Senior R&D Project Manager - Prototyping & Robotics

The Walt Disney Company (France); Glendale (CA); On-site; USD 142,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Educational opportunities

Job summary

The Walt Disney Imagineering team in Glendale, CA is seeking a Senior R&D Technical Project Manager to turn vision into executable plans for robotics, AI, and embedded systems projects. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, manage schedules and budgets, and guide prototyping and playtests to inform next iterations.

You will report to the Director of Technical Project Management and drive delivery across creative and technical disciplines in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in robotics, aerospace, AI, or embedded systems industries with 3+ years in PM.
• Strong technical background and ability to evaluate new technologies rapidly.
• Experience turning ambiguous scope into actionable plans with pivots as needed.
• Track record managing complex, multi-disciplinary projects with attention to detail.
• Excellent PM and organizational skills, big-picture thinking with multiple workstreams.
• Ability to translate high-level vision into concrete plans and milestones.
• Production deliverables: schedules, budgets, scope documents and presentations.
• Proficient in roadmap tools: Excel, Project, Jira, Confluence, GitLab, etc.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration across creative and technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Break down project vision into scopes, deliverables, tasks, schedules, and budgets.
• Plan proof-of-concept mockups balancing time, budget, scope, and objectives.
• Navigate ambiguity and shifting priorities to maintain momentum.
• Deliver communications and presentations to diverse audiences.
• Manage multiple projects, prioritize, and maintain deadlines and quality.
• Own budgets, resources, and playtesting financials across vendors.
• Plan and run playtests, capture insights, and apply feedback.
• Assess technical options and feasibility, escalate risks when needed.
• Lead matrixed teams and broker vendor relationships and invoicing.

Skills

Robotics

Aerospace

Embedded systems

Artificial intelligence

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Technology awareness

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Software Engineering / ML / Architecture

Tools

Excel

Project

Jira

Confluence

GitLab

Job description

The Walt Disney Imagineering team in Glendale, CA is seeking a Senior R&D Technical Project Manager to turn vision into executable plans for robotics, AI, and embedded systems projects. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, manage schedules and budgets, and guide prototyping and playtests to inform next iterations.

You will report to the Director of Technical Project Management and drive delivery across creative and technical disciplines in a fast-paced environment.