Senior Product Manager

Job ID 10098343 Location Burbank, California, United States Business Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology Date posted Oct. 28, 2024

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Job Summary:

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

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 for Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

Building the future of Disney’s media business: DE&E Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power Disney’s media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.
Reach & 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.

Content Operations is ultimately responsible for successfully delivering Disney’s entertainment and sports content to millions of people every day. This involves developing, operating, and managing a global content supply chain – the myriad of steps involved from taking a finalized TV show/movie, or live piece of content, from inside Disney to audiences around the globe, in their preferred language and format. This team also manages technology operations in Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific

Ever wonder how the innovative storytelling from the world’s most beloved brands – Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, ESPN, 20th Century, National Geographics, FX, Freeform, Disney Channels, ABC, and more -- makes it to viewers around the globe and beyond (yes, we also deliver content to the International Space Station)? Come join our growing team that builds global products, platforms and tools that deliver and monetize our company's unmatched collection of content, power our businesses and reflect the company's innovative spirit.

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 Media and Entertainment Distribution (DMED) segment which is responsible for The Walt Disney Company’s direct-to-consumer businesses globally, including the ESPN+ sports streaming service, programmed in conjunction with ESPN; Disney+, the Disney-branded direct-to-consumer streaming service; global advertising sales and ad technology for all of Disney’s media properties, including ABC, ESPN, Freeform, FX Networks, National Geographic and the Disney Channels; Hotstar, the leading over-the-top streaming service in India; and the Company’s majority ownership stake in 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:

The Content Platforms’ Global Planning and Forecasting Team is looking for a Sr. Product Manager to support the day-to-day activities of the Product Lifecycle. This individual will have the opportunity to be a part of the team defining and launching products in support of the content planning capabilities.

As the Product Manager, you will have the opportunity to dive deep into the business capabilities and learn the Disney processes. Your responsibilities include gathering & prioritizing business requirements and translating that into product specifications. Working in a cross-functional team environment with design, engineering, infrastructure, and QA, you will help reimagine the product for the future business of The Walt Disney Company, with focus in maximizing automation, driving operational improvements, and support the acceleration of our Direct-to-Consumer business.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:

Collaborate with business partners and cross-functional teams to identify and clearly define business requirements
Align business partners and cross-functional teams on product vision and strategy
Exhibit natural and intuitive user empathy
Can clearly articulate product strategy and manage business partners expectations accordingly
Make thoughtful, well documented assumptions
Assist in process alignment and standardization
Own product management for a distinct Product/Platform
Support definition of Product Strategy
Define and align Product Roadmaps, clearly communicating the connection between vision, strategy, objectives, and roadmap
Own definition of cost/benefit analysis and prepare lean business case
Derive realistic product targets / KPIs (with help for complex products)
Active use of product frameworks and tools to document information in a structured way (user journey maps, flow, information architecture, etc.)
Lead business partner engagements to analyze the value proposition of business requests and provide alternative solutions, as needed to ensure we stay consistently focused on the product strategy
Manage maintenance and prioritization of product backlog, ensuring transparent, well aligned & justified prioritization within your area of responsibility
Guide team through selecting, crafting, and validating effective solutions for problems (with help for complex problems)
Slice solutions to a viable minimum product that effectively solve prioritized requirements
Key participant of daily scrum meetings, planning, reviews, and retrospectives
Lead Retrospectives, as needed
Define User Acceptance Test (UAT) Scripts development
Own User Acceptance Testing (UAT), working in collaboration with Operations & Change Management
Coordinate major product releases
Own system processes, user guides, and training materials on product features where needed
Collaborate, partner and coordinate with cross-functional teams (engineering, design, QA, and product leadership) to streamline product features and enhance business processes
Partner with engineering and program managers to implement solutions aligned with the product strategy and Content Platforms strategic objectives
Mentor junior product managers
Support any other activities / duties to help achieve business objectives

Required Education, Experience/Skills/Training:

Minimum Qualification

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
5+ year of product management experience, preferably in digital/mobile environment
Demonstrate strong product understanding and platform familiarity
Self-starter and can work independently under time constraints and meet deadlines
Demonstrate strong presentation and ability to clearly communicate goals, status, and issues
Demonstrate strong technical writing skills
Demonstrate ability to derive actionable insights or alternative solutions through research
Demonstrate ability to craft and validate problems
Efficiently support experimentation execution and analysis, such as proof of concepts
Demonstrate ability to define Product Roadmaps
Demonstrate understanding of business modeling and analysis vis structured cost/benefit analysis
Demonstrate understanding and ability to write and prioritize user stories
Demonstrate ability to adjust and pivot as business strategy and product priorities shifts
Experienced in leading and/or facilitating business workshops
Exhibits a clear understanding of development process, methodologies, and tools
Can provide informal guidance to junior team members
Demonstrate in-depth knowledge and experience in product management for Title and Metadata Management
Exhibits appreciation and experience in incorporating data science and analytics in holistic product solutions
Experience conducting business partner discussions to define functional requirements, with a progression in complexity
Excellent written and verbal communication skills – able to distill information accurately and convey it (verbally and/or written) to business partners and internal technology teams
Demonstrated experience collaborating across functional teams
Strong sense of ownership and accountability with impeccable follow-through
Strong prioritization and organization skills with experience juggling time-sensitive requests from multiple business partners
Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic and matrixed organization, executing on several initiatives concurrently while balancing competing priorities

Preferred Qualifications

MBA or Masters in related technical field preferred
Exposure or experience with Agile development tools, such as Jira and Confluence
Prior work experience in Title (IP) and Metadata Management
Knowledge of or experience in media & entertainment industry
Enthusiasm and interests in Disney brands
Understanding of media production workflows, digital video workflows, or consumer-facing video product features
Expertise in the entertainment industry (having worked in a studio, production company, agency, distributor)
Experience in metadata, master data and/or supply chain.

The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA, is $136,100 to $182,400 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 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.

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 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, 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.

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION FOR EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS

The Walt Disney Company and its Affiliated Companies are Equal Employment Opportunity employers and welcome all job seekers including individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or apply for a position, email Candidate.Accommodations@Disney.com with your request. This email address is not for general employment inquiries or correspondence. We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.

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