Software Engineer; Emerging Tech & AI Automation Project

We are seeking a hands‑on Staff Software Engineer to drive high‑impact initiatives at the forefront of emerging technologies, unlocking enterprise‑wide capabilities across Disney.

• Stay at the forefront of emerging technologies by engaging with keynotes, articles, and technical content, translating those insights into impactful blog posts, workshops, demos, and talks that educate and inspire others.
• Explore and validate new ideas through hands‑on experimentation, tinkering, and rapid prototyping, actively participating in—and often leading—hackathons, design thinking workshops, demo days, and other forums that promote creativity and knowledge sharing.
• Tackle complex problems using a first‑principles mindset and a natural inclination toward developing simple, elegant solutions.
• Be an exceptional communicator—equally effective in writing and speaking—and skilled at translating complex ideas into clear, actionable insights for both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Mentor and partner with other engineers to share best practices, amplify impact, and accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies.

• Tackle ambiguity by building thin, end‑to‑end implementations that touch all major components of a system to evaluate the feasibility of emerging technologies and early prototypes to explore unknowns, validate assumptions, and help unblock teams.
• Embrace rapid iteration—prioritize speed and learning by delivering minimum lovable products and evolving them through continuous feedback.
• Support project planning and execution—help prioritize work, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and ensure timely delivery of high‑quality code.
• Collaborate with engineers and business partners to align priorities, define goals, and deliver impactful outcomes.
• Continuously refine engineering practices and champion improvements that elevate team performance and product excellence.

• 7+ years of full‑stack software engineering experience with a strong coding background in languages such as Python, Type Script, Node.js, Go or similar.
• Proven ability to write clear, concise technical documentation and create professional system architecture diagrams using tools like Lucidchart, Mermaid, or Plant
  
  UML.
• Hands‑on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), microservices architecture, CI/CD pipelines, testing, development and deployment approaches, including containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), A/B testing, etc.
• Proficiency with AI/ML development tools, and experience integrating LLM‑based APIs, AI agents, or prompt‑based workflows.
• Experience working with large‑scale databases (SQL/No
  
  SQL, Object, Graph, etc).
• A passion for innovation, emerging technologies, and driving continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated expertise in systems architecture, platform thinking, and technical leadership.
• Ability to navigate conflict, build trust, and foster alignment across cross‑functional teams; able to explain complex systems and tradeoffs to engineers, product managers, and stakeholders alike.
• Proven ability to navigate organizational complexity and deliver outcomes aligned with strategic objectives.
• Experience with agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban.

• Passion for Disney's mission and values.
• AWS, GCP, or Azure certification.
• Experience with emerging technologies.
• A track record of success in automation and developer productivity initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience building prototypes or experimental software in ambiguous or early‑stage environments.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software, Electrical or Electronics Engineering, or a comparable field of study and/or equivalent work experience.

This is an estimated 24‑month project hire position with no guarantee of permanent placement.

The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA is $155,700 to $208,700 per year, in Orlando, FL $148,300 to $198,800 per year, and in Seattle, WA $163,100 to $218,700 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate’s geographical 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 other benefits.