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Broadcast Chief Engineer Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Vice President of Design

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$160K - $200K/yr

Chicago Public Media reaches more than 3.3 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and ... Partner closely with product management, engineering, editorial, marketing, and audience teams.

Broadcast Chief Engineer information

See Illinois salary details

$96.4K

$116.3K

$133.7K

How much do broadcast chief engineer jobs pay per year?

As of May 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for broadcast chief engineer in Illinois is $116,282.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $106,600.00 and $126,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What Is the Job of a Broadcast Chief Engineer?

A broadcast chief engineer is a senior position at a radio or television station. In this career, you have a highly complex set of duties ensuring a broadcast runs smoothly and on schedule. You help to install and set up transmission and other media equipment such as soundboards, microphones, cables, monitors, and cameras. You typically report to a chief technology officer or director at the station, and are responsible for carrying out their instructions and the instructions of clients. You delegate responsibilities to soundboard operators, sound technicians, and junior engineers.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Broadcast Chief Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Broadcast Chief Engineer, you need deep expertise in broadcast engineering principles, RF technology, and a degree in electronics or broadcast engineering, often accompanied by SBE certification. Familiarity with broadcast automation systems, transmission equipment, and troubleshooting tools like spectrum analyzers is typically required. Leadership, problem-solving abilities, and strong communication skills set outstanding professionals apart in this role. These skills ensure reliable broadcast operations, regulatory compliance, and effective coordination within technical teams.

What are some common challenges a Broadcast Chief Engineer faces when managing new technology upgrades within a station?

Broadcast Chief Engineers often encounter challenges such as integrating new broadcast equipment without disrupting existing operations and ensuring all staff are adequately trained on new systems. Coordinating upgrades requires detailed planning, collaboration with IT and production teams, and troubleshooting unexpected technical issues. Staying current with rapidly evolving broadcast standards and compliance requirements is also essential. Proactive communication and strong project management skills help ensure smooth transitions during these upgrades.

What are Broadcast Chief Engineers?

Broadcast Chief Engineers are responsible for overseeing the technical aspects of radio or television broadcast operations. They manage the installation, maintenance, and repair of broadcast equipment, ensuring that broadcasts run smoothly and comply with industry standards. In addition to supervising engineering staff, they also handle troubleshooting, system upgrades, and ensure regulatory compliance with bodies like the FCC. Their expertise is crucial in maintaining high-quality audio and video transmission for broadcast stations.

What is the difference between Broadcast Chief Engineer vs Broadcast Engineer?

AspectBroadcast Chief EngineerBroadcast Engineer
CredentialsFCC licenses, engineering degrees, certificationsTechnical training, associate or bachelor's degree in engineering or related field
Work EnvironmentManagement of technical operations, overseeing maintenance and repairsHands-on technical work, equipment setup, troubleshooting
Employer & Industry UsageBroadcast stations, networks, media companiesBroadcast stations, production facilities, engineering teams

The Broadcast Chief Engineer typically holds more advanced certifications and manages the technical operations of a broadcast facility, overseeing maintenance and ensuring compliance. In contrast, a Broadcast Engineer focuses on technical tasks like equipment setup and troubleshooting. Both roles are essential in the broadcast industry, but the Chief Engineer has greater managerial responsibilities and oversight.

What are the most commonly searched types of Broadcast Chief Engineer jobs in Illinois? The most popular types of Broadcast Chief Engineer jobs in Illinois are:
What are popular job titles related to Broadcast Chief Engineer jobs in Illinois? For Broadcast Chief Engineer jobs in Illinois, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities in Illinois are hiring for Broadcast Chief Engineer jobs? Cities in Illinois with the most Broadcast Chief Engineer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Broadcast Chief Engineer jobs in IL? For Broadcast Chief Engineer jobs in IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Infographic showing various Broadcast Chief Engineer job openings in Illinois as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $116,282 per year, or $55.9 per hour.

