Lead Data and Governance Engineer

Job ID 10153228 Location Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States Business The Walt Disney Company (Corporate) Date posted Jun. 25, 2026

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Job Summary:

The Disney Decision Science and Integration (DDSI) team leverages advanced technologies, data analytics, and scientific approaches such as optimization and statistical modeling to build innovative tools that shape business decisions across The Walt Disney Company. We support Disney Entertainment (ABC, The Walt Disney Studios, Disney+, Hulu), ESPN, Disney Experiences (Theme Parks, Cruise Line, Consumer Products, DVC), and Corporate Finance with strategic applications that enable data-driven decision-making.

This team works in office.

What You Will Do

As the Senior Data Governance Lead for Data Unification, you will design, implement, and oversee the enterprise data governance strategy that underpins Disney’s modern federated data platform. You will work in close partnership with the Ontology/Semantic Librarian and Data Engineering teams to embed governance into semantic models, knowledge graphs, vector databases, and unified data access layers from the ground up. This role will play a critical part in the enterprise Data Unification initiative by establishing and enforcing the governance framework that ensures our unified data assets are trusted, secure, compliant, and fully leveraged across the enterprise.

Lead the development and enforcement of data governance policies, standards, and best practices across the Data Unification initiative, with specific focus on semantic technologies, federated architectures, and AI-enabled data products.
Partner with the Ontology/Semantic Librarian to ensure ontologies, semantic layers, and knowledge graphs incorporate robust governance controls, metadata standards, lineage, and quality rules.
Collaborate with Data Engineering teams to implement governance in federated querying, GraphQL interfaces, vector databases, and RAG pipelines.
Define and maintain enterprise data stewardship processes, including ownership, accountability, and issue resolution workflows.
Establish governance frameworks for data security, privacy, and compliance (including RBAC/ABAC, dynamic masking, and regulatory requirements) within the semantic and federated environment.
Design and implement data quality, metadata, and lineage strategies that support discoverability, trust, and responsible AI usage across heterogeneous data sources.
Contribute to the internal Data Marketplace by defining governance requirements for semantic data products and ensuring compliance and business value.
Drive data governance training, change management, and adoption across business, engineering, and AI teams.
Monitor and report on governance metrics, risks, and compliance posture for the Data Unification program.
Stay current with evolving data regulations, industry standards, and best practices in semantic and AI governance.

Required Qualifications & Skills

7+ years of experience in data roles with significant experience in data and information governance with a focus on enterprise-scale initiatives.
Deep expertise in data governance frameworks, policies, stewardship, and metadata management.
Background in GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) programs.
Strong understanding of semantic technologies, ontologies, knowledge graphs, and federated data architectures.
Hands-on experience implementing governance for cloud data platforms (Snowflake, Databricks), vector databases, and GraphQL-based data access layers.
Proven ability to partner effectively with technical teams (ontology, engineering, AI) and business stakeholders to embed governance into modern data platforms.
Solid knowledge of data privacy, security (RBAC/ABAC, dynamic masking), and compliance requirements in large enterprises.
Experience with data quality, lineage, and catalog tools in complex, heterogeneous environments.
Excellent communication and influencing skills with the ability to bridge governance, technical, and business teams.

Desired Qualifications

Experience leading data governance in large, complex enterprises, preferably in media, entertainment, or hospitality.
Prior work with semantic web standards, knowledge graphs, or ontology-driven governance.
Strong programming or query skills (Python, SQL, SPARQL, or GraphQL).
Hands-on experience with Generative AI, LLMs, RAG architectures, and responsible AI governance.
Familiarity with data marketplaces, data products, or federated query engines (Trino/Presto, Apache Iceberg).

Required Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, Mathematics, or a related field

Preferred Education

Master’s degree or advanced certification in Data Governance, Information Management, or a related field.

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The hiring range for this position in Lake Buena Vista, FL is $135,200 to $181,200 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 The Walt Disney Company (Corporate):

At Disney Corporate you can see how the businesses behind the Company’s powerful brands come together to create the most innovative, far-reaching and admired entertainment company in the world. As a member of a corporate team, you’ll work with world-class leaders driving the strategies that keep The Walt Disney Company at the leading edge of entertainment. See and be seen by other innovative thinkers as you enable the greatest storytellers in the world to create memories for millions of families around the globe.

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 Worldwide Services, Inc., which is part of a business we call The Walt Disney Company (Corporate).

Disney Worldwide Services, 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.

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Hiring Process

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Explore this Location Lake Buena Vista, FL

Lake Buena Vista is home to the Disney Springs retail, dining and entertainment complex, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course and several resort hotels are located with the City limits.