Senior Manager, AV Engineering

Job Summary Senior Manager, AV Engineering is a senior technical and people leader responsible for the strategy, design, and operational delivery of enterprise audiovisual systems across People Inc.'s office locations (New York, Des Moines, Birmingham, and others). The role leads a team of AV engineers and owns the end‑to‑end AV lifecycle — from long‑range roadmap and capital planning through implementation, ongoing operations, and continuous improvement. Job Title Senior Manager, AV Engineering Essential Job Functions Team Leadership & People Management — 30% Leads, develops, and retains a team of 3+ AV engineers; sets clear expectations, provides ongoing coaching, and creates an environment of accountability and growth Owns all aspects of the team's performance management cycle, providing continuous feedback throughout the year, including goal‑setting, mid‑year and annual reviews; partners with HR on compensation, promotions, and workforce planning Sets team norms, reporting cadences, and escalation paths Models and reinforces a high‑accountability, service‑oriented, and solutions‑first culture within the team and across IT AV Strategy & Architecture — 30% Develops and owns the AV Engineering roadmap, aligned to the company's real estate, hybrid work, and technology strategy Leads the evaluation, selection, and implementation of AV technologies across conference rooms, auditoriums, video walls, digital signage, and video collaboration platforms Architects enterprise AV solutions across a range of environments — executive conference rooms, auditoriums, open collaboration spaces, video walls, event venues, and multi‑site office locations — with a focus on scalability, reliability, and user experience Establishes and enforces AV design standards and reference architectures across all office locations; ensures new buildouts and refreshes adhere to enterprise standards Leads CapEx planning and drives delivery of major AV infrastructure programs including video wall replacements, conference room densification and refresh programs, digital signage platform migrations, and multi‑site AV standardization Evaluates emerging AV technologies and makes informed, business‑case‑backed recommendations for adoption Operates with a high degree of autonomy; escalates to SVP for strategic alignment and budget approvals Operations & Delivery — 25% Accountable for the uptime, performance, and user experience of all AV systems across the enterprise, including Zoom Rooms, Crestron/DM control systems, video walls, digital signage (SCALA), and room scheduling platforms Oversees AV production and technical support for executive events, company all‑hands, special activations, and client‑facing events; ensures the team delivers a consistently high‑quality experience Manages complex, concurrent AV construction and restack projects in partnership with Facilities, Real Estate, and external contractors; maintains project visibility and stakeholder communication Develops and maintains operational processes for incident management, change management, and continuous improvement; uses data to identify and address systemic issues Partners with Network, Endpoint and other IT teams on AV equipment requirements Vendor & Financial Management — 15% Owns relationships with AV vendors, integrators, and SaaS providers; manages contracts, SLAs, and renewals Manages CapEx and OpEx budgets for AV Engineering; oversees purchase orders, asset tracking, and budget reporting Conducts hardware and software evaluations; provides recommendations and business cases for technology investments Ensures asset inventory is current and accurate Minimum Qualifications Education Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Audio/Visual Technology, Digital Media, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience Industry certifications preferred (e.g., CTS, CTS‑D, CTS‑I, Crestron Certified Programmer, Extron AV Associate) Experience 10+ years of progressive AV engineering experience, with demonstrated depth in designing and deploying AV solutions in complex, large‑scale, or multi‑site enterprise environments 3+ years in a people management role with direct reports; proven track record of building and developing technical teams Significant experience owning and delivering CapEx programs from business case through commissioning Experience working across a diverse portfolio of AV environments, including executive spaces, auditoriums, video walls, digital signage networks, and event production Prior experience in a matrixed, cross‑functional IT organization preferred Technical Knowledge & Skills Expert‑level knowledge of enterprise conference room and auditorium AV systems, including Crestron/DM control and distribution systems, video conferencing platforms (Zoom Rooms, Microsoft Teams Rooms), and VC hardware (DTEN, Poly, Logitech, Cisco) Hands‑on experience designing and supporting video wall systems and controllers (e.g., Christie, Datapath), digital signage platforms (e.g., SCALA, Appspace), and room scheduling systems (e.g., Teem, Robin, Crestron Scheduling) Strong command of AV signal distribution: DM/HDBaseT, Dante/AoIP, NDI, SDI, and fiber transport Deep understanding of AV networking: PoE design, VLAN segmentation, IP provisioning, 802.1x, multicast, and QoS for AV traffic Proven experience in live event and broadcast production environments: cameras, professional video switchers (e.g., Analog Way, Barco), streaming/encoding platforms, and live event workflows Ability to produce and interpret complete AV design documentation: signal flow diagrams, rack elevations, structured cabling drawings, control system logic, and as‑built documentation Proficiency with ITSM and project management tools (Jira, Confluence, or equivalent); experience managing an AV engineering backlog and sprint cadence Comfortable engaging technical and non‑technical stakeholders — Facilities, Events, Finance, HR — and representing AV Engineering in IT leadership forums Leadership & Soft Skills Strategic thinker who can translate business needs and real estate plans into a coherent, forward‑looking AV technology roadmap Skilled people leader: inspires trust, develops talent, addresses performance issues directly, and retains top performers Exceptional project management discipline: manages scope, budget, schedule, and stakeholder communication across multiple concurrent workstreams Vendor management expertise: negotiates contracts, holds vendors accountable to SLAs, and builds productive long‑term partnerships Strong executive presence and communication skills; able to present recommendations and project status clearly to IT leadership and business stakeholders Positive, highly collaborative work style; models professionalism and accountability for the team, as well as, high ownership in a matrixed environment Additional Information Travel: ~15% (multi‑site coverage including Des Moines, Birmingham and Los Angeles) This role is based in New York, NY (225 Liberty Street) with a hybrid work arrangement per company policy Occasional evening or weekend availability required for events and critical system maintenance Pay Range Salary: New York: $150,000 – $170,000 Other compensation may include annual bonuses, and short‑ and long‑term incentives. People Inc. provides a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, unlimited paid time off, family care benefits, 401(k) with company match, paid parental leave, pet insurance, and additional voluntary benefits. People Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, or any other protected category. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. #J-18808-Ljbffr People Inc.