Sr Technical Program Manager

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also transforming Disney’s media business for the future. Whether that’s evolving our streaming and digital products in new and immersive ways, powering worldwide advertising and distribution to maximize flexibility and efficiency, or delivering Disney’s unmatched entertainment and sports content, every day is a moment to make a difference to partners and to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

A few reasons why we think you’d love working for Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

• Building the future of Disney’s media business: DE&E Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power Disney’s media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.

• Reach & Scale: The products and platforms this group builds and operates delight millions of consumers every minute of every day – from Disney+ and Hulu, to ABC News and Entertainment, to ESPN and ESPN+, and much more.

• Innovation: We develop and execute groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news.

Business Operations is the glue of DE&E Technology, with a relentless focus on connecting all the pieces of the business. All the components that make up the organization – engineering, product, design, operations, support and more – come together and move the business forward with oversight, effective prioritization, and guidance. This team synthesizes information from across the business to ensure leaders are armed with all the necessary data before making strategic and financial decisions. From forecasting, funding, tracking, and reporting on projects, to ways of working, and resource management, Business Operations has visibility and input into all aspects of the team.

As a Technical Program Manager you’ll be responsible for partnering with Program and Engineering managers who are developing the video experiences for the Disney Streaming platform. You’ll also function as the interface between Product and other Engineering teams, participating in coordination, alignment, road mapping, and the overall seamless delivery of best-in-class consumer applications. You will help ensure our teams are aligned with the product roadmap and deliver best-in-class consumer applications for all of our products.

• You are obsessed with the delivery of quality software, regardless of the challenges

• You promote team synergy among project team members, and foster transparent communication

• You build strong relationships with partnered engineering teams

• You display initiative and take a proactive approach at finding ways to remove barriers to move a project forward

• You are able to stay focused under pressure, prioritizing multiple work streams in a deadline driven environment

• You are constantly seeking ways to improve at every iteration, making suggestions for improvement

• You are an excellent communicator, capable of managing stakeholders in multiple disciplines across several global offices

• You are willing to support your fellow colleagues to successfully complete projects on time. 

Responsibilities:

• Lead execution for upcoming features and products, driving the roadmap, specifications, and delivery, focusing on both front-end and back-end aspects

• Collaborate with product managers, engineers, and designers on the experience Roadmap and identify the necessary investments and dependencies to support execution and delivery

• Partner with engineering, product, and design to translate specifications to requirements to comprehensive execution plans

• Scope projects into manageable chunks that enable us to quickly and efficiently release iterative products

• Own the Scrum/Agile process for Engineering scrum teams - including sprint planning, stand-ups, retrospectives, and backlog grooming

• Work with multiple engineering teams to track progress for large initiatives related to your projects in a manner easily consumable by all partners

• Understand the fundamentals of Disney’s branded business and their interplay with development priorities to reduce delays in discussions among interested parties

• Work with program and product leads to author detailed reports for program status, schedules, task assignments, risks

• Investigate, track, and resolve open issues for any given project through clear communication with a wide array of partners

• Participate in and lead investigations to understand, mitigate, and prevent quality issues

• Identify inefficiencies in the processes, and drive better, more efficient processes where needed for projects to be delivered optimally and on time.

Basic Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in software program management

• Experience in shipping multiple features or products simultaneously

• Experience in Agile software development

• Solid understanding of systems architecture, testing, design, and implementation

• Ability to actively identify dependencies/risks and work with engineering counterparts to mitigate these

• Ability to interact with a diverse set of technical and non-technical partners

• Strong attention to detail, excellent communication skills, written and verbal

• BA/BS Degree is Required

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience shipping web applications and working with web development teams.
• Experience shipping entertainment and media applications on web, mobile platforms, video game consoles, set top boxes, or smart TVs.

#DisneyTech

The hiring range for this position in San Fransico/Santa Monica, California, Seattle and New York City is $124,000 - $166,200 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.