Lead Software Product Engineer
Job Summary:
About the Role & Team:
Walt Disney Imagineering makes the impossible possible, by combining innovation and storytelling to bring Disney stories, characters, and worlds to life. Imagineering is the master planning, creative development, design, engineering, production, project management, and research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company. Its talented Imagineers are responsible for the creation - from concept initiation through installation - of all Disney Resorts, theme parks and attractions, real estate developments, regional entertainment venues, and new media projects. Disney Imagineers are uniquely talented individuals who bring together the best aspects of creativity, innovation, and passion.
At Imagineering Research and Development, our mission is to use technology to build new experiences for our Guests and new tools for Imagineers and the Cast Members who power our parks. R&D is a team of engineers, designers, artists, and scientists who share a passion for solving hard problems and building ground-breaking experiences.
As the Estimating and Scope Management Tech Lead, you are the senior individual contributor and technical anchor for these capabilities. You set the technical direction, drive execution alongside our partner teams, and elevate the engineers around you. You think in user problems first: the Imagineers using these tools are the people across the table, not tickets in a backlog. This role reports to the Manager, Software Development and partners closely with product managers, project managers, and business stakeholders.
This role will report directly to the Sr. Manager of Software Development.
This is a Full-Time role.
What You Will Do
• Own the technical direction — architecture, design choices, and integration strategy.
• Lead delivery end-to-end — find the real problem underneath the stated one, prove feasibility fast, and ship what's worth shipping. Estimate, plan, design, implement, and close out software work for assigned scope, balancing evolving requirements against fixed budgets and schedules.
• Build and maintain whole feature sets — from desktop and web applications through cloud-scale services and the data pipelines that connect them.
• Partner across the Studio — translate product and business needs into technical requirements with product managers, project leads, and partner engineering teams; communicate trade-offs and risk early.
• Set the engineering bar — lead code reviews, define and uphold standards and processes within the portfolio and contribute to studio-wide practice.
• Build at the frontier — stay current on the tools changing how software gets made (AI-assisted development, modern data platforms, new frameworks), and bring what works back to the team.
Required Qualifications & Skills
• 8+ years of professional software development experience, with a demonstrated track record of leading technical work.
• Strong proficiency in one or more modern languages (e.g., TypeScript, C#, Python, Java, JavaScript).
• Working knowledge of CI/CD, infrastructure as code (e.g., Terraform), containerization (Docker), AWS, and observability tooling (e.g., Datadog, Splunk).
• Experience designing and operating full-stack systems in the cloud, with sound instincts for security, performance, and reliability.
• Fluency with modern engineering practice — version control, code review, automated testing, and workflow tooling (Git, GitLab, GitHub, JIRA, Jenkins).
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to document decisions and explain technical trade-offs to non-engineering partners.
• Willingness to travel occasionally on behalf of the company.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience building software for estimating, project controls, or other business-critical domains.
• Depth in data modeling, ETL/data pipelines, and warehouse technologies (e.g., Snowflake).
• Familiarity with reactive front-end frameworks (Vue.js preferred) and full-stack TypeScript/Node.js.
• Experience integrating or extending vendor SaaS platforms and managing technical aspects of vendor relationships.
• Proficiency with AI-assisted development workflows and tooling (e.g., Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code).
Education
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field Required.
Additional Information:
- Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits.
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The hiring range for this position in Orlando, FL is $148,300.00-$198,800.00 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 Walt Disney Imagineering:
Founded in 1952 as WED Enterprises to design and build the world’s first theme park — Disneyland — Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) is where imagination and creativity combine with cutting-edge technology to create unforgettable experiences. WDI is the creative force that imagines, designs and builds all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions and cruise ships worldwide. Imagineering’s unique strength comes from its diverse global team of creative and technical professionals, who build on Disney’s legacy of storytelling to pioneer new forms of entertainment. The Imagineers who practice this unique blend of art and science work in more than 100 disciplines to shepherd an idea all the way from “blue sky” concept phase to opening day.
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 Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., which is part of a business we call Walt Disney Imagineering.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. 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, visit the Disney candidate disability accommodations FAQs. We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.
Having technical issues? View the FAQs for help.
Hiring Process
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Explore this Location Celebration, FL
The picture-perfect community of Celebration, 25 minutes southwest of Orlando, is a place like no other. Founded by The Walt Disney Company in the 1990s and named one of Forbes Magazine’s prettiest neighborhoods in America, Celebration features an idyllic downtown with architecture inspired by traditional Southern towns.
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