principles as they relate to modern broadcast environments (VLANs, multicast, QoS, network security)
Top Skills
What We Do
Teton Ridge is the premier Western sports media, lifestyle & entertainment company and home of the Cowboy Channel.
