Director, Production & Planning

Job ID 10151605 Location Burbank, California, United States / Vancouver, Canada Business Walt Disney Animation Studios Date posted Jun. 02, 2026

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Job Summary:

Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made, including Frozen, Zootopia and Moana. For over 100 years, Disney Animation has told timeless stories, set in imaginative worlds, with compelling characters. We invite you to bring your unique talents, passion and ideas to our collaborative team.

The Director, Production & Planning supports the VP, Production & Planning in strategically planning feature films and other projects that are simultaneously being produced within the studio, and to explore alternate production and slate scenarios. This position is responsible for the overall utilization of historical data to:

Inform current and future planning
Highlight areas to review regarding complexity, efficiency and budget
Identify recommendations for improvement

This position also manages the evolution and maintenance of production plan templates for the studio. Requiring deep collaboration with Studio, Departmental, and Production Leadership, this role oversees a team that develops dashboards, reports, and tools to drive production analysis, informing strategy and decision-making at WDAS.

Responsibilities:

Manages Studio’s production plan templates for features, specials and shorts projects. Update as necessary, prepare scenario analysis, and assess studio impacts in collaboration with Studio leadership
Creates initial production plans and resource schedules for projects that do not yet have an Associate Producer assigned to them, working with Development to incorporate the development timeline into the overall production plan. Works collaboratively with Finance to translate these early show plans into budgets
Creates and consolidates production scenarios to provide recommendations on how best to optimize studio resources, minimize production risks and provide options for slate planning based on studio, financial and creative goals.
Responsible for data from past projects and uses this data to generate production dashboards, reports and presentations to highlight areas to review complexity, efficiency and budgets to inform decision making and future planning.
Acts as a thought partner and provides recommendations to Associate Producers on inventory flow strategies, challenges and opportunities.
Partners with Production leadership to create consistent production milestones and dashboards to improve cross-show consistency in data tracking and reporting.
Partners with Production Finance to realize financial impacts at both the production and studio levels that are driven by production planning assumptions.
Manages a team that:
- Owns and supports the production tracking tool (Autodesk Flow Production Tracking) and the generation of meaningful and consistent dashboards that will help provide the basis for analysis and inform recommendations for future projects.
- Owns and supports workforce planning tools and the generation of meaningful and consistent dashboards as it pertains to resource planning for the studio and to enhance the studio’s production planning and workforce planning capabilities.
Partners closely with Technology leaders to help prioritize initiatives for future process improvement tools and helps guide the development of such tools.
Keep up to date with industry trends, and take the initiative to explore how new technologies could improve or disrupt existing established methodologies for production scheduling, data management and visualization.
Key Stakeholder to, and responsible for partnering with, the Data Team in their efforts to create trend analysis, and predictive production and workforce forecasts.

Required qualifications:

10+ years of production experience
5+ years of production leadership experience, including as an Associate Producer, is preferred
Creates an inclusive and safe cross-site work environment by carefully managing sensitive information, making rooms feel open and comfortable, creating space for everyone to have a voice and addressing bias when it occurs.
Specialized knowledge of the production process in animation, deep understanding of animation workflows and the management of production environments
Strong leadership, communication, time management skills
Thinks critically and analytically with a high aptitude for strategic planning and tactical execution on a multitude of simultaneous projects. Demonstrates the ability to identify and track priorities.
The ability to effectively communicate, interact and partner with production leadership, creative talent and executives inside the Company is crucial.
The ability to drive results and to generate and promote new and innovative ideas is required, adaptable in an ever-changing environment
Proficient in Excel, Powerpoint/Keynote, Google platforms, Shotgrid
Must be customer service-oriented and an intuitive trouble shooter
High level of confidentiality and discretion required
Ability to travel as needed
Must be available to work onsite 3-5 days per week

The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA is $131,500 to $170,000 per year and in Vancouver, BC is C$144,700 to C$187,200 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.

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About Walt Disney Animation Studios:

Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Disney Animation continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, from the first fully-animated feature film, 1937's “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” to 2025’s “Zootopia 2.” Among the studio's timeless creations are “Pinocchio,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Jungle Book,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King,” “Frozen,” “Moana” and “Encanto.”

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Walt Disney Pictures, which is part of a business we call Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Walt Disney Pictures 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.

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