Lead Technical Program Mgr

The Walt Disney Company; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 171,000 - 229,000; Full time

Job summary

The Walt Disney Company is seeking a Lead Design Technical Program Manager in San Francisco to drive complex design initiatives for our Ad Platforms team. You will orchestrate cross‑functional delivery, strengthen design operations, and leverage AI to streamline workflows, delivering value to our streaming and consumer experiences.

You will partner with design, product, and engineering leadership to ensure thoughtful planning, execution, and integration into broader product delivery, while

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in design and/or creative environments, design operations, product operations, or related roles.
• Broad understanding of the product and experience design process.
• Proven success leading complex cross-functional initiatives in product development environments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-team dependencies and delivery risk.
• Experience facilitating alignment across senior stakeholders.
• Strong operational leadership, facilitation, and organizational problem-solving skills.
• Strong experience in Airtable, Jira, and other related project management software.
• Experience using AI tools and emerging technologies to explore new ways of improving program workflows, automating operational tasks, and scaling how design programs operate.

Responsibilities

• Drive design activities in a large multi-faceted product development space, ensuring design work is planned, sequenced, and integrated effectively in order to meet product OKR commitments, including:
• Ensure strong alignment between design initiatives, product roadmaps, and engineering delivery plans.
• Manage complex cross-team dependencies and proactively mitigate delivery risks.
• Facilitate cross-functional tradeoff discussions across Design, Product, and Engineering leadership.
• Ensure design contributions are represented in executive reporting and program plans.
• Identify systemic friction that slows delivery and implement durable improvements.
• Foster a strong design team culture by championing rituals, connection, and a sense of belonging across the team.
• Improve operational frameworks that support design execution, including implementation of AI-driven workflows.
• Oversight of Intake, prioritization, and governance models.
• Mentor and guide other program managers, helping to elevate program leadership practices across the organization.
• Serve as a trusted delivery partner to design and product leadership.

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Airtable

Jira

Job description

Job ID 10163937 Location San Francisco, California, United States Business Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology Date posted Nov. 11, 2026

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology

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.

Design is centrally responsible for the design supporting all consumer-facing and business products and tooling for the Disney Entertainment & ESPN portfolio, including sports, entertainment, enterprise, UX, creative services and design research.

Job Summary

About the Role

We are seeking an exceptional Lead Design Technical Program Manager to fill a critical role in our Ad Platforms team. This role will drive the successful delivery of complex design initiatives across our thriving streaming business and consumer experiences, while strengthening the systems that enable scalable and predictable execution. If you are passionate about driving high-craft interactive experiences, leveraging AI to help streamline complex processes, and seeing your work have a direct impact on the bottom line, we’d love to hear from you.

This role operates at the intersection of design program management, cross-functional alignment, and operational systems improvement. It will oversee a portfolio of interconnected initiatives, ensure efficient workflows, proactively manage dependencies, and drive team alignment on priorities and delivery expectations. Equally important, this person will be joining a team that is committed to a design culture that is inspiring, collaborative, and fun, and this position will play a key role in fostering that environment.

Partnering closely with Design, Product, and Engineering leaders, you will work to ensure design work is planned thoughtfully, executed effectively, and integrated seamlessly into broader product delivery.

What You’ll Do:

• Drive design activities in a large multi-faceted product development space, ensuring design work is planned, sequenced, and integrated effectively in order to meet product OKR commitments, including:
• Ensure strong alignment between design initiatives, product roadmaps, and engineering delivery plans.
• Manage complex cross-team dependencies and proactively mitigate delivery risks.
• Facilitate cross-functional tradeoff discussions across Design, Product, and Engineering leadership.
• Ensure design contributions are represented in executive reporting and program plans.
• Identify systemic friction that slows delivery and implement durable improvements.
• Foster a strong design team culture by championing rituals, connection, and a sense of belonging across the team.
• Improve operational frameworks that support design execution, including
• Implementation of AI-driven workflows.
• Oversight of Intake, prioritization, and governance models.
• Mentor and guide other program managers, helping to elevate program leadership practices across the organization.
• Serve as a trusted delivery partner to design and product leadership.

Who you are:

• Portfolio-Oriented Operator: You thrive when orchestrating multiple complex initiatives simultaneously and ensuring that design work is delivered cohesively across teams. You are composed and bring structure to ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
• Cross-Functional Collaborator: As a master communicator, you build trusted partnerships with Design, Product, and Engineering leadership, facilitating tradeoffs and driving clarity.
• Operational Systems Thinker: You identify systemic friction and implement improvements that make processes, planning, and governance more efficient.
• Culture Carrier: You actively foster connection and belonging on the design team. You champion team rituals, welcome all teammates, and model the culture that supports people to do their best work.
• Mentor & Influencer: You elevate program leadership practices across the organization through guidance, mentorship, and example
• Trusted Partner to Leadership: Although you thrive as an individual contributor, you are equally skilled partnering with design leadership to build strategy, manage resources, and drive cross functional impact.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role

• 8–10+ years of experience working in design and/or creative environments, design operations, product operations, or related roles.
• Broad understanding of the product and experience design process.
• Proven success leading complex cross-functional initiatives in product development environments
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-team dependencies and delivery risk
• Experience facilitating alignment across senior stakeholders
• Strong operational leadership, facilitation, and organizational problem-solving skills
• Strong experience in Airtable, Jira, and other related project management software
• Experience using AI tools and emerging technologies to explore new ways of improving program workflows, automating operational tasks, and scaling how design programs operate.

