IT Senior Radio Engineer

Summary Statement

The City of Boise is hiring for an IT Sr Radio Engineer!

You already know how to do this job. The question is whether the work you're doing with those skills is worth doing. The City of Boise needs a Sr Radio Engineer with serious RF and electronics experience to own the communications infrastructure that police, fire, and emergency services depend on every day. End-to-end responsibility - design, installation, programming, maintenance, the 2 a.m. callout. Real technical depth, real stability, and at the end of the day, you'll know exactly whose safety your work supported. If you've been doing this kind of work for someone else's bottom line, it might be time to do it for your community.

Why the City of Boise?

The benefits are real and among the best in the Treasure Valley:

• Zero-premium medical coverage for you and your family
• PERSI retirement plus employer-matched 401(k)/457b
• 10 hours vacation/month (grows with tenure), 12 paid holidays, and 8 hours sick leave/month
• 10 weeks paid parental leave
• $500 annual wellbeing incentive
• Tuition reimbursement and free local bus pass
• Basic life and long-term disability insurance at no cost

Essential Functions

Analyzes and troubleshoots specialized data transmission and communication systems. Maintains a wide variety of radio frequency (RF), audio, video and related electronic equipment. Evaluates and monitors equipment repair histories to ensure repair costs do not exceed replacement value. Plans and forecasts future needs for IT radio services, creates and maintains vendor partnerships and relationships and creates and maintains dedicated service and repair budgets throughout the year. Manages the radar and laser calibration program and maintains a close relationship with city and county prosecutors' staff. Performs maintenance for radio network systems and specialized voice and data transmission equipment such as transmitter sites including voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) networks, fire station alert systems and aircraft alert systems. Programs and updates communications systems to ensure continuous operation. Conducts emergency repairs and installations, relocates related equipment and maintains service records.

Engineers, designs and maintains subscriber radio personality templates and user databases for portable and mobile radios. Coordinates extensively with end-user work groups to provide optimal service. Provides programming services such as frequency, personal or vehicle IDs, alerts and scanning functions. Programs radios using vendor software and interface cables specific to radio model types. Interprets and applies federal cybersecurity standards and safeguards the design and maintenance of radio encryption frameworks for complex radio systems. Designs and maintains the programming database for the intersection priority control system to ensure the operation of intersection lights to reduce response time.

Provides engineering oversight and performs project management of all mobile vehicle technology projects. Designs, maintains and repairs vehicular mounted communication equipment systems, such as voice and data radios, mobile data terminals, and electronic warning and lighting systems. Designs the electrical layout and constructs the communications control console. Researches specifications and upgrades to improve operational requirements and reliability. Performs all quality control checks, final programming and operational testing of completed installations. Installs and repairs various types of electronic communication equipment such as computerized monitoring systems, landline and mobile radio systems, remote communication sites, security systems and cabling. Assists the radio engineering manager with installation requirements, layout and equipment configuration. Designs configuration and installs all equipment including transmitters, receivers, equipment racks, cabling, antenna combining systems, power supplies and lightning/surge protection components. Performs antenna and cabling installations on towers at remote communication sites or coordinates with other organizations to perform related system maintenance. Supports the installation of telephone equipment, interconnecting devices and fax machines. Ensures that the installations meet telecommunications site installation standards as well as FCC requirements.

Designs, programs, installs and tests the Boise Airport’s digital radio system using console design software and voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) to operate various transmitters and receivers. Programs and maintains the VOIP Ethernet recording computer system to record audio traffic for selected channels. Provides training to airport personnel on console operations. Maintains a complete working backup console computer in case of main console failure. Assists in the design, implementation, and operation of systems and equipment to aid undercover/surveillance operations including bomb robot communications, body bug communications, video phones used in hostage negotiations, undercover vehicles for area surveillance, infrared cameras and other special applications. Designs the interconnectivity of required equipment and performs all staging, configuration, programming, actual installation and ongoing maintenance of remote receiver voter sites and various communications systems.

Coordinates and monitors workflow processes and recommends changes where appropriate to ensure continuity and efficiency. Maintains the inventory of electronic parts, supplies, work area and tools. Manages safety issues and requirements. Maintains service incidents and project documents, records maintenance history, parts/materials usage, labor tracking and cost. Analyzes industry trends and implements best practices. Attends seminars and training and conducts research to find technology solutions to meet customers' requirements. Responds to immediate needs of drive-up/walk-in customers. Provides technical assistance to users in the selection, operation and function of radio and communications equipment, and ensures proper and reliable service. Develops training materials to assist with equipment function, operation and programming. Develops troubleshooting guidelines and protocols for programming, repair, and maintenance of radio and communications equipment.

Performs other duties as assigned. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this position at any time.

Requirements

Required Knowledge, Experience, And Training
Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering technology or related field and seven years of progressively responsible experience in the design, installation, and maintenance of land mobile digital trunked two-way radio, microwave, fiber-optic, and electronic communication systems and five years of experience managing a large enterprise or public safety radio network, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

Knowledge of:

• The operational theory of radio receivers and transmitters, audio amplifiers and speaker systems
• The operation and uses of advanced electronic testing equipment such as multimeters, wattmeters, distortion meters, signal generators, frequency counters, spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes and logic probes
• Personal computers and operating systems
• IP networks and LAN/WAN topology including UDP, TCP, DNS, DHCP and SNMP protocols
• Telecommunications wiring standards and cable splicing
• Fiber optic testing and termination
• Land mobile two-way FM radio testing
• Public address systems
• Principles of electrical, electronic, digital and radio theory
• FCC rules and regulations as they pertain to 2-way communications and related systems
• Technical and operating methods, tools, equipment and materials used in radio testing repair, construction and maintenance work
• Proper use of hand and power tools.

• Assist IT network engineers with the design and operation of IP subnets, multicast networks and firewall configurations
• Troubleshoot and monitor platforms such as GenWatch, Solarwinds, and Nagios
• Read and understand schematic diagrams, flow charts, and technical manuals
• Diagnose and repair malfunctions in electronic equipment quickly and effectively
• Install and maintain telecommunications circuits and trunks, radio dispatch systems and video surveillance systems
• Document in writing work performed on equipment and systems
• Deal effectively with a large number of users in coordinating work and establishing priorities
• Climb towers and work around high and potentially lethal voltages
• Communicate effectively in the english language at a level necessary for efficient job performance
• Perform all essential and marginal functions as assigned by an authorized employee, supervisor, and/or manager with or without reasonable accommodation.

Valid state-issued driver's license.

Working Conditions

The physical effort characteristics and working environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Efforts
While performing the duties of this job the employee is occasionally lifting/carrying up to 35 pounds and rarely lifting/carrying up to 100 pounds. Also, the employee is occasionally pushing/pulling up to 35 pounds and rarely pushing/pulling up to 100 pounds. The noise level is occasionally moderate and rarely loud. Work includes sensory ability to talk, hear, smell and touch. Work in this position also includes close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision and depth perception. Employees will sit, stand, walk, runn, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, grasp, climb and balance. Position requires hand/finger dexterity.

Working Environment
The work environment will include inside conditions, outdoor weather conditions, extreme temperatures, in wet and humid conditions, areas of dust, odors, mist and gases or other airborne matter. Employees are exposed to mechanical and electrical hazards, work in/at heights and confined spaces. Employees will also drive a vehicle as part of this position. Work includes protected exposure to chemicals. Work is performed in areas with rough uneven terrain and with ice in cold weather.
This position works: on-call duties on rotation with other technician and responds to site failures 24/7 and be available for unscheduled call-outs.