Lead Software Engineer - Secret Management

The Walt Disney Company; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 152,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

The Walt Disney Company seeks a Lead Software Engineer for the Secret Management team in Santa Monica. This role involves designing a secure, scalable credential management system that supports various Disney businesses including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN. The ideal candidate must have strong engineering skills, experience with modern programming languages, and the ability to thrive in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional software development experience.
• Experience architecting and implementing complex, distributed systems.
• Proficiency in at least one modern programming language, especially Java.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement applications and services using Java, Python, and Scala.
• Collaborate with teams to define and deliver roadmap goals.
• Participate in code reviews and promote best practices.

Skills

Java

Python

Scala

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Master’s degree in Computer Science or related technical field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

Lead Software Engineer - Secret Management

Lead Software Engineer - Secret Management

Apply Now Apply Later Job ID 10122798 Location Bristol, Connecticut, United States / Santa Monica, California, United States / San Francisco, California, United States / New York, New York, United States / Seattle, Washington, United States Business Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology Date postedJun. 04, 2025

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.

Product Engineering is a unified team responsible for the engineering of Disney Entertainment & ESPN digital and streaming products and platforms. This includes product engineering, media engineering, quality assurance, engineering behind personalization, commerce, lifecycle, and identity.

Job Summary:

We’re seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join our Secret Management team, responsible for building a secure, scalable, and automated credential management system used across Disney’s technology ecosystem. This system enables secure access to credentials in various environments and integrates with numerous platforms to support automated credential rotation, compliance requirements, and diverse user interactions—from UI to CLI to libraries. As we are still in the early stages of this initiative, this is a unique opportunity to influence the architecture and foundational elements of a critical service. Our team supports a wide range of Disney businesses—including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN—by providing essential security infrastructure. The ideal candidate is a strong engineer with excellent problem-solving skills, a willingness to dive deep, and the ability to thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment. Familiarity with specific technologies is a plus, but curiosity and the ability to learn quickly are more important.

Responsibilities:

• Architect and implement mission-critical applications, services, and libraries using Java, Python, and Scala

• Build and evolve secure credential storage and retrieval mechanisms across cloud and on-prem environments

• Build reusable components that encapsulate complex business logic and integrate across various systems

• Collaborate with product managers, architects, and engineers to define and deliver roadmap goals

• Establish and promote best practices around configuration, naming conventions, and platform standards

• Drive operational excellence through observability, alerting, and reliability practices

• Participate actively in code reviews, design discussions, and team agile rituals

• Engage with internal customers to understand their needs and provide intuitive, secure access to secret management tools

• Maintain comprehensive documentation to support internal adoption, governance, and compliance auditing

Basic Qualifications:

• 7+ years of professional software development experience

• Proven experience architecting and implementing complex, distributed systems

• Demonstrated success delivering highly available, mission-critical services in production environments

• Proficiency in at least one modern programming language, with working knowledge of Java required

• Hands-on experience with modern architectural paradigms such as microservices, event-driven systems, and containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)

• Skilled at producing architectural artifacts, including system diagrams, technical documentation, and design decision records

• Solid understanding of software design patterns and system design principles, with the ability to both apply best practices and critically assess them when needed

• Proficiency with cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure, with a preference for AWS experience

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across technical and non-technical teams

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field preferred

• Demonstrated curiosity and enthusiasm for exploring new technologies through hands-on experimentation or proof-of-concept projects

• Strong interest in tackling complex, fast-evolving technology or business challenges

• Passion for automation, scalable systems, data-driven solutions, and creative technical innovation

• Experience designing and building internet-scale platforms or systems with high availability and performance requirements

• Contributions to open-source projects or a portfolio of personal work (e.g., GitHub) that reflects your technical interests and abilities

• Bachelor's 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 Bristol, Connecticut is $152,200 to $204,100 per year, Santa Monica, California is $152,200 to $204,100 per year, in Seattle, Washington is $159,500 to $213,900 per year, in New York, New York is $159,500 to $213,900 per year, and in San Francisco, California is $166,800 to $223,600 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:

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 and ESPN Product & Technology .

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.

• Software Engineer - Fullstack New York, New York, United States / Santa Monica, California, United States / San Francisco, California, United States / Seattle, Washington, United States / Morrisville, North Carolina, United States

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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