Staff Data Scientist

Job Description

Office of Technology Enablement (OTE)
The Office of Technology Enablement (OTE) is Disney's central engine for transforming emerging tech into real world magic. We orchestrate company-wide efforts in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and mixed reality, empowering every segment-from Studios and ESPN to Parks and Experiences-to unlock new value and delight our guests in responsible, innovative ways.
We are seeking an experienced Staff Data Scientist-a trusted technical counterpart to the Manager, AI Enablement and a catalyst for data driven innovation across Disney's businesses. Many of our engagements begin as a simple hunch: a leader senses that smarter data-or the right model-could unlock something special. You'll lead the journey from exploratory discovery through model deployment, guiding partners from discovery to production while nurturing a scalable data flywheel.
If you are a hands-on expert who can go deep on ML and inspire cross functional teams to move fast and responsibly, we'd love to meet you.

Key Responsibilities
• Opportunity Discovery and Diagnostic Investigation – Engage segment partners to surface hypotheses, perform data sleuthing to size value, and craft lean proofs of concept to validate ROI in weeks, not months.
• Experiment Design and Insight Reporting – Structure A/B tests or causal studies, measure impact, and package results into clear, decision ready insights for executives and creative leaders.
• Data Science and ML Delivery – Design, train, and deploy predictive models, statistical analyses, and machine learning systems that drive guest and business impact.
• Data Flywheel and MLOps – Stand up cloud native pipelines, feature engineering workflows, and monitoring that keep models healthy post launch.
• Stakeholder Storytelling – Translate complex findings into compelling narratives and decision frameworks for product, creative, and executive audiences.
• People Leadership – Recruit, mentor, and coach 1–2 data scientists/engineers; codify reusable assets and best practices.
• Responsible AI and Governance – Ensure all work aligns with Disney's Responsible AI guardrails in partnership with Legal, Privacy, and Security.
Required Qualifications
• BS in advanced Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science in comparable field of study + 7 years of experience or PhD in advanced Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science in comparable field of study + 3 years of experience.
• Expert proficiency in Python, SQL, and modern ML/DL libraries (scikit learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch); solid grounding in statistical modeling, experiment design, and causal inference.
• Hands on experience with AWS, GCP, or Azure and big data frameworks such as Snowflake, Spark, or Databricks.
• Proven ability to move from whiteboard idea to production solution and influence cross functional teams through data storytelling.
• Strong software engineering fundamentals (version control, testing, CI/CD); familiarity with data visualization or experimentation platforms (e.g., Looker, Tableau, Optimizely).
Preferred Qualifications
• Domain knowledge in media, streaming, sports, parks, or consumer products.
• Experience with LLMs, vector search, and retrieval augmented generation.
• Background in causal inference or experimentation platforms.
• Prior experience hiring or leading small technical teams.
Reporting & Collaboration
• Reports directly to the Director, ML Architecture & Engineering and partners daily with the Manager, AI Enablement and Staff Architect to align technical design with product outcomes.
Ready to turn data hunches into headline making magic? Apply today.
#DISNEYTECH
The hiring range for this position in Burbank 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
About The Walt Disney Studios:
For over 95 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today it brings quality movies, episodic storytelling, music, and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. The Walt Disney Studios encompasses a collection of respected film studios, including Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures. It is also home to Disney Theatrical Productions, producer of world-class stage shows.

This position is with Disney Streaming Technology LLC, which is part of a business we call The Walt Disney Studios.
Disney Streaming Technology LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-6kk8vn-18-97-14-83-42 in your application.