Lead AV Technician - Site Lead & Commissioning Bozeman Montana

Job Description

Job Description

ABOUT US

Modern Life Technical Solutions is a boutique low-voltage integration firm working exclusively in ultra-high-end environments -private estates, dedicated home theaters, and professional recording and post-production facilities. We design, install, program, commission, and support the networks, AV, and control systems our clients live and work inside every day.

We are deliberately small. Our clients are architects, interior designers, builders, estate managers, and the principals themselves -people who notice a crooked wall plate and remember who left it that way. Our standard is simple: be the best at what you do, and have a nice day doing it.

We are not looking for volume installers. We are looking for one person to own how work gets executed in the field.

THE ROLE

This is not a senior installer position with a better title. The Lead AV Technician runs the jobsite.

You are the person on site who decides sequencing, directs the crew, holds the line on quality, interfaces with the GC and trades, and -when the system is built -commissions it, proves it works, and hands it to the client. If the install is clean, on schedule, and the client's first night with the system is flawless, that's your win. If it isn't, that's your problem to solve before anyone else hears about it.

You will report directly to ownership and work alongside our programmers and design team.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

Jobsite Leadership

• Direct a crew of 2–4 technicians on active luxury residential and studio projects
• Consistent knowledge of daily tasks onsite, labor planning, and site readiness
• Coordinate directly with GCs, electricians, framers, drywall, millwork, and low-voltage trades on rough-in and trim windows
• Represent the company in OAC meetings and on-site walks with architects, designers, and estate managers

Installation Execution

• Set and enforce the install standard: cable dress, service loops, labeling, rack layout, and finish work that upholds company standards
• Structured cabling rough-in, trim and finish -Cat6/6A, coax, fiber, speaker, and control wiring in new construction and retrofit projects.
• Knowledge of rack fabrication, network topology and basic set up, termination, patch panel and distribution build-out
• Ability to execute installation of technology, such as: displays, video wall, projectors, screens, motorized shading, controlled lighting, shades and in-wall/in-ceiling speakers
• Taking the utmost of care to the job site -you are working in homes where a scuffed plaster wall is a five-figure conversation

Systems & Commissioning

• Crestron control and AV-over-IP: NVX video distribution, NAX audio and touch panel/keypad deployment
• Network commissioning: managed switches, VLAN segmentation, multicast (IGMP snooping/querier), PTP clocking, QoS -verified, not assumed
• Enterprise Wi-Fi deployment and validation (UniFi and Meraki), including on-site survey and throughput verification
• Audio commissioning: speaker polarity and phase, level matching, subwoofer alignment, room correction (Trinnov, StormAudio, Audyssey, Dirac)
• Video commissioning: EDID/HDCP resolution, format verification, display setup and basic calibration
• Lutron lighting control and shading system tuning and verification
• Integration of security cameras, access control, intercom, and structured sub-systems
• Systematic functional testing of every source, zone, scene, and control path before handoff -not spot checks

Documentation & Handoff

• Produce accurate as-builts notes on plans, rack elevations, labeling schedules, and network documentation for every project
• File clear, reproducible bug reports for our programming team; symptom, trigger, expected behavior, actual behavior
• Onboard every completed system with the control UI/ UX system
• Ability to deliver client orientation and system training in a professional, calm, concise, and patient temperament

Mentorship

• Train and develop junior technicians based on company standards
• Give direct, useful feedback; we'd rather correct work on Tuesday than rip it out in November

WHAT YOU BRING

Required

• 5 + years of verifiable hands-on field experience in low-voltage AV integration, with at least 2 years leading crews or running jobsites
• Demonstrated Crestron field experience -DM/NVX/NAX deployment, touch panel set up, and system commissioning
• Working knowledge of IP networking: VLANs, subnetting, static addressing, multicast behavior, switch configuration, and structured troubleshooting
• Proven experience in high-end residential or professional studio/post environments where finish quality and client experience are non-negotiable
• Ability to read and work from architectural drawings, floor plans, riser diagrams, and system line drawings
• Reliable vehicle, valid driver's license, and clean driving record
• Authorized to work in the United States
• Ability to lift 50 lbs, work from ladders and lifts, and access attics, crawlspaces, and mechanical rooms
• Based in Bozeman, Big Sky, and areas within Mountain West

Strongly Preferred

• Crestron DMC-D/DMC-E certification, or Crestron Certified Technician
• CEDIA ESC-T / Advanced, or AVIXA CTS
• Ubiquiti UEWA, Meraki, or comparable network certification
• Dante Level 2+, Q-SYS, or Biamp experience
• Lutron HomeWorks QS/QSX field certification
• Experience with OvrC, Bluebolt or similar project and monitoring platforms
• Recording studio, control room, or post-production suite experience a bonus
• Familiarity with codes and standards for installation best practices.

You're the Right Fit If You Are

• Accountable -you own outcomes, including the ones that went sideways, and you say so early
• Precise -labeling, documentation, and cable dress are how you think, not chores at the end
• Client-fluent -you can explain a network issue to a principal simply or in as much depth as they desire, and you know when to say "let me confirm and come back to you"
• Composed -estate projects have politics; you stay useful when the GC is behind and the designer changed the millwork
• Self-directed -you drive the schedule; you don't wait to be told what today looks like
• Presentable -you are a guest in someone's home, and you carry yourself that way

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• $83,200 – $114,400 annually, based on demonstrated skill and certification
• Performance bonuses
• Employee and Client referral bonuses
• Paid vacation and paid holidays
• Company-paid training, certification, and manufacturer factory courses
• Company vehicle
• Tools provided. If you prefer your own and require replacements, allowance and annual replacements can be discussed
• Health, dental, and vision coverage

This is a W-2 employee position. We are not considering 1099 subcontractors for this role.

With roots in the world of screening rooms, recording studios, theatrical venues, and post-production suites, at Modern Life Technical Solutions we distinguish ourselves by carrying this uncompromised standard wherever we go. Our considerable industry expertise is supplemented by a commitment to delivering not only the best solution, but a bespoke solution specifically designed to accommodate your needs.

Company Description

With roots in the world of screening rooms, recording studios, theatrical venues, and post-production suites, at Modern Life Technical Solutions we distinguish ourselves by carrying this uncompromised standard wherever we go. Our considerable industry expertise is supplemented by a commitment to delivering not only the best solution, but a bespoke solution specifically designed to accommodate your needs.