Sr Manager, AI Solutions and Development

“We Power the Magic!” That’s our motto at Disney Experiences. We deliver experiences to consumers through our Disney’s Parks & Resorts worldwide, Disney Cruise Lines, and Disney Vacation Club. We are responsible for the end-to-end digital and physical Guest experience for all technology initiatives across the Attractions & Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Resorts & Transportation and Merchandise lines of business.  We are a global team comprised of nearly 3,000 technology, product, data, and operations professionals across four locations, focusing on the development and implementation of digital and technology strategies for Disney Experiences businesses around the world.

This role sits under a unique AI center-of-excellence pillar of our organization.

As the Sr Manager, you will report into the Director of AI Solutions & Development. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team of technologists, including engineers, developers and business analysts, responsible for delivering highly visible AI solutions across the Disney Experiences function. You will work directly with Senior Leadership and technologists across the organization, influencing AI strategy and driving cross-functional integration. We want someone that exudes passion for driving innovation and staying at the forefront of emerging technologies, particularly in the field of generative AI and knowledgeable about the latest trends and tools of GenAI.

You Will:

• Develop product roadmaps for GenAI initiatives, considering factors such as business impact, technical feasibility, and resource availability 

• Translate business requirements into technical specifications, working directly with engineering teams to ensure successful implementation of generative AI solutions 

• Monitor and analyze KPI’s for generative AI projects, providing regular updates to stakeholders and making data-driven recommendations for improvement 

• Assess potential risks and challenges associated with generative AI projects, proactively addressing concerns related to ethics, privacy, and security 

• Work directly with Senior Leadership and technologists across the organization, providing strategic guidance, serving as a trusted advisor on all things AI, and drive cross-functional integration

• Lead the development and execution of training programs to upskill team members and other stakeholders on AI/Generative AI. 

• Collaborate with industry thought-leaders and strategic partners to co-innovate 

• Proactively seek opportunities to expand adoption of GenAI across the organization, prioritizing new use cases and driving innovation, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives

• Owns executive communication strategy to senior leaders, key stakeholders, mass audience, presenting at forums and high-level meetings to drive alignment, awareness, and support for AI initiatives. 

• Act as the primary point of contact for internal customers, seeking to understand both implicit and explicitly stated business needs, pain points, and goals related to generative AI adoption 

• Collaborate with internal customers to identify GenAI use cases; serve as a bridge by translating technical-speak to facilitate communication and understanding between business and technical teams. 

• Educate and evangelize generative AI capabilities to various internal stakeholders, showcasing potential use cases and business value 

• Foster a culture of innovation and experimentation within the team, encouraging team members to explore new ideas and approaches to leverage AI/ Generative AI safely.  

• Conduct market research and stay abreast of the latest generative AI tools, platforms, and best practices to provide informed recommendations to internal customers 

You Have:

• 10+ years of experience in technical product management, technical portfolio management, or a similar technologist role.

• Leadership experience, preferably in managing multi-disciplinary technical teams (including product management/strategy, technology, design, engineers, and analytics) 

• Experience with prompting techniques (text and visual) 

• Product management experience, with the ability to lead multiple initiatives simultaneously and manage competing priorities 

• Basic understanding of how to use Generative AI and AI suites (Google Vertex, Azure OpenAI) to write simple LLM applications. 

• Experience in conducting market research, gathering and analyzing business requirements, and creating product roadmaps 

• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and product management best practices 

• Ability to lead teams working in a fast paced, cross-functional environment with evolving priorities and deliverables. 

• Experience with adaptive leadership, enabling team resilience during periods of organizational ambiguity. 

• Strong understanding of generative AI concepts, techniques, and tools, with hands-on experience using popular platforms such as OpenAI, Azure OpenAI Copilot, DALL-E, Adobe Firefly, Runway, or similar 

Required Education:

• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent work experience

Preferred Education:

• Master’s degree and/or equivalent work experience

#DISNEYTECH

The hiring range for this position in Glendale, CA is $180,645 to $242,330 per year and in Seattle, WA is $189,256 to $253,880 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.