Principal Software Engineer

Disney Cruise Line - The Walt Disney Company; Orlando (FL); On-site; Confidential; Full time

Job summary

Disney Cruise Line - The Walt Disney Company is seeking a Principal Software Engineer in Orlando, FL. You will lead architecture, design, and delivery of complex software for lodging sales distribution, coordinating across teams and technologies to drive scalable, reliable guest experiences.

You will mentor engineers, influence incident response, and evaluate cutting-edge tools and AI-assisted development. A strong background in Java/Spring Boot, cloud, and containerized environments is

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in Computer Science or related field.
• 10+ years of related work experience in software engineering and architecture.
• Strong leadership and communication capabilities across diverse teams.
• Expertise in Java/Spring Boot microservices, REST APIs, cloud and containerized platforms.

Responsibilities

• Own analysis, design, and delivery of software improvements and new products.
• Lead projects across commercial and guest-facing applications and infrastructure tools.
• Drive scalable software solutions and architecture decisions.
• Mentor engineers and act as a subject matter expert during incidents.
• Plan, estimate, and manage budgets for large initiatives.
• Evaluate emerging technologies to inform decision-making.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define system requirements.

Skills

Java/Spring Boot

RESTful APIs

Angular

Node.js

AWS

Docker

AI tooling

Education

Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in CS/Info Sys/Software

Tools

GitHub Copilot

Claude

Cursor

Amazon Kiro

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.

Team Description:

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 Parks Commercial Platforms organization within Technology & Digital for Disney Experiences.

The Principal Software Engineer will report to the Sr. Manager Technology.

About The Role & Team:

• This role provides architecture leadership and end-to-end solution ownership for applications and services within Lodging Sales Distribution. The position leads implementation of complex features, supports planning and estimation for major capital initiatives, and evaluates emerging technologies including AI-enabled delivery capabilities. As the primary subject matter expert during Sev1 and Sev2 incidents, the role leads root cause analysis, remediation planning, and resiliency improvements to minimize downtime. The position also mentors lead and senior engineers while maintaining architectural consistency across multiple systems and teams.

What You’ll Do:

• Own the analysis, design, program, debugging, and modifications of software improvements and/or new products used in local, networked, cloud-based, or Internet-related computer programs

• Lead projects that may be used in commercial and end-user applications or focus on software and tools supporting infrastructure and technology platforms

• Work typically involves large or highly sophisticated software programs and systems

• Possess expertise in current programming languages and technologies, with strong skills in writing code and programming tasks

• Initiate the testing and debugging of applications, using conceptual and innovative thinking to drive sophisticated, highly scalable solutions throughout the organization

• Contribute to the conception, design, development, testing, and implementation of software components, fixes, improvements, and/or new systems and applications

• Exercise full autonomy to interact with users across diverse teams and levels to define system requirements and/or necessary modifications

• Lead and influence the direction and prioritization of the design and development of highly scalable software systems and applications

• Engage in the estimation and planning of highly sophisticated scalable projects and their budget allocations

• Continuously monitor and evaluate emerging technologies within your area of expertise to drive informed decision-making and recommendations

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Minimum 10 years of related work experience

• Excellent communication and leadership abilities, to ensure effective growth and development of team

• A visionary who motivates teams to excel and fosters creativity, consistently driving excellence in all endeavors

• An advocate for a diverse and inclusive culture that encourages innovation and ensures every team member feels a sense of belonging

• Authority in Java/Spring Boot microservices, RESTful API design, Angular, Node.js, cloud hosted and containerized platforms including AWS and Docker, AI tools such as Amazon Kiro, Cursor, Github Copliot and Claude, demonstrating deep expertise and knowledge in the field

Preferred Qualifications:

Technical Skills

• Expertise in Java/Spring Boot microservices, RESTful API design, and service-oriented architecture.

• Strong experience with Angular, Node.js, cloud-hosted and containerized platforms including AWS and Docker.

• Proficiency with deployment configuration management, content delivery technologies, observability platforms, authentication, and authorization frameworks.

• Deep commerce and e-commerce domain knowledge with experience supporting large-scale guest-facing applications.

• Advanced AI-assisted software development using tools such as Amazon Kiro, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and Claude to accelerate solutioning, prototyping, development, testing, and delivery.

Leadership Skills

• Proven ability to drive architecture decisions, evaluate tradeoffs, and lead complex technical initiatives across organizations.

• Strong collaboration and partnership skills to align multiple engineering teams and accelerate delivery outcomes.

• Experience mentoring senior technical contributors and serving as a recognized subject matter expert during critical incidents.

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

#TECHATDISNEY

The hiring range for this position in Orlando, FL is $179,500 - $240,600 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.