Senior Product Manager II

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally.

The team marries technology with creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world. 

Here are a few reasons why we think you’d love working here:

• Building the future of Disney’s media: Our Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.
• Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disney’s technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the company’s brands and stories. Disney+. Hulu. ESPN. ABC. ABC News…and many more. These products and brands – and the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry – matter to millions of people globally. 
• Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms, and solve complex and distinctive technical problems.

Content Platforms & Operations is responsible for the development and ongoing advancement of the technical and operational functions driving the worldwide distribution and monetization of Disney’s linear networks and theatrical content. This includes Disney’s media supply chain and storage, network and theatrical distribution operations, media localization, network transmission and origination, and more. The global team also plays a critical role as the primary collaboration point for Product & Technology with Disney’s EMEA, APAC, and LATAM regional business teams.

As a Senior Product Manager, in the Asset & Services Media team, you will have the opportunity to dive deep into the business capabilities and learn the processes behind how Disney's content is planned to how it is delivered to screens around the world and everything in between. We are growing and investing in innovative technology to deliver a state-of-the-art content supply chain. Come be a part of the magic that makes The Walt Disney Company one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies”.

If you: 

• Find fulfillment in building and improving products that your coworkers use every day to deliver a delightful experience to our customers around the globe
• Are a problem solver that is well organized and detail oriented
• View complex business problems as exciting and challenging business opportunities
• Enjoy working across complicated and complex ecosystems comprised of multiple engineering and product teams.
• Has a passion for working in a transparent and collaborative environment.

…then the Distribution Platforms team within Content Platforms is the place for you. We are growing and investing in innovative technology to continuously improve and deliver an efficient, scalable, and resilient content supply chain.

Job Summary:

The Content Platforms’ Asset & Services Media team is looking for a Senior Product Manager to support the Ordering ecosystem.

You will play a key role implementing the future of the content supply chain that powers the distribution of content across the globe. You will be responsible for building out capabilities and services that simplify and improve how content moves through the digital supply chain and empower our operations teams to manage our content effectively.  Working in a cross-functional environment, you will collaborate with stakeholders, engineering, design, and others to reimagine the way we leverage technology to shape the future of our business. You will implement product strategy and be responsible for building and launching products that meet the needs of the business and delight our stakeholders.

This position will be in the Ordering ecosystem which is a combination of various tools used by Distribution Ops for creation of mastering, localization, and servicing orders and assignment of work to external and internal teams for all lines of businesses across Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), Broadcast, Transactional, Subscription Video-on-Demand (SVOD), Ad supported SVOD and Linear, international, etc…

Responsibilities: 

• Collaborate with business partners and cross-functional teams to identify and clearly define business requirements
• Align business partners and cross-functional teams on product vision and strategy
• Can clearly articulate product strategy and manage business partners expectations accordingly
• Work independently to define and align Product Roadmaps, clearly communicating the connection between vision, strategy, objectives, and roadmap
• Own definition of cost/benefit analysis and prepare lean business case
• Derive realistic product targets / KPIs (with help for complex products)
• Active use of product frameworks and tools to document information in a structured way (user journey maps, flow, information architecture, etc.)
• Lead business partner engagements to analyze the value proposition of business requests and provide alternative solutions, as needed to ensure we stay consistently focused on the product strategy
• Manage maintenance and prioritization of product backlog, ensuring transparent, well aligned & justified prioritization within your area of responsibility
• Guide team through selecting, crafting, and validating effective solutions for problems (with help for complex problems)
• Slice solutions to a viable minimum product that effectively solve prioritized requirements
• Key participant of daily scrum meetings, planning, reviews, and retrospectives
• Lead Retrospectives, as needed
• Define User Acceptance Test (UAT) Scripts development
• Own User Acceptance Testing (UAT), working in collaboration with Operations & Change Management
• Coordinate major product releases
• Own system processes, user guides, and training materials on product features where needed
• Collaborate, partner and coordinate with cross-functional teams (engineering, design, QA, and product leadership) to streamline product features and enhance business processes
• Partner with engineering and program managers to implement solutions aligned with the product strategy and Content Platforms strategic objectives
• Support any other activities / duties to help achieve business objectives

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience required
• 7+ years of product management experience
• Proven track record in technical product management, with prior experience in managing platforms with complex business workflows.
• Self-starter and can work independently under time constraints and meet deadlines.
• Extensive experience collaborating with multiple business areas such as engineering, design, and marketing.
• Demonstrated ability to offer creative, quality solutions to complex issues in the digital space.
• Extensive experience building and launching products that meet business needs and delight customers.
• Demonstrated ability to drive successful execution through collaboration and product evangelization.
• Deep understanding of how to leverage technology to create innovative solutions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA or Masters in related technical field preferred
• Exposure or experience with Agile development tools, such as Jira and Confluence
• Prior work experience in Order Management/ Fulfillment
• Knowledge of or experience in media & entertainment industry
• Enthusiasm and interests in Disney brands
• Understanding of media production workflows, digital video workflows, or consumer-facing video product features
• Expertise in the entertainment industry (having worked in a studio, production company, agency, distributor)

The hiring range for this position in Glendale is $152,200.00 to $204,100.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.