Director Software Engineering

Job Description

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 here:
• Building the future of Disney's Streaming, Sports, and Entertainment business: DE&E Technologists are designing and building the backend systems, API's and mobile applications that will power Disney's media, advertising, and distribution businesses.
• Reach and 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.

About the Organization

Engineering Services designs, builds, and sustains technology that powers DE&E Technology's worldwide content production and distribution platforms. In doing so, they contribute to a series of cross-functional services and technologies, including Quality Engineering, Data Analytics, Software Development, Broadcast Infrastructure, and Networking & Security. The Quality Engineering team is responsible for validating all work before it goes to production, this includes software: web, mobile, living room applications, media, services, non-consumer facing products and more.

Job Summary

As Director, Software Engineering, within DE&E, you will touch the lives of Disney fans around the world, working on innovative digital products and platforms from Disney, ESPN, National Geographic, ABC, Marvel, Star Wars and more. You will be a senior leader on the Quality Engineering team, whose primary goal is continually improving the quality of the products that Disney is known for while decreasing time-to-market and enabling innovation. This role makes you a stakeholder in every digital property developed and released by the DE&E Technology group, as well as the platforms and enterprise applications that power them.

As an experienced software engineering leader who has a passion for leading teams that drive quality and productivity into world-class applications and services, you will lead a talented and driven group of software engineers and managers dedicated to building test automation platforms, tools, reports, and services that enable product delivery teams to ensure all Disney products achieve the quality and reliability expected by our guests. You will also lead a team of quality focused software engineers and managers who are embedded with product delivery teams to plan and execute automation activities, serve as quality focused automation experts, and act as subject matter experts implementing toolsets.

Responsibilities
• Lead a team of software engineers and engineering managers to deliver test automation for key Disney products and deliver test automation frameworks and tools.
• Leads the evaluation of build versus buy for Quality Engineering and determines and enforces the governance process for all contracts owned by the team including SaaS, licenses, and on-site, near-shore and off-shore vendor management.
• Collaborates with senior leaders across DE&E Technology to understand needs and provide solutions, including evangelizing and directing technology and process change across all DE&E Technology.
• Mentor and develop managers and senior-level individual contributors.
• Serves as technical architect and technical decision-maker for the platforms, tools, and services provided by the Quality Engineering team.
• Executes the operational and organizational strategy for the Quality Engineering team based on KPIs, and drives the tracking, course-correction, and achievement of these KPIs.

Role Qualifications

Required education: bachelor's degree in computer science or related technical discipline or its equivalent.

Skills and experience:
• 10 years of software engineering or quality engineering experience of high-scale consumer-facing or enterprise products in a rapid-release cycle environment, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role
• History of leading high performing teams with multiple levels of leadership within their organization(s)
• Demonstrated experience driving test automation, software quality, and developer productivity best practices.
• Experience architecting and implementing web, app, and backend frameworks (test automation frameworks preferred)
• Experience leading development and testing of applications and services across all major platforms, including clients, SDKs/services/APIs, middleware, and enterprise applications.
• Demonstrated strong leadership experience, ability to drive results with urgency, and collaborative influence using strong written and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated experience defining and tracking metrics aligned to KPI's and benchmarks to drive process improvement.
• Demonstrated professional success growing a team, mentoring engineers, and near-shore and off-shore vendor management.
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment, adapting to shifting priorities and managing multiple simultaneous high-visibility projects.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including problem solving, decision making, written and oral communications, and ability to work effectively with diverse groups.
• Demonstrated ability to seek out, build, foster, and maintain productive relationships and networks.

The hiring range for this position in New York and Seattle is $229,800 to $308,200 per year and in California is $219,300 to $294,100 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.

About Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology:

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Technology (DE&E Technology) provides the technological backbone and product development for Disney's two media business units, while helping to keep the company at the vanguard of innovation – enabling the Company to continuously leverage technology to enhance storytelling and creativity, while delivering scalability, flexibility, and efficiency for its businesses.

This position is with Disney Streaming Technology LLC, which is part of a business we call Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology.

Disney Streaming Technology LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-dy5qxp-3-12-120-25-42 in your application.