Playback Engineer Jobs in Ohio (NOW HIRING)

About Crossroads

Crossroads Church is a growing multi-site, interdenominational church. Our sites are currently located in Ohio and Kentucky, with plans to expand to additional cities.We also have an online presence that serves thousands of people who aren't located near one of our physical sites.
We believe the story of Jesus' redemption is the greatest story ever told, and that's why we embrace creativity, adventure, authenticity, and tenacity to share this story with the world.
Our desire is to model our staff and church community after the church in Revelation, where people of all nations, tribes, and tongues are worshiping and working together.We're not there yet, but it's what we're working toward with every hire and every person who walks through our doors.

Job Summary

The Lead Disguise Operator ensures flawless playback and execution of immersive visual content that enhances the weekend experience at Crossroads. Working under the guidance of the Wonderwall Executive Producer and in close collaboration with the Disguise Programmer, Realtime Designers, and the broader Experience Team, this role is central to delivering seamless, high-quality video and real-time interactive content on a large LED volume, as well as AR/XR projects. This position also provides leadership and direction to a team of Disguise Operators, ensuring operational excellence and consistency across all services and sites.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years of proven experience operating Disguise media servers in live events, theatre, broadcast, or installations. This is a highly technical, detail-oriented role suited for someone who thrives under pressure and is passionate about precision in execution. You'll be part of a forward-thinking team building the future of storytelling in the church.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Operate Disguise media servers during weekend services, rehearsals, asset reviews, virtual production, and special events.

• Receive validated timelines from the Disguise Programmer and ensure flawless playback and cue execution.

• Manage show timelines, cues, and transitions with precision and consistency.

• Monitor media server performance in real time, quickly identifying and resolving playback issues.

• Maintain consistent file structure, content organization, and system readiness.

• Collaborate with production staff, designers, and technical directors to align visual playback with overall show flow.

• Integrate playback with lighting, sound, and automation systems using timecode, OSC, MIDI, and other protocols.

• Lead, train and support other Disguise Operators to ensure consistent execution across all services and sites.

• Provide on-site and/or remote operational support for productions using Disguise.

• Stay current with Disguise software, hardware, and best practices to continually improve show reliability and workflow efficiency.

Experience/Skills Requirements

Required Skills

• 5+ years of proven experience operating Disguise media servers in live events, theatre, concerts, broadcast, or themed entertainment.

• Proficiency with Disguise Designer software and hardware for playback operations.

• Strong understanding of video playback workflows for LED and projection.

• Familiarity with networking (IP, Dante, SMPTE timecode, OSC, Art-Net/sACN).

• Excellent troubleshooting ability and calmness under pressure.

• Strong organizational, communication, and collaboration skills.

• Ability to interpret timelines, cue sheets, and system documentation.

• Self-motivated and effective both independently and within a live show team.

Preferred Skills

• Experience working with Perforce or other version control systems.

• Familiarity with lighting consoles and show control systems (e.g., GrandMA, ETC).

• Basic understanding of real-time rendering engines (Notch, Unreal Engine, TouchDesigner).

• Knowledge of 3D workflows (Blender, Cinema 4D, Maya).

• Basic understanding of audio/video signal flow and hardware.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to walk up to 5 miles while performing duties, including standing, climbing, lifting, pulling, pushing, carrying, reaching, stooping, and crouching.

• Must be able to lift up to 25 lbs.

Scheduling / Travel Requirements

• This role follows a flexible schedule based on the needs of events and weekend experiences. Generally, the schedule is Sunday through Thursday, with varying hours depending on rehearsals and shows. Must also be available for high-impact events at Crossroads.

• Travel required as needed.

Crossroads Staff Qualities

Qualities all staff teammates should exhibit:

• Mission Oriented: Committed to the Crossroads mission and expectations in the staff "I Promise" document, including using the Bible as the ultimate standard of truth, practicing spiritual disciplines, tithing, and pursuing personal purity.

• Availability: Expected to work outside of "normal" schedule for All Hands on Deck high-impact events (Holy Week/Easter, Super Bowl, Christmas, others as needed), participate in all-staff meetings, day of solitude, offsites, etc.

• Authenticity: Communicates clearly, directly, and honestly, even under stress, and does so with a sustained positive attitude and demeanor.

• Personal Leadership: Envisions, energizes, and enables others to operate at full potential.

• Collaborative Self-starter: Thrives as an individual contributor and works well on a team.

• Proactive Problem Solver: Takes initiative to understand departmental objectives, adapts to changing and fluid environments, and proactively solves problems.

• Humility: Puts others above self and takes ownership of mistakes.

• Learner: Desires growth and learning from others.

• Flexibility: Able to quickly shift between projects as organizational direction and needs change, able to successfully balance competing priorities.

Crossroads Church is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.