The Portland Timbers (operators of Providence Park – home of the Portland Timbers and Thorns) are hiring a senior, hands-on engineer who thrives in live event environments—someone who can lead onsite IT operations on match days, concerts, and special events while keeping day-to-day systems secure, reliable, and well-documented.
This is a critical “run the building on event day” role. You’ll partner closely with our current stadium SME to learn the venue’s core systems and become the primary event-day IT lead, bringing operational redundancy and improving work/life balance across the team.
What You’ll Do
Event & Venue Operations
- Serve as the event-day IT lead—coordinating incident response, triage, and escalation with internal teams and vendors
- Provide onsite, hands-on support for IP-based venue systems such as:
- POS, access control, ticketing, IPTV/digital signage, broadcast/transmission, and related edge devices
- Ensure venue readiness: pre-event checks, redundancy validation, failover procedures, and post-event reporting
Network & Systems Engineering
- Implement, configure, test, and maintain LAN/WAN infrastructure (switching, routing, firewalls, network services)
- Implement, configure, test, and maintain telephony/VoIP services
- Maintain security and integrity of network environments; monitor performance/availability; perform root-cause analysis and corrective actions
- Recommend hardware/software improvements based on observed patterns and data
Platform Ownership & Tooling
- Manage and support IPTV infrastructure for events and daily operations
- Assist with fiber and IP-based transmission infrastructure (troubleshooting and upgrades)
- Contribute to wireless (Wi-Fi) design/operations and virtualized server environments (e.g., Hyper-V)
Operational Excellence
- Provide on-call support as needed for critical issues
- Produce clear documentation: runbooks, diagrams, and post-incident reports
- Build strong relationships with venue staff, partners, and technology vendors
Help Desk & Team Support
- Support ~150 employees with standard office technology (with escalation support from the VP of Technology)
- Respond to tickets and assist with escalated issues; help drive root-cause resolution for recurring problems
- Manage a full-time IT Operations Analyst
What You’ll Bring (Minimum Qualifications)
- Bachelor’s degree in a technical field or equivalent practical experience
- Ideally 7–10 years relevant experience
- 5+ years hands-on experience implementing/administering/supporting enterprise LAN/WAN, server, and Microsoft environments
- 5+ years hands-on network hardware/software experience in Microsoft/Windows Server environments, including:
- Cisco Catalyst switching (9200/9300/9500)
- FortiGate firewalls
- Network monitoring/management tools (Cisco and/or third-party)
- Strong understanding of OSI model, Ethernet, TCP/IP; practical experience with DNS, DHCP, LDAP, HTTP, FTP, SSH, SMTP, and related services
- Proven ability to lead onsite IT during live events, handle escalations, and communicate clearly under pressure
- Excellent written/verbal communication and a strong customer service mindset
- Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays aligned to event calendars
Nice to Have (Preferred Qualifications)
- Venue technology experience (stadium/arena, concert hall, convention center, or similar public space)
- High-density Wi-Fi operations experience
- Hyper-V and virtualized server environment experience
- Familiarity with IPTV/digital signage, broadcast contribution/transmission workflows, scoreboard/control room environments, or other A/V-over-IP systems
- Project leadership experience (owning deliverables, coordinating vendors, driving timelines)
Work Schedule & Environment
- Primary work location is onsite at Providence Park
- Schedule varies based on event calendar; evening/weekend/holiday work will be required
- Role involves moving between office, concourses, and technical spaces; comfort navigating venue areas and handling equipment is important
- Team aims to balance schedules (late events are typically offset during the week when possible)
- Hybrid policy may allow limited WFH, but this role is primarily in-person due to hands-on venue responsibilities
Equal Opportunity
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.