Lead Software Engineer

The Walt Disney Company; Glendale (CA); On-site; USD 155,700 - 208,700; Full time

Job summary

The Walt Disney Company is seeking a Lead Software Engineer in Santa Monica/Glendale to drive scalable, low-latency microservices within Disney’s ad tech platforms. You will mentor engineers, shape architecture, and partner with product teams to deliver high-impact software across DRAX and related systems.

You bring 7+ years of software engineering experience, deep Java expertise, and hands-on experience with SpringBoot, DynamoDB, Kafka/Kinesis, AWS, and modern DevOps tools like Terraform,

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of software engineering experience.
• Strong foundation in CS principles and data structures.
• Advanced proficiency with Java and SDLC concepts.
• Experience with SpringBoot, DynamoDB, Redis, Kafka/Kinesis, and AWS.
• Familiarity with Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, and microservice architecture.

Responsibilities

• Lead by example to improve scalable, decoupled code and design.
• Collaborate with product teams to translate requirements into technical tasks.
• Design, implement, and test solutions in a high-throughput microservices environment.
• Improve observability with metrics, monitoring, and alerting.
• Participate in on-call rotations per team policy.

Skills

Java

SpringBoot

DynamoDB

Redis

Kafka

Kinesis

AWS

Terraform

Docker

Kubernetes

Microservices

Communication

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

Terraform

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Job description

Lead Software Engineer

Job ID 10142072 Location Glendale, California, United States / Santa Monica, California, United States Business Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology Date posted Jul. 27, 2026

Job Summary:

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally.

The team marries technology with creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world.

Here are a few reasons why we think you’d love working here:

• Building the future of Disney’s media: Our Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.
• Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disney’s technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the company’s brands and stories. Disney+. Hulu. ESPN. ABC. ABC News…and many more. These products and brands – and the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry – matter to millions of people globally.
• Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms, and solve complex and distinctive technical problems.

Ad Platforms is responsible for Disney’s industry-leading ad technology and products – driving advertising performance, innovation, and value in Disney’s sports, news, and entertainment content, across all media platforms.

As part of ad platform engineering, the programmatic teams build and maintain Disney’s programmatic advertising suite of products and services that comprise Disney's Real-time Ad Exchange (DRAX). DRAX is an award-winning, proprietary SSP that enables the configuration of programmatic deals and integrates programmatic demand from multiple third-party sources into the Disney ad server in real time.

As a Lead Software Engineer, you will apply your deep technical knowledge and skills to help us deliver scalable, performant, maintainable, loosely coupled, encapsulated, and testable software and systems.

Daily, you should bring:

• A willingness and desire to effectively communicate and collaborate across teams and systems
• Demonstrated project ownership
• Guidance and mentorship on system and API design, as well as implementation best practices such as microservice encapsulation and loose coupling
• A passion for mentoring, learning, and adapting to a very dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• A proven ability to work with product teams to translate requirements into well-defined technical implementations, as well as the ability to define technical and operational metrics to measure system health
• A keen eye for potential optimizations and enhancements
• Kindness and pragmatic optimism
• A deep understanding of Java and the Software Development Lifecycle.

Responsibilities:

• Holistic understanding of the team’s domain and serving as a point of contact for stakeholders
• Leading by example, supporting their peers, and striving to improve code and design towards more scalable, clean, and decoupled implementations
• Facilitate discussions and drive resolution, making sure outcomes are clear and well‑communicated
• Designing, implementing, and testing solutions to various engineering problems in a high‑throughput, low‑latency microservices environment
• Understanding and use of automated tools (AI) while adhering to company policy
• Reading and understanding product user stories, translating them into actionable tasks, and leading the team through their execution
• Improve system observability by implementing comprehensive metrics, monitoring, and alerting solutions.
• Available for On‑Call rotations based on the team’s escalation policy and support schedule

Basic Qualifications:

• BS or MS in Computer Science / Engineering or relevant work experience.
• 7+ years of software engineering experience.
• Strong foundation in computer science principles, including data structures and algorithms.
• Advanced proficiency with Java, including but not limited to understanding memory management, multi-threading, profiling, thread pools, connection pools, and HTTP protocols.
• Demonstrable analytical / problem‑solving skills.
• Great communication, collaboration skills, and a strong teamwork ethic with both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Experience with:
  • SpringBoot and related Spring projects.
  • Non‑relational database technologies like DynamoDB.
  • Caching datastores such as Redis, ValKey, or MemCache.
  • Data Streaming Mechanisms such as Apache Kafka and/or Kinesis.
  • Cloud platforms such as AWS.
  • Modern DevOps tools such as Terraform, Docker, and Kubernetes.
  • Microservice architecture.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Domain knowledge in the Ad Tech industry.
• Domain knowledge in programmatic advertising

Additional Information:

• Engineers are expected to be in the office four days a week.
• The specific location depends on the team’s location and the hiring manager’s input.

The hiring range for this position in Glendale, California is $155,700 to $208,700 per year and Santa Monica, California is $155,700 to $208,700 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.