Audio Visual Event Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

HNI Corporation is a global family of brands for the workplace and home dedicated to enhancing the spaces where we live, work, and gather. We pride ourselves on fostering an environment where we make a positive impact on others; upholding our beliefs in integrity, inclusion and belonging.

We are hiring a Lead Workplace Audio Visual Technician to join our IT Infrastructure team. This position will provide regular support to multiple showrooms in the Downtown Chicago / Fulton Market area. This role will occasionally provide support to showrooms through HNI's midwest corporate campuses as well as showrooms on the east cost. For that reason, onsite presence and regular travel is required for this position.

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The Lead Workplace Audio Visual Technician provides technical leadership and hands-on support for collaboration and audio-visual technology across corporate showrooms, conference rooms, and event spaces located in major metropolitan areas. This highly visible, customer-facing role is accountable for delivering reliable, consistent, and high-quality technology experiences for members, customers, partners, and executive leadership.

The lead technician serves as the senior technical resource and escalation point for room systems, live events, technology deployments, and complex incidents. This position establishes support standards, coordinates the day-to-day technical work of internal teams and vendors, mentors other technicians, and partners closely with business stakeholders, Facilities, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, and End-User Support.

This role requires a self-motivated, service-oriented individual who can work independently, influence without direct authority, manage multiple priorities, and travel up to 75% to support showrooms, projects, and events across the US.

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Essential Duties

Audio-Visual & Collaboration Technology Leadership

• Serve as the lead technical resource and escalation point for audio-visual and collaboration systems across corporate showrooms, conference rooms, and event spaces.
• Install, configure, troubleshoot, and optimize A/V and collaboration equipment including displays, cameras, conferencing systems, audio processing, control systems, and presentation technologies.
• Establish and maintain room standards, configuration baselines, support procedures, technical documentation, and knowledge articles to improve consistency and supportability
• Lead root-cause analysis for recurring or complex issues, identify service trends, and recommend corrective actions and continuous improvements.
• Perform and oversee hardware and software upgrades, preventative maintenance, lifecycle refresh activities, and physical installations including mounting displays, running cabling, and staging technology.
• Monitor the technology portfolio, industry trends, and changes in the IT infrastructure environment. Provide technical input into product selection, procurement, standards, roadmaps, and strategic decisions affecting conference room and event technologies.

Event & Meeting Support

• Lead technology planning and delivery for internal communication events such as town halls, Member Meetings, executive briefings, and leadership meetings.
• Ensure successful technology outcomes for external-facing events including dealer events, sales summits, trade shows, supplier summits, customer engagements, and training sessions.
• Coordinate run-of-show preparation, rehearsals, testing, support coverage, and contingency plans; provide on-site or remote support to ensure a high-quality event experience.

Project Leadership & Technology Deployments

• Lead A/V technology workstreams for new facilities, showroom openings, renovations, and lifecycle refresh projects.
• Translate business and operational needs into technical designs, equipment standards, implementation plans, and support requirements.
• Develop and review scopes of work (SOW), bills of materials, technical documentation, vendor proposals, and project estimates.
• Coordinate with Facilities, construction teams, IT, business stakeholders, and external vendors to manage dependencies, risks, schedules, and successful project delivery.
• Direct system testing, commissioning, acceptance, documentation, training, and operational turnover of newly deployed solutions.

End User, Infrastructure & Team Support

• Provide advanced hands-on support for desktops, laptops, printers, mobile devices, collaboration tools, and other workplace technologies when needed.
• Diagnose network, identity, security, and connectivity issues affecting showroom, conference room, and event environments; engage the appropriate technical teams for resolution.
• Support Microsoft 365 collaboration services, Microsoft Teams, Teams Rooms, and associated conferencing technologies, administration, and monitoring tools.
• Coach and mentor technicians and local support contacts, share technical knowledge, and deliver exceptional customer service while maintaining strong relationships with end users and business stakeholders.

Vendor, Standards & Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary technical liaison with strategic suppliers, integrators, and service providers supporting collaboration and A/V technology
• Coordinate vendor scheduling, service calls, project activities, and escalations; validate work quality, documentation, and adherence to technical standards.
• Track recurring issues and service performance, and partner with Infrastructure, Networking, Cybersecurity, Facilities, and End-User Support to resolve cross-functional problems

Travel

• Travel up to 75% to lead and support showroom deployments, complex incidents, projects, and corporate events across multiple locations.
• Serve as a trusted on-site technology leader for showroom teams, members, customers, and executive leadership.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Associates Degree (Minimum), 4-year Bachelor's Degree (Preferred) in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• AVIXA CTS/CTS-I, Microsoft Teams Rooms, or relevant manufacturer certifications preferred.
• 8+ years supporting enterprise conference room, audio-visual, collaboration, and end-user technologies in a corporate environment.
• Advanced experience with enterprise collaboration and teleconferencing platforms, with Microsoft Teams and Teams Rooms strongly preferred, including room design, configuration, monitoring, support, and lifecycle management across simple and complex multi-system environments.
• Proven hands-on and remote troubleshooting experience, including leading support for live meetings and executive events, coordinating technicians and vendors, performing root-cause analysis, and communicating effectively during high-visibility incidents.
• Experience with A/V signal flow, control and audio processing platforms, network fundamentals, Active Directory or Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Intune, Visio, technical documentation, and multi-location technology deployments or facility buildouts

ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated customer-service mindset with the judgment and composure required to support executives, customers, and high-visibility events. 
• Excellent communication and listening skills with the ability to translate business needs into technical requirements, standards, and practical solutions. 
• Technical leadership and coaching skills, including the ability to coordinate work, mentor others, and influence teams without direct supervisory authority. 
• Strong structured troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, prioritization, and decision-making skills in time-sensitive environments. 
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, incidents, meetings, and events while maintaining attention to detail and clear stakeholder communication. 
• Strong documentation discipline and commitment to safety, quality, standardization, lifecycle planning, and continuous service improvement.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!