Lead Software Engineer

The Walt Disney Company; Lake Buena Vista (FL); On-site; USD 148,000 - 199,000; Full time

Job summary

The Walt Disney Company, operating through Disney Experiences, seeks a Lead Software Engineer in Lake Buena Vista, FL to architect, build, and maintain scalable software systems and AI-enabled tooling for premier guest experiences. You will lead hands-on development with Java, AWS, microservices, RESTful APIs, and modern data stores, while guiding a cross-functional team.

You’ll champion AI-driven development, set architectural direction, own complex reservation and inventory systems, and

Qualifications

• 7+ years building large-scale software systems and leading engineering teams.
• Experience with enterprise architecture and cross-domain initiatives.
• Hands-on cloud experience (AWS, Azure, GCP) and API-led integration.
• Proficiency in Java 21+, Spring, microservices, RESTful APIs, and databases.

Responsibilities

• Lead and personally build scalable, well-documented software systems and APIs.
• Champion AI-driven development across the software lifecycle.
• Set architecture direction and align with business goals and roadmaps.
• Own reservation systems and inventory-related functionality.
• Integrate complex systems across databases, messaging, and orchestration platforms, and manage AWS infra.
• Drive quality through reviews, testing, troubleshooting, and process improvements.
• Collaborate with product owners, engineers, delivery managers, and other teams.

Skills

Java

Spring

Microservices

RESTful APIs

AWS

Cloud-native

DynamoDB

Aurora

MongoDB

Kafka

Docker

CI/CD

AI coding tools

Distributed systems

Mentoring

Remote collaboration

OO design

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or related field

Tools

Splunk

Grafana

AppDynamics

Job description

Department Description

“We Power the Magic!” That’s our motto at Disney Experiences (DX). Our team creates world-class immersive digital experiences for the Company’s premier vacation brands including Disney’s Parks & Resorts worldwide, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, and Disney Vacation Club.We are responsible for the end-to-end digital and physical Guest experience for all technology & digital-led initiatives across the Attractions & Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Resorts & Transportation and Merchandise lines of business as well as other initiatives including MyDisneyExperience and Hey, Disney!

This role sits in the Retail, Restaurant & Supply Chain Technology organization within Technology & Digital for Disney Experiences. It works closely with a diverse team of engineers, business stakeholders, and service owners from across the company.

The Lead Software Engineer will report to the Manager, Software Engineering.

What You'll Do

• Lead and personally build (hands-on coding expected) scalable, well-documented software systems, applications, APIs, and RESTful services — from technical specs through delivery — using Java, AWS/cloud-native patterns, relational and NoSQL databases, messaging, and orchestration technologies.
• Champion AI-driven development and architecture, embedding AI-powered tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Amazon Q, Claude, Kiro) across the software lifecycle — from design and coding to testing and troubleshooting — to accelerate delivery and elevate quality, while shaping how the team adopts AI in its engineering practices.
• Set architectural direction by translating complex functional, technical, and business requirements into solution architecture, coordinating with Architecture and IT stakeholders, evaluating technology choices (software, hardware, SaaS/PaaS), and developing proof-of-concepts and roadmaps that align applications with reference architecture.
• Own dining and bookable experience reservation systems, maintaining deep expertise in inventory, availability, offers, and reservations, and proactively preventing overbooking issues that could impact guests.
• Integrate and support complex systems across databases, messaging, and orchestration platforms, and manage AWS infrastructure to keep production and lower environments reliable.
• Drive engineering quality and continuous improvement through code and design reviews, automated testing, end-to-end troubleshooting and root-cause analysis, and proactive recommendations to processes, technologies, and coding practices — maintaining focus and sound judgment in a dynamic, fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product owners, engineering partners, delivery managers, business analysts, and other architecture teams to align solutions with current and future business needs, estimate delivery, and communicate the team's value.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• 7+ years of experience building large-scale software systems and web applications, leading engineering teams and projects, with hands-on experience in solution and application architecture.
• Expertise with enterprise architecture repository tools (e.g., tools similar toBlueDolphin or LeanIX)
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-domain architectural initiatives and guide decision processes
• Experience developing and managing architecture taxonomies, patterns, and standards.
• Proven ability to align architecture with strategic objectives, OKRs, and scorecards.
• Hands-on familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), API-led integration, security-by-design, and data architecture principles.
• Strong hands-on skills in Java 21+, Spring, microservices, and RESTful APIs.
• Deep experience with AWS, databases (DynamoDB, Aurora, MongoDB), Kafka, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Solid understanding of object-oriented design, coding best practices, and Agile/Test-Driven Development.
• Experience running and monitoring distributed production systems, including tools like Splunk, Grafana, or AppDynamics.
• Knowledge of inventory optimization and preventing overbooking-type issues.
• Hands-on experience using AI-powered coding tools (Copilot, Cursor, Amazon Q, Claude, etc.) to accelerate development.
• Able to lead complex projects independently — setting direction, solving hard problems, and guiding testing and debugging.
• Comfortable managing multiple projects at once and making fast decisions under pressure.
• Experience working with distributed/remote teams.
• Strong mentoring skills — able to train, guide, and review the work of junior engineers.
• Good communicator who can work well with product owners, UI/UX teams, and other technical and business stakeholders.
• Adaptable, thrives in fast-changing, sometimes ambiguous environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Disney, Food & Beverage, Attractions & Entertainment domain

Required Education:

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

#DISNEYTECH

The hiring range for this position in Lake Buena Vista, FL is $148,300 - $198,800 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: 10159874

Location: Lake Buena Vista,Florida

Job Posting Company: Disney Experiences

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.