Lead Product Software Engineer (Kotlin)

The Walt Disney Company; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 219,000; Full time

Job summary

The Walt Disney Company is seeking a Lead Product Software Engineer (Kotlin) to join the Android Browse team in Seattle, building world‑class streaming experiences for Disney+. You will collaborate across UX, product, and backend engineers to deliver scalable features on multiple Android devices.

Senior-level expertise with Kotlin, Android, and modern architecture patterns is required, along with strong testing, CI, and a collaborative mindset.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7+ years of Kotlin and Android development.
• Strong understanding of Android SDK, lifecycles, threads, views, compose and animations.
• Deep knowledge of Android architecture patterns (MVVM, MVI, etc.).
• Experience integrating with backend systems and web services.
• Proven experience with reactive frameworks (RxJava or Flow).
• Excellent cross-team communication; ability to lead projects from start to finish.
• Test‑driven development and performance profiling; CI and test automation.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools to enhance productivity.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with UX designers, product managers, and leadership to craft best‑class TV experiences.
• Architect and implement durable solutions with client and backend engineers.
• Develop and maintain test infrastructures; write documentation; follow agile processes.
• Support release processes and remote configuration management.
• Manage production issues and troubleshoot novel problems.
• Mentor junior engineers and conduct code reviews and pair programming.

Skills

Kotlin

Android development

Android SDK

MVVM/MVI

Backend integration

RxJava/Flow

Communication/leadership

Tests/CI

AI-assisted tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/IS/SE

Job description

Lead Product Software Engineer (Kotlin)

Job ID 10154443 Location Seattle, Washington, United States Business Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology Date posted Aug. 27, 2026

Job Summary:

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also transforming Disney’s media business for the future. Whether that’s evolving our streaming and digital products in new and immersive ways, powering worldwide advertising and distribution to maximize flexibility and efficiency, or delivering Disney’s unmatched entertainment and sports content, every day is a moment to make a difference to partners and to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

A few reasons why we’d love working for Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

• Building the future of Disney’s media business: DE&E Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power Disney’s media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.
• Reach & Scale: The products and platforms this group builds and operates delight millions of consumers every minute of every day – from Disney+ and Hulu, to ABC News and Entertainment, to ESPN and ESPN+, and much more.
• Innovation: We develop and execute groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news.

The Product & Data Engineering team is responsible for end-to-end development for Disney’s world-class consumer-facing products, including streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, and digital products & experiences across ESPN, Marvel, Disney Studios, NatGeo, and ABC News. The team drives innovation at scale for millions of consumers around the world across Apple, Android, Smart TVs, game consoles, and the web, with our platforms powering core experiences like personalization, search, messaging and data.

Job Summary:

The Android Browse team, responsible for building the experiences that help guide our users to their favorite content on Hulu and Disney+, is seeking an experienced Software Engineer with a passion for mobile applications to join our team. Our highly collaborative team brings together folks from many fields, including quality assurance, program management, product management, UX, and engineering. We are responsible for the apps that millions of subscribers use to watch their favorite movies and shows every single day. We strive to build and maintain the best Live and Video on Demand (VOD) applications on a broad set of Android devices including phones, tablets and TVs, from Android 7 to the latest developer preview. We would love to see samples of your work. If you’ve got something to share with us, please make sure your resume or application links to your GitHub account or an app in the Play Store.

On the Android team, we are accountable to one another, committed to aligning on common goals and moving forward. We do so because we know that no one person or team alone could achieve what we've set out to do! As a team, we continuously analyze data to improve our Apps, our processes, and how we work together.

Why you'd want to work with us:

• Nurture a highly collaborative, world-class team of software engineers.
• Work on a cutting-edge and evolving technology stack.
• Own substantial features shipped to millions of users.
• Influence the innovation of high-profile products in the media streaming landscape.
• Join an inclusive culture that incorporates diverse perspectives and supports individual needs.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:

• Work closely with UX designers, product managers, and engineering leadership to craft best-of-class, delightful TV-watching experiences
• Work closely with other client and backend engineers, to architect and implement solutions that are built to last.
• Demonstrate engineering excellence by developing test infrastructures, writing documentation, and following an agile development methodology.
• Assist with critical components including our release process and remote configuration management.
• Manage production issues and solve novel problems.
• Mentor associate and mid-level team members and support peers through code review and pair programming.
• Identify areas for growth within the team processes and develop new systems for collaboration.

Required Education, Experience/Skills/Training:

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum of 7+ years of experience with Kotlin and Android development
• A deep understanding of the Android SDK, Activity and Fragment lifecycles, thread management, custom views, compose and animations
• Deep knowledge of Android app architecture patterns (MVVM, MVI, etc.) and design principles.
• Experience integrating with backend systems, web services, and third-party software
• Proven understanding and experience using reactive frameworks such as RxJava or Flow
• Be an excellent communicator who collaborates well across teams.
• Successfully lead a project from start to finish
• You build high-quality code by always writing tests and using performance evaluation tools like Android Profiler
• Experience with test automation, dependency injection frameworks, and continuous integration
• Experience leveraging AI-assisted development tools (e.g. Claude, Cursor, GitHub Copilot), to improve software design, engineering productivity and system capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiar with Scrum and Agile methodologies
• Experience building UI with Compose
• A growth mindset towards learning, experience mentoring others, and a desire to give and receive feedback.
• Familiarity with Android TV / Amazon Fire TV development
• Experience with streaming video (DASH or HLS protocol), codecs, and DRM

Required Education

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

The hiring range for this position in Seattle s $163,100 to $218,700 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 Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology:

At Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology, we’re blending imagination and innovation to reimagine the ways people experience and engage with the world’s most beloved stories and products. Our work is wide-ranging and deeply sophisticated. We create amazing experiences, transform the future of media, and build products and platforms that enable the connection between people everywhere and the stories and sports they love.

Disney’s ability to marry world-class technology with one-of-a-kind creativity makes us unique. It is at the heart of our past, present, and future. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers.

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 Entertainment & Sports LLC , which is part of a business we call Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology .

Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC 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, 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.