Vice President Engineering Jobs in Puerto Rico (NOW HIRING)

Job Title:
Vice President, Engineering & Technology – WAPA Media

Reports to: President & General Manager

Employment Type: Exempt

Position Summary

The Vice President of Engineering & Technology serves as the senior-most technical executive and a key strategic partner to the President & General Manager, responsible for defining, executing, and continuously evolving the company’s technology vision and operational performance.

This role provides executive leadership across all engineering domains supporting broadcast, production, and multi-platform distribution, ensuring best-in-class reliability, scalability, and efficiency across the organization’s technical ecosystem.

The VP is accountable not only for infrastructure strategy and capital investment, but also for driving operational efficiencies across the technical organization, optimizing cost structures, and ensuring that engineering capabilities are fully aligned with content, production, and revenue objectives.

This leader must proactively anticipate future technology needs, lead equipment lifecycle planning, and ensure the organization is fully prepared to scale—whether through the addition of new channels, platforms, or distribution systems.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Technology Leadership

• Define and own the multi-year technology roadmap, aligning engineering investments with business priorities across broadcast, streaming, advertising, and content expansion.
• Serve as the primary technology advisor to the President & General Manager, providing forward-looking guidance on infrastructure, innovation, and competitive positioning.
• Anticipate and proactively plan for future technical needs, including equipment lifecycle management, capacity planning, and readiness for expansion into new channels, platforms, or distribution models.
• Lead the transition toward IP-based production environments (SMPTE ST 2110), cloud-based playout, and hybrid infrastructure architectures.
• Evaluate, negotiate, and oversee vendor partnerships, capital expenditures, and managed service agreements to ensure maximum value and long-term scalability.

Operational Excellence & Technical Efficiency

• Drive continuous improvement across all technical operations, identifying and implementing efficiencies not only in capital investments but also in day-to-day engineering workflows and infrastructure utilization.
• Establish performance metrics and accountability frameworks to optimize system uptime, resource allocation, and operational cost efficiency.
• Ensure all engineering systems are designed and maintained for high availability, redundancy, and scalability.
• Partner with Finance to optimize OPEX and CAPEX, ensuring cost-effective technology deployment and long-term sustainability.
• Promote standardization, automation, and process optimization across engineering functions.

Broadcast & Technical Operations Oversight

• Oversee the technical performance and infrastructure supporting 24/7 broadcast operations, including master control, production control rooms, transmission systems, and distribution platforms (without direct operational ownership of Master Control).
• Ensure signal integrity and technical reliability across all platforms: OTA (ATSC 1.0 / 3.0), cable, satellite, and OTT/streaming.
• Establish and maintain monitoring systems, redundancy protocols, disaster recovery plans, and emergency broadcast capabilities.
• Ensure alignment between technical operations and programming requirements to support seamless on-air execution.

Production & Content Alignment

• Develop a deep understanding of production workflows and content needs to ensure engineering solutions effectively support creative and operational requirements.
• Partner closely with News, Production, and Programming teams to align technical capabilities with evolving content strategies.
• Ensure production environments are optimized for efficiency, flexibility, and high-quality output across live and pre-produced content.
• Act as a bridge between technical and non-technical stakeholders, translating operational needs into scalable engineering solutions.

Infrastructure & Project Management

• Lead the design, deployment, and optimization of broadcast and IT infrastructure, including playout systems, storage environments, media asset management platforms, and production technologies.
• Oversee Media Asset Management (MAM), Digital Asset Management (DAM), and content supply chain workflows from a systems and infrastructure perspective.
• Direct large-scale capital projects from concept through execution, ensuring delivery on time and within budget.
• Ensure cybersecurity best practices across all broadcast and IT systems, protecting infrastructure and content assets.

Team Leadership & Organizational Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing engineering organization, including broadcast engineers, IT specialists, technicians, and project managers.
• Define organizational structure, workforce planning, and capability development aligned with future technology needs.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Partner with HR on talent acquisition, retention, and development strategies for specialized technical roles.

Regulatory Compliance & Industry Standards

• Ensure full compliance with FCC regulations, including broadcast operations, EAS requirements, closed captioning, and loudness standards.
• Maintain all required licenses, permits, and technical filings in coordination with legal and regulatory advisors.
• Stay current on industry standards (ATSC, SMPTE, NAB) and emerging technologies impacting broadcast and digital media.
• Ensure compliance with accessibility requirements across all platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, Broadcast Technology, or a related field (required).
• Master’s degree (MBA, Engineering Management, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Professional certifications (SBE, SMPTE) highly desirable.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive experience in broadcast engineering, media technology, or telecommunications.
• Minimum 5+ years in a senior leadership role (Director or above).
• Proven track record leading large-scale broadcast and media infrastructure initiatives.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams in complex, live production environments.
• Experience in multi-platform distribution environments (broadcast + digital/streaming).

Technical Expertise

• Broadcast standards: SMPTE ST 2110, SDI/HD-SDI/12G-SDI, ATSC 1.0/3.0.
• IP-based video transport, PTP (IEEE 1588), NMOS frameworks.
• OTT/Streaming technologies: HLS, MPEG-DASH, CDN architectures, DRM systems.
• Playout automation systems (Grass Valley, Evertz, Harmonic, etc.).
• MAM/DAM platforms (Avid, Dalet, Viz One).
• Cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or equivalent).
• Cybersecurity best practices for broadcast and media environments.

Core Competencies

• Executive presence with the ability to influence at the C-suite and Board level.
• Strong financial and business acumen (CAPEX/OPEX management, ROI analysis).
• Strategic thinking with operational execution discipline.
• Crisis management and decision-making in high-pressure environments.
• Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• On-air availability: ≥ 99.99% uptime across all platforms.
• Operational efficiency: measurable year-over-year reduction in technical operating costs.
• Capital efficiency: ≥ 90% of projects delivered on time and within budget.
• Technology readiness: proactive execution of infrastructure upgrades and lifecycle plans.
• Scalability: successful integration of new channels, platforms, or systems without operational disruption.
• Compliance: zero FCC violations or regulatory issues.
• Team performance: high retention, engagement, and development of engineering staff.

Work Conditions & Additional Information

On-Call Requirements

• 24/7 availability for major technical incidents; presence required for critical live events.

Travel

• Up to 20% domestic and international travel.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in technical environments including data centers, transmission facilities, and equipment rooms.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer