Lead Software Engineer - Applied AI

The Walt Disney Company; New York (NY); On-site; USD 175,000 - 236,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as a Lead Software Engineer in Applied AI, where you will innovate and enhance user experiences across beloved streaming platforms. You will integrate cutting-edge AI technologies to drive business impact, mentor fellow engineers, and collaborate on high-impact features that shape the future of entertainment. This role offers a unique opportunity to work on exciting projects that reach millions of users while being part of a dynamic and inclusive team. If you're passionate about technology and looking to make a difference, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in a technical field required.
• Proficient with Javascript and Python programming languages.
• Experience with machine learning and AI technologies.

Responsibilities

• Integrate AI to enhance frontend client business impact.
• Collaborate with teams to deliver impactful features.
• Mentor team members on ML and AI technologies.

Skills

Javascript

Python

Machine Learning

Generative AI

Education

Bachelor's in Computer Science

Master's in Computer Science

Tools

Vertex/Gemini

ChatGPT

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

Lead Software Engineer - Applied AI

Apply Now Apply Later Job ID 10115744 Location Santa Monica, California, United States / San Francisco, California, United States / New York, New York, United States / Seattle, Washington, United States Business Disney Entertainment Date posted4月. 25, 2025

Job Summary:

Lead Software Engineer - Applied AI

About the Role & Team

On any given day at Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also transforming our 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 enhance 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 think you’d love working here:

• Building the future of Disney’s media: DEEP&T Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power our 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 ESPN and ESPN+, and much more.

• Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news.

The Commerce, Growth & Identity (CGI) organization is dedicated to three business-critical areas at Disney that will help transform its media business. We build innovative and cutting-edge capabilities to drive subscriptions, engagement, and monetization across Disney's streaming and digital products. We enable the wide range of Disney brands to connect and engage with consumers through a unified identity, powered by shared services that are trustworthy and seamless to integrate with.

The Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology (DEEP&T) Commerce, Growth and Identity Client Engineering organization delivers experiences across Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and Star+ built on a common platform and shared technology. We are fast-paced and fast-growing organization that shares knowledge and code for initiatives throughout Disney! Our mission: Building inclusive user-centered experiences that welcome users, guiding them through a seamless journey from login to sign up, and facilitating effortless account management. As a member on DEEP&T Web Commerce team you’ll build the core sign-up, purchase, and subscription management experiences of our Web platform.

You will serve as a high level technical resource and “go-to” person, solving sophisticated technical challenges and finding opportunities to improve systems, products, and services!

What You Will Do

• Integrate generative AI (artificial intelligence) to power business impact on frontend clients.

• Apply machine learning models on large scale data sets to boost conversions on Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+.

• Improve engineering efficiency by using development data to improve developer workflows, code quality, and build/deploy processes.

• Discover applications for machine learning and artificial intelligence for Disney’s streaming brands.

• Collaborate with engineering teams, program managers, and product managers to deliver high impact features.

• Mentor and onboard team members on ML (machine learning) and AI (artificial intelligence) technologies.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• 7+ years of experience in a technical field

• Bachelor’s in CS (or related field) required

• Proficient with Javascript and Python.

• Worked with models like Vertex/Gemini, ChatGPT, Nova, or Deepseek.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

• MS or higher degree in computer science or related field

• 4+ years of working experience using applied AI to solve real-world business problems and deliver value.

• Experience with embeddings, RAG, RLHF, prompt engineering, and fine tuning.

• Knowledge of industry tools like PyTorch, Tensorflow, LangChain, and LlamaIndex.

Education

• Bachelor’s in Computer Science (or related field) and/or equivalent work experience required

The hiring range for this position in Los Angeles, CA is $167,700 to $224,900 per year, is $175,800 to $235,700 per year in Seattle, WA is $183,700 to $246,400 per year in San Francisco, CA and is $175,800 to $235,700 per year in New York City, NY. 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:

At Disney Corporate you can see how the businesses behind the Company’s powerful brands come together to create the most innovative, far-reaching and admired entertainment company in the world. As a member of a corporate team, you’ll work with world-class leaders driving the strategies that keep The Walt Disney Company at the leading edge of entertainment. See and be seen by other innovative thinkers as you enable the greatest storytellers in the world to create memories for millions of families around the globe.

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 Streaming Technology LLC , which is part of a business we call Disney Entertainment .

Disney Streaming Technology 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.

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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.

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