Public Safety Communications Radio Engineer

Public Safety Communications Radio Engineer

The Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) leverages technology to drive opportunity, improve public safety, and help government run better across New York City. From delivering affordable broadband to protecting against cybersecurity threats and building digital government services, OTI is at the forefront of how the city delivers for New Yorkers in the 21st century. You'll have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology and collaborate with other passionate professionals who share your drive and commitment to making a difference through technology.
The Public Safety Communications Radio Engineer is responsible for the planning, design, implementation, and lifecycle management of the City's mission-critical land mobile radio and microwave communications systems. This role provides strategic engineering leadership, technical oversight, and regulatory support for Citywide public safety radio network serving more than 40,000 users. Responsibilities will include:
Strategic Engineering and Program Oversight
Design and Implementation of LMR Systems
Lifecycle Management of Radio Infrastructure
Citywide Network Oversight
Microwave and Backhaul Systems
RF Spectrum Planning and Interference Mitigation
FCC Regulatory and Compliance Support
Broadband and Emerging Technology Integration
Documentation, Standards, and Trainings
Special projects and initiatives as assigned
Hours/Shift: Day - Due to the necessary technical duties of this position in a 24/7 operation, candidate may be required to work various shifts such as weekends and/or nights/evenings.
Work Location: Brooklyn, NY
Minimum Qualifications
1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college including or supplemented by 24 credits in the field of voice and/or data telecommunications or in a pertinent scientific, technical, electronic or related area, and four years of satisfactory fulltime experience in the performance of analytical, planning, operational, technical, or administrative duties in a voice and/or data telecommunications or closely related electronics planning, management, and/or service organization, one year of which must have been in a highly specialized capacity and 18 months must have been in an executive, managerial, or administrative capacity or in the supervision of staff performing work in the voice and/or data telecommunications field; or 2. An associate degree from an accredited college including or supplemented by 12 credits in the field of voice and/or data telecommunications or in a pertinent, scientific, technical, electronic or related area and five years of experience as described in "1" above; or 3. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. However, all candidates must have at least a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and one year of the specialized experience as described in "1" above and must possess the 18 months of executive, managerial, administrative or supervisory experience as described in "1" above.
Preferred Skills
The successful candidate should possess the following:
Strong working knowledge of P25 trunked and conventional radio systems, including system architecture, call processing, subscriber management, and system monitoring.
Demonstrated experience engineering and supporting large, multi-site public safety radio networks with thousands of subscribers.
Hands-on experience with RF propagation modeling, coverage analysis, and interference mitigation using industry-standard tools.
Practical understanding of microwave radio design, alignment, path analysis, and redundancy planning for mission-critical backhaul systems.
Experience supporting or leading large-scale radio system deployments and upgrades in an operational public safety environment.
Familiarity with FCC licensing, frequency coordination, and regulatory compliance for governmental radio systems.
Experience integrating LMR systems with broadband technologies such as LTE, 5G, and mission critical push-to-talk solutions.
Ability to analyze complex technical problems, develop practical solutions, and clearly communicate recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Experience developing engineering documentation, standards, and operating procedures for mission-critical systems.
Proven ability to support emergency operations and perform effectively under time-critical, high-pressure conditions.
Strong coordination and collaboration skills, with experience working across multiple agencies, vendors, and government stakeholders.
Ability to mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership without direct supervisory authority.
Self-directed, organized, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a dynamic public safety environment.
55a Program
This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.
Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.