Principal Technician - Western Cape at The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)

MAIN PURPOSE OF POSITION

• Effective & efficient support of technology, operations and resources to design, install, sustain and provide administration of broadcast systems/ facilities, equipment, servers and networks in order to ensure optimum, functional, secure and available facilities/ equipment for SABC Technology.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGY

• Contribute and provide (technical) submissions to Divisional Strategy in alignment with the Corporate Plan and the Target Operating Model.
• Contribute to the business strategical requirement to develop the Opex and Capex investments.
• Interpretation of tactical needs to enhance and promote technology infrastructures and customer user requirements and specifications.
• Investigate and interpret business requirements in accordance to functional requirements workflows and international best practices.

MANAGED PROJECT

• Capex and Opex involvement to input into the project scope development.
• Provide in Capex Project with designs, risks, migration requirements, project implementations plans, integration system implementations, commissioning and workflows to deliver on functional requirements and avoid on-air disruptions.
• Design innovative solutions and plan of in-area system projects with implementation and monitoring to their completion on-time and within constraints.

 FINANCE MOTIVATIONS

• Proper investigation & acceptable explanation of budget for motivations.
• Accurate calculation and submission of Capex & Opex inputs into departmental budget.
• Opex motivation submissions to ensure maintenance and systems sustainability.
• Minor Capex motivation submissions to ensure new requirements are addressed.
• Long-term maintenance matrix planning submissions to develop system and equipment life/cycle.
• Long-term Capex motivational planning submissions.
• Opex budget input to ensure adequate funds budgeting for future Financial Fiscal.
• Asset management control; oversight of tracking and transfers. Updated Asset Register maintained as per Company Asset Management policy.

MANAGED OPERATIONAL PERFOMANCE

• Agreed % of targets met; Agreed % of resources, equipment and facility availability
• Above average rating of SLA.
• Products, processes, practices & equipment in line with SABC technical & operational broadcast standards.
• Set service delivery standards and assist the team to achieve them.
• Submission of ad-hoc incidence fault reports and resolutions to customers as required.
• Accurate monthly reporting on deliverables (maintenance and tasks), non-conformance & flagging of potential risks with provided solutions/mitigations.
• Ensure fault reports in order to safeguard department facilities, equipment functional and shortfalls are adequately addressed.
• Design, plan and control the delivery of technical tasks and projects to their completion on time & within agreed specifications.
• Ongoing monitoring with preventative and corrective deliverables in accordance with overall maintenance plans for all the areas.
• Prevention of re-occurring faults and less than agreed fault target.
• Set service delivery standards and lead the team to achieve them.

SYSTEMS SUPPORT AND MAINTANCES

• 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 in order 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 sustained at all times.
• 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 accrue.
• 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 in order to operate and adhere to technical, operational and safety specifications, maximising the utilisation of facilities and resources for successful recording, production and broadcast.
• Computer literacy.

ENGINEERING

• Driving of all preliminary research activities on the best practises, cutting edge technologically advancements and enhancements to improve facility efficiency, effectivity and sustainability.
• Designing fit-for-purpose innovative solutions in consultation with digital partners to create resolutions.

GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONAL COMPLIANCE

• Procurement of correct digital solution in line with customer requirements & Company Procurement policy & procedures.
• Escalate Risk findings reported with corrective treatment plans.
• Monitor adherence to OHS and compliance with SABC Company Policies & Procedures.
• Maintain discipline in accordance with company policies & procedure
• Compliance with OEM software licenses.
• SOP developments to ensure broadcast sustainability and business continuity.
• Design and implement a working Disaster Recovery Plan for the facilities/section to manage all potential broadcast failures.
• Provide relevant information to both external and internal auditors for all audit engagements.
• Resolve and implement internal and external Audit recommendations.
• Technical SCM support for project process (Bid Specification Committee, Bid Evaluation Committee and Bid Adjudication Committee).
• Adjust to ensure compliance in according with Enterprise Broadcast Architecture Framework (EBAF), broadcast standards (e.g. DVB, SMPTE, IEEE, EBU), ISO’s and customer requirements.
• Compliance of maintenance with manufacturer specifications & system requirements.

ASSET MANAGEMENT

• 95% of assets verified annually.
• Initiate & coordinate annual asset verification exercise (manual or scan).

MANAGED CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Customers served in technical proficient, friendly and helpful manner.
• Monitor compliance of services rendered with customer request and address non- conformance.
• Technical assistance & guidance to customers regarding capability of facilities and to provide best alternative options.
• Attended resolutions to customer requests/ complaints.
• Technical support and advice of customers re facilities, workflows and operations.
• Internal and external client liaison regarding technical compliance.
• Regular OEM engagements to understand current and future based needs, thereby providing expert innovative measures and solutions to all aspects of broadcast environment.