Required Education, Experience / Skills / Training

Basic Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience working in design and/or creative environments, design operations, product operations, or related roles
• Broad understanding of the product and experience design process
• Proven success leading complex cross-functional initiatives in product development environments
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-team dependencies and delivery risk
• Experience facilitating alignment across senior stakeholders
• Strong operational leadership, facilitation, and organizational problem-solving skills
• Strong experience in Airtable, Jira, and other related project management software
• Experience using AI tools and emerging technologies to explore new ways of improving program workflows, automating operational tasks, and scaling how design programs operate

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience partnering closely with design organizations or design leadership
• Background in scaling operational frameworks within product development environments
• Experience mentoring design operations managers and/or program management team members
• Familiarity with modern product development and design lifecycles

Required Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Job Requirements

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology

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.

Design is centrally responsible for the design supporting all consumer-facing and business products and tooling for the Disney Entertainment & ESPN portfolio, including sports, entertainment, enterprise, UX, creative services and design research.

Job Summary

About the Role

We are seeking an exceptional Lead Design Technical Program Manager to fill a critical role in our Ad Platforms team. This role will drive the successful delivery of complex design initiatives across our thriving streaming business and consumer experiences, while strengthening the systems that enable scalable and predictable execution. If you are passionate about driving high-craft interactive experiences, leveraging AI to help streamline complex processes, and seeing your work have a direct impact on the bottom line, we’d love to hear from you.

This role operates at the intersection of design program management, cross-functional alignment, and operational systems improvement. It will oversee a portfolio of interconnected initiatives, ensure efficient workflows, proactively manage dependencies, and drive team alignment on priorities and delivery expectations. Equally important, this person will be joining a team that is committed to a design culture that is inspiring, collaborative, and fun, and this position will play a key role in fostering that environment.

Partnering closely with Design, Product, and Engineering leaders, you will work to ensure design work is planned thoughtfully, executed effectively, and integrated seamlessly into broader product delivery.

What You’ll Do:

• Drive design activities in a large multi-faceted product development space, ensuring design work is planned, sequenced, and integrated effectively in order to meet product OKR commitments, including:
• Ensure strong alignment between design initiatives, product roadmaps, and engineering delivery plans.
• Manage complex cross-team dependencies and proactively mitigate delivery risks.
• Facilitate cross-functional tradeoff discussions across Design, Product, and Engineering leadership.
• Ensure design contributions are represented in executive reporting and program plans.
• Identify systemic friction that slows delivery and implement durable improvements.
• Foster a strong design team culture by championing rituals, connection, and a sense of belonging across the team.
• Improve operational frameworks that support design execution, including
• Implementation of AI-driven workflows.
• Oversight of Intake, prioritization, and governance models.
• Mentor and guide other program managers, helping to elevate program leadership practices across the organization.
• Serve as a trusted delivery partner to design and product leadership.

Who you are:

• Portfolio-Oriented Operator: You thrive when orchestrating multiple complex initiatives simultaneously and ensuring that design work is delivered cohesively across teams. You are composed and bring structure to ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
• Cross-Functional Collaborator: As a master communicator, you build trusted partnerships with Design, Product, and Engineering leadership, facilitating tradeoffs and driving clarity.
• Operational Systems Thinker: You identify systemic friction and implement improvements that make processes, planning, and governance more efficient.
• Culture Carrier: You actively foster connection and belonging on the design team. You champion team rituals, welcome all teammates, and model the culture that supports people to do their best work.
• Mentor & Influencer: You elevate program leadership practices across the organization through guidance, mentorship, and example
• Trusted Partner to Leadership: Although you thrive as an individual contributor, you are equally skilled partnering with design leadership to build strategy, manage resources, and drive cross functional impact.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role

• 8–10+ years of experience working in design and/or creative environments, design operations, product operations, or related roles.
• Broad understanding of the product and experience design process.
• Proven success leading complex cross-functional initiatives in product development environments
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-team dependencies and delivery risk
• Experience facilitating alignment across senior stakeholders
• Strong operational leadership, facilitation, and organizational problem-solving skills
• Strong experience in Airtable, Jira, and other related project management software
• Experience using AI tools and emerging technologies to explore new ways of improving program workflows, automating operational tasks, and scaling how design programs operate.

Required Education, Experience / Skills / Training

Basic Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience working in design and/or creative environments, design operations, product operations, or related roles
• Broad understanding of the product and experience design process
• Proven success leading complex cross-functional initiatives in product development environments
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-team dependencies and delivery risk
• Experience facilitating alignment across senior stakeholders
• Strong operational leadership, facilitation, and organizational problem-solving skills
• Strong experience in Airtable, Jira, and other related project management software
• Experience using AI tools and emerging technologies to explore new ways of improving program workflows, automating operational tasks, and scaling how design programs operate

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience partnering closely with design organizations or design leadership
• Background in scaling operational frameworks within product development environments
• Experience mentoring design operations managers and/or program management team members
• Familiarity with modern product development and design lifecycles

Required Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

PAY TRANSPARENCY

The hiring range for this position in California is $170,500.00 to $228,600.00 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.

This position is withDisney Entertainment & Sports LLC, which is part of a business we callDisney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology.

Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. 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, visit the Disney candidate disability accommodations FAQs (opens in new window) . We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.

Having technical issues? View the FAQs for help. (opens in new window)

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.

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