Lead Data Engineer

The Walt Disney Company; Lake Buena Vista (FL); On-site; USD 135,000 - 181,000; Full time

Job summary

The Walt Disney Company in Orlando, FL is seeking a senior data engineering professional to plan and lead R&D for advanced analytic data solutions that leverage GenAI. You will partner with business and technology leaders to define scope, translate requirements into data pipelines, and deliver scalable solutions across Disney Entertainment, ESPN, Disney Experiences, and corporate finance.

The role emphasizes planning, design reviews, hands‑on development, and cross‑team collaboration to drive

Qualifications

• 7+ years in data engineering across multiple environments with DevOps practices.
• Translate scope and requirements into data engineering tasks.
• Design solutions for advanced analytic processes.
• Experience with GenAI models, tools, and concepts.
• Knowledge of Knowledge Graphs and data sharing platforms.
• 3+ years in relational databases (Snowflake or PostgreSQL).
• 3+ years leading and deploying code with GitLab or GitHub.
• 2+ years with job scheduling (Airflow, MWAA, GitLab Runners, UC4).
• Collaborative, fast-paced, and able to plan LE/LOE & sprints.
• Strong communication of technical concepts to non-technical teams.
• Experience with SQL and Python in data pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Plan and lead R&D for advanced analytic data solutions leveraging GenAI.
• Collaborate with business and tech leaders to define scope and data needs.
• Design and deliver data pipelines and architectures across the Disney ecosystem.
• Lead design reviews, hands‑on development, and project communications.
• Coordinate testing, rollout, and sustainment activities across teams.

Skills

GenAI models

SQL

Python

Data pipelines

Containerization

Docker

Kubernetes

Airflow

Git/GitHub

Snowflake/PostgreSQL

ELT/ETL

Knowledge Graphs

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Snowflake

PostgreSQL

GitLab

GitHub

Airflow

AWS EMR

S3

Job description

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 is not a remote role. This team works in office.

What You Will Do

You will be responsible for planning and leading research and development related to advanced analytic data solutions, leveraging GenAI. You will work with business and technology leaders to understand scope and requirements, business needs, and data from across the Disney company in order to design and deliver the data pipelines necessary for our solutions. You will partner with the Decision Science Products, Decision Science, and client teams on critical projects. Other activities include planning, estimating, design, development, testing, production rollout and sustainment activities. You will also need to consult and collaborate with project team members, lead design reviews, do hands-on development, and communicate with colleagues and leaders.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• 7+ years overall experience in a data engineering development capacity using multiple environments (Dev, QA, Prod, etc.) and DevOps procedures for code deployment/promotion
• Experience translating project scope and high-level requirements into technical data engineering tasks
• Experience defining solutions to sophisticated data engineering problems in support of advanced analytic processes
• Experience with a variety of GenAI models, tools, and concepts
• Understanding of Knowledge Graphs, Data Mesh, and other data sharing platforms
• 3+ years using, designing and building relational databases (preferably Snowflake or PostgreSQL)
• 3+ years of experience leading and deploying code using a source control product such as GitLab/GitHub
• 2+ years of experience with job scheduling software like Apache Airflow, Amazon MWAA, GitLab Runners or UC4
• Experience collaborating with multiple project teams in a fast-paced environment
• Experience with defining and estimating level-of-effort data engineering activities
• Experience with project and sprint planning
• Ability to communicate technical concepts and solutions to non-technical team members
• Experience designing and building data structures to support requirements
• Multiple years of experience with ELT/ETL data pipeline development and maintenance
• Multiple years of shown experience and expertise using SQL and Python
• Experience using containerization technologies such as Docker or Kubernetes
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a multi-team environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading development of GenAI based systems including model selection, pipeline orchestration and deployment strategies
• Experience defining GenAI architectures
• Knowledgeable with Disney Parks attendance, reservations and/or products
• Experience with cloud based technologies, preferably AWS EMR, EC2, and S3
• Experience with advanced Snowflake offerings such as Snowpark, Data Exchange, Data Marketplace and Snowpipe

Education

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Systems, Software, Electrical or Electronics Engineering, or comparable field of study and/or equivalent work experience

The hiring range for this position in Orlando, FL $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.

Job ID: 10160738

Location: Lake Buena Vista,Florida

Job Posting Company: The Walt Disney Company (Corporate)

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 [e-mail] 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.