Lead Software Engineer

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.

We are the Content Platforms team with a mission to “reimagine the technical ecosystem that empowers The Walt Disney Company to harness its unparalleled storytelling and distribute it around the world.” Content Platforms is part of the Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology segment which is responsible for the global scheduling, delivery and monetization of Disney VOD and live content across multiple platforms including Disney+, ESPN/ESPN Flagship, ESPN+, ABC,  Freeform, FX Networks, National Geographic, the Disney Channels and Hulu.

If you: 

• Enjoy working with teams of talented and passionate people 
• Have excellent communication skills 
• Demonstrate determination in finding solutions to complex puzzles 
• Have the curiosity and interests in how content goes from inception to consumers
• Employ positive thinking and are able to work constructively in a diverse team setting 

• Enjoy transforming business strategy into innovative products & platforms
• Value learning and being exposed to new experiences 
• Love working in a startup culture
• Find Media & Entertainment industry fascinating

then Content Platforms team is the place for you. We are growing and investing in innovative technology to deliver a state-of-the-art content pipeline. Come be a part of the magic that makes The Walt Disney Company one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies”. 

Job Summary:

As a Lead Software Engineer on Disney’s Content Platforms team, you will architect and deliver resilient, scalable systems that power accounting workflows for payments to content creators and rights holders across Disney Movies and TV. This role blends hands-on technical leadership with strategic influence—transforming business requirements into innovative solutions that support Disney’s global content monetization ecosystem. You will collaborate across engineering, product, and finance teams to ensure our platforms meet the highest standards of performance, security, and reliability.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership: Set engineering standards, review code, and guide design decisions to ensure quality and maintainability.
• System Expertise: Maintain deep knowledge of core accounting systems and their integration with upstream and downstream services.
• Architecture & Scalability: Drive platform performance, resiliency, and scalability for high-volume, mission-critical applications.
• Cross-Team Collaboration: Partner with product managers and stakeholders to refine requirements and deliver solutions spanning multiple teams.
• Strategic Influence: Contribute to technical strategy, roadmap planning, and adoption of emerging technologies.
• Mentorship: Coach engineers on advanced technical topics and foster a culture of continuous learning.
• Innovation: Research and evangelize modern architecture patterns, cloud-native practices, and automation strategies.
• Incident Leadership: Lead troubleshooting and resolution of complex, cross-functional issues.

Basic Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 7+ years of software engineering experience with proven leadership in designing and delivering large-scale, fault-tolerant systems.
• Expertise in Java and frameworks such as Spring, plus experience with RESTful API design.
• Strong knowledge of asynchronous programming models and distributed systems using Apache Kafka
• Hands-on experience with AWS services (EKS, SQS, RDS, MSK, etc).
• Proficiency in CI/CD methodology and best practices for testing and code quality.
• Ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly and influence decisions across teams.
• Passion for mentoring and working in collaborative, diverse environments.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with financial or accounting systems and SAP integrations.
• Knowledge of observability tools and performance tuning for high-throughput applications.
• Familiarity with security and compliance standards in enterprise environments.

The hiring range for this position in Glendale, CA is $152,200 to $204,100 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.