Senior Creative Director (4 years fixed-term)

Walt Disney Imagineering; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Private medical insurance & dental

Disney Theme Parks access

Disney discounts

Parental leave

Employee Resource Groups

Job summary

Walt Disney Imagineering in London is seeking a Senior Creative Director to guide and lead the development of complex attractions and experiences from Blue Sky to opening. You will align cross-disciplinary teams around story, guest experience, and visual design while protecting IP and the creative vision.

The role requires broad knowledge of theatrical technologies, leadership, negotiation, and the ability to present concepts to executives and partners.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in design, production, architectural design, live theater, film, interactive entertainment, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Guide, direct, and inspire the development of all creative content and experiences for large-scale, innovative attractions and land expansion projects.
• Direct the ideation and development of original concepts and communicate them through treatments, art, storyboards, models, and other methods.
• Align interdisciplinary project teams across story, content, visual design, guest experience, quality, and execution.
• Partner with Producer and Project Manager to set creative and strategic objectives aligning scope, budget, schedule, and quality.
• Provide clear creative direction to writers, designers, directors, and other disciplines
• Create and present project concepts, materials, storyboards, and status updates to leadership and partners
• Collaborate with directors, consultants, artists, and partners to integrate live entertainment and experiences
• Lead consensus-building and conflict resolution to maintain guest experience integrity
• Identify and develop internal and external talent across disciplines

Skills

Creative leadership

Concept development

Storytelling

Visual design

Project mgmt

Stakeholder mgmt

Presentation skills

Communication

Show systems

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Theater/Film/Design

Master of Fine Arts

Tools

3D modeling

Visualization tools

Concept design tools

Job description

About The Role & Team

Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative force that imagines, designs, and brings to life all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, and cruise ships worldwide. Working across a spectrum of disciplines that range from creative and conceptual to scientific and technical, Imagineers blend an innovative mixture of storytelling, art, science, and technology to create immersive experiences, memorable destinations, and innovative entertainment for families around the globe.

Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative force that imagines, designs, and brings to life all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, and cruise ships worldwide. Working across a spectrum of disciplines that range from creative and conceptual to scientific and technical, Imagineers blend an innovative mixture of storytelling, art, science, and technology to create immersive experiences, memorable destinations, and innovative entertainment for families around the globe.

Nearly every project at Walt Disney Imagineering includes a first-of-its-kind. Innovation is in our DNA, and Imagineers constantly push the boundaries of technology and invent new goals as well as the solutions to achieve them. As Imagineers, one of our greatest rewards is knowing that the experiences and environments we create inspire others. The diversity of expertise at Imagineering makes us uniquely capable of influencing positive change in our communities and around the world. And knowing that we have helped make a difference is incredibly fulfilling and inspiring for all of us.

The Senior Creative Director guides, directs, and inspires the development of project content and the experiences that define the creative product. This team leads the creative process from Blue Sky through opening, aligning interdisciplinary teams around story, guest experience, placemaking, visual design, quality, and execution while protecting intellectual property and maintaining the integrity of the agreed-upon creative vision.

This role will be based in our London Hammersmith office, 4 days a week, with either a Monday or Friday working from home. You will also be required for frequent international travel.

You’ll join a team grounded in our Disney values — acting with Integrity, welcoming everyone through Inclusion, embracing boundless Creativity, working together through Collaboration and caring deeply for our Community. These values shape how we work and how we support one another every day.

What You Will Do:

• Guide, direct, and inspire the development of all creative content and experiences for large-scale, innovative, and complex attractions, interactive experiences, and land expansion projects
• Create, develop, articulate, and maintain the project’s creative vision from Blue Sky through opening, serving as the vision keeper for the project team
• Direct the ideation and development of original concepts and communicate them through written treatments, concept art, storyboards, models, previsualization, animatics, and other effective creative methods
• Align interdisciplinary project teams across story, content, visual design, guest experience, quality, and execution of the approved creative vision
• Partner with the Producer and Project Manager to establish creative and strategic objectives and make value decisions that align scope, budget, schedule, and product quality
• Provide clear creative direction to writers, attraction and experience designers, media and music directors, Show Programmers, Special Effects Designers, illustrators, graphic artists, and other creative disciplines
• Create and present project concepts, materials, storyboards, and status updates to internal leadership, external partners, executive audiences, and other stakeholders
• Collaborate with Creative Entertainment Directors, consultants, artists, and creative partners to integrate live entertainment and other experience components
• Lead consensus-building, decision-making, and conflict resolution to address inconsistent design direction and maintain the integrity of the guest experience
• Partner with the Producer to identify, evaluate, cast, and develop internal and external creative talent across a wide range of disciplines

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Significant experience in design, production, architectural design, live theater, film, interactive entertainment, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience leading the creative development and completion of projects of moderate scale and complexity
• Thorough knowledge of the creative development process and associated deliverables
• Broad knowledge of complex theatrical and entertainment technologies, including lighting, special effects, media, show systems, and ride system integration
• Superior ability to develop, articulate, pitch, and direct complex creative concepts and guest experiences
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and align multiple stakeholders around a unified creative vision
• Strong leadership, communication, presentation, negotiation, consensus-building, and conflict-resolution skills
• Ability to communicate project concepts, status, risks, and recommendations effectively to working teams, senior executives, strategic partners, and external audiences
• Proficiency with creative communication and visualization methods, including scripting, narratives, concept design, storyboards, 3D modeling, dimensional design, and visualization tools
• Ability to direct a broad range of creative disciplines, including story development, music composition and scoring, performance, animated figure programming, media, and special effects

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

• Experience leading creative development for D-Ticket, E-Ticket, interactive, or land expansion projects
• Experience developing attractions and experiences that integrate complex ride systems, theatrical technologies, media, and live entertainment
• Experience simultaneously guiding multiple project teams of varying scope, complexity, and risk
• Experience casting, developing, coaching, and mentoring internal and external creative talent
• Experience working with intellectual property, licensors, external creative partners, or major entertainment brands
• Experience representing projects with external communities, strategic partners, executive leadership, or media audiences
• Bachelor’s degree in Theater, Film, Design, Fine Arts, Engineering, Interactive Entertainment, or a related field preferred
• Master of Fine Arts degree in a related creative discipline preferred

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave
• Private medical insurance & dental care
• Complimentary admission to eligible Disney Theme Parks, giving you the opportunity to experience the magic we create and make memories of your own. Admission is subject to availability, capacity restrictions, applicable rules, block-out dates, and eligibility requirements.
• Access to a wide range of Disney discounts on Disney merchandise, Disney Food & Beverage, Disney Resort Hotels, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, National Geographic Expeditions, and more. Offerings are subject to availability and may be seasonal, and subject to applicable rules, restrictions, and eligibility requirements.
• Excellent parental and guardian leave
• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney Mosaic, Disney PRIDE, our disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.