MANAGED INDIVIDUAL & TEAM

• Compliance with performance management policies and procedures.
• Performance agreements with manager annually.
• Formal reviews conducted with manager and documented as per deadlines (Quarterly).
• Individual technical training, coaching and mentoring conducted on an ongoing basis to meet individual team members needs.
• Technical training in accordance with SABC best practice guide.
• Assist individuals development to set standards.
• Assist individual with Career Development Plan (CDP).
• Contribute and assist in some managerial/ supervision activities, i.e. (Acting Capacity; Represent the department at some meetings, technical or operational administration).

QUALIFICATIONS

• 3 year National Diploma (S4/T3) in Electrical Engineering (Light Current, Communications, Computer Studies or Information Technology) (NQF6).
• IT Network knowledge Essential. Computer literate (A+) and Network knowledge (N+).

  EXPERIENCE

• 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.

KNOWLEDGE

Advanced/ Expert Knowledge of:

• Assemble a personal computer and peripherals from modules.
• Component level repairs; Installations and repairs of fault components.
• 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.
• Ability to design and implement contingencies, back-up strategies and develop their implementations.
• Shift and system fault bypass competency for direct on-air emergencies and support.
• Designing, upgrading & maintaining systems hardware & software.
• Technical & Operational Support, advice and consultation.
• 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.
• 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)..
• System analysis which is defined as being able to visualise individual components within the system to determine fault using broadcast chain knowledge.
• Operations of broadcast equipment.
• Switching and routing of audio and video signals.
• Technical/ Operational Administration, e.g. report writing, shift reports, fault reports, transmission reports.
• Expert knowledge, experience and skills pertaining to the digital systems within the broadcast environment, involving Broadcast Media Servers, Studios, Non-linear Craft Editing, Tape Machines and Quality Control.
• Systems, automation systems, integrations between systems, On-Air Playout and Graphics systems.
• A comprehensive understanding of analogue and digital television standards, file and on-line streaming formats and acquisition formats.
• Ability to repair, configuring/ set-up, test and operate broadcast equipment.
• Advanced knowledge and experience of Local Area Networks (LAN) and Windows Domains.
• Advanced knowledge and experience of network administration; Active Directory, user and resource; setting up policies to restrict user intervention.
•  Ability to design, plan, setup, control, repairs, maintain, configure and install new and existing Local Area.
• Networks. This includes: domain administration - Active directory software; Domain name system (DNS) software, Database/s; Security etc.
• 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.
• The ability to tighten security with users and resources setting up policies and by isolating the broadcast network.
• Ability to perform, plan, control and implement maintenance, modifications and installations of new and existing systems and technical equipment; hardware and software.
• Ability to setup and manage LUNs in storage/backup technologies such as SAN, NAS, LTO etc.
• Ability to plan and setup contingencies and apply back-up strategies and develop their implementations, within the digital environment to ensure quick recovery and reduced on-air failures, i.e. data backup and disaster recovery.
• Apply the principles of trouble shooting for single user and multi-user computer operating systems.
• Mechanical installations and repairs of fault components (e.g. replacing hardware, or components -repairs).
• Ability to do Hardware and Software support for Servers and the necessary experience to use the tools thereby ensuring adherence to technical specifications and optimal delivery of performance to achieve the requirements.
• Advanced knowledge & understanding of system, workflow process diagrams used for planning, setting up studios and or networks and facility as per as-built drawings and diagrams.
• Ability to setup and perform emergency procedures and troubleshooting
• Designing, upgrading & maintaining systems hardware & software.
• Technical & Operational consultation for Support/ Advice.
• Installations and repairs of faulty components (e.g. replacing hardware, components repairs).
• Ability to guide and mentor team members and junior staff and share knowledge.
• Ability to develop and facilitate training materials, procedures and train technical team and users in the proper use of hardware or software.
• User Broadcast Operational and Technical Training.
• Ability to translate technical terms, workflows and provide support, advice and consultation to clients, in order to provide technological and operational solutions.
• Ability to maintain close working relationships with internal and external service providers and OEM, in order to ensure optimal delivery on facilities innovations, migrations, needs and requirements.
• Ability to draft, plan and implement projects.
• Ability to write Technical/ Operational reports, e.g. report writing, shift reports, fault reports, transmission reports etc.
• Expert knowledge, experience & understanding of digital platforms of Media servers with Automation and Control. Allowing the knowledgebase to cover new emerging technologies, using various operating systems.
• Ability to develop strategies and implement future innovation to enable, improve and enhance technological workflows and platforms.
• Advanced knowledge & understanding of audio & video distribution and contribution systems and routing.
• 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 practices.
• Knowledge & understanding of relevant Company policies /procedures.
• Knowledge, understanding & application for office administrational tasks and communications.