Vice President of Design

Chicago Public Media

Chicago, IL

$160K - $200K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 25 days ago


Job description

About Chicago Public Media

Chicago Public Media is one of the nation's largest local nonprofit news organizations. Home to WBEZ 91.5FM, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo. Chicago Public Media reaches more than 3.3 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms. As a mission-driven organization, we aspire to be the most trusted news source Chicagoans turn to for understanding the people, events, and ideas shaping our community.

Chicago Public Media is a 100% community-funded newsroom powered by nearly 97,000 members whose support makes our journalism possible. This sustained community investment helped drive nationally recognized work in 2025, including 29 awards from esteemed organizations, including the Public Media Journalists Association, the Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the National Association of Black Journalists.

We believe independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy and that access to objective, fact-based news is a right for every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse content that informs and enriches our community, supported by a dedicated staff of approximately 250 professionals.

For more information, please see the Chicago Public Media Annual Report.

The Opportunity

Chicago Public Media is seeking a Vice President of Design to lead and shape design across the organization, including WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and CPM's broader digital ecosystem.
This role is responsible for setting and owning the design vision, standards, and systems that define how audiences experience our journalism, products, and brands across platforms. The VP of Design is the final authority on design direction, quality, and standards across the newsroom and the organization as a whole, working in close partnership with editorial and marketing leadership.

General Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy
  • Establish and champion a cohesive design vision across WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and CPM products in coordination with Marketing's brand strategy
  • Ensure design excellence across print, broadcast, web, mobile, and emerging platforms.
  • Serve as the organization's final decision-maker on design standards, quality, and governance.
  • Represent design at the senior leadership level and contribute to organizational strategy.
Team Leadership
  • Lead, mentor, and develop designers across business teams, including product, marketing, and circulation.
  • Collaborate closely with newsroom design, graphics, and interactive teams to ensure alignment with CPM-wide design standards and vision.
  • Build a collaborative, inclusive design culture aligned with CPM's mission and values.
  • Provide guidance, critique, and professional development for design talent.
Design Systems and Tools
  • Own CPM's design system in close collaboration with Marketing, Editorial and other stakeholders.
  • Own the implementation of CPM's design system across the organization.
  • Ensure consistency, accessibility, and scalability across platforms and products.
  • Drive adoption of design tools and workflows, including deep experience with Figma.
Product, Innovation, and Collaboration
  • Partner closely with product management, engineering, editorial, marketing, and audience teams.
  • Lead design contributions to new product development, from concept through launch and iteration.
  • Embed user-centered thinking and accessibility into all design work.

Qualifications

Required
  • Significant design leadership experience in media, journalism, or related fields.
  • Proven experience designing for legacy media, including newspapers or broadcast, as well as modern digital platforms.
  • A strong, demonstrated track record in digital and product design.
  • Experience building, owning, and maintaining design systems.
  • Proficiency with modern design tools, including Figma.
  • Experience working closely with digital product and engineering teams.
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills across editorial and business functions.
Preferred
  • Experience in public media or mission-driven journalism organizations.
  • Experience designing and launching new products.
Reporting & Collaboration

This role reports to the Chief Product and Membership Officer and works collaboratively across Chicago Public Media, including editorial leadership, product, engineering, marketing, and circulation teams.

Compensation

The expected pay range for this position is $160,000 - $200,000 per ANNUM.

Chicago Public Media provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the organization reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographical location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

Working at Chicago Public Media

At Chicago Public Media, we care deeply about our employees as we know attracting, developing, and growing talent is key to our success and enhancing our impact.

Our culture is one where collaboration, diversity of ideas, and innovation are encouraged. We value colleagues who will enhance our culture by bringing new ideas, divergent experiences, and talents to our dynamic workplace.

At Chicago Public Media we believe dedication to a great workplace includes supporting our employees and their families. As a result, we provide a broad and generous benefits package for employees at hire and in the years to come.

Our benefits include a competitive salary and benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, vacation, holidays, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement savings, and a commuter benefits plan.
Chicago Public Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we actively seek and welcome people from all backgrounds, orientations, and life experiences to join our team.

The essential functions described above are not all-inclusive and are not intended to create any contractual or other legal commitment. Chicago Public Media may change the content or format of this job at any time in its sole and exclusive discretion without notice.