Senior Software Engineer

ESPN; Glendale (CA); On-site; USD 144,000 - 193,000; Full time

Job summary

ESPN, part of Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology, seeks a Senior Software Engineer to design and deliver scalable accounting-related services powering payments to content creators and rights holders across Disney Movies and TV.

You will own the technical design for medium-sized projects and collaborate with engineering, product, and finance teams to ensure performance, security, and reliability.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering experience designing, building, and operating large-scale, fault-tolerant systems.
• Strong proficiency in Java and Spring; RESTful API design.
• Knowledge of asynchronous programming models and distributed systems using Apache Kafka.
• Hands-on experience with AWS services (EKS, SQS, RDS, MSK).
• Proficiency in CI/CD methodology and best practices for testing and code quality.
• Ability to articulate technical concepts clearly and collaborate across teams.
• Passion for mentoring junior engineers and working in diverse environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, software, electrical or electronics, or comparable field of study, and/or equivalent work experience.

Responsibilities

• Technical Execution: Designs, builds, and maintains resilient, performant, and scalable services for high-volume, mission-critical accounting applications. Contributes hands-on across the full development lifecycle and leads development of larger features and epics.
• System Expertise: Develops deep knowledge of core accounting systems and their integration with upstream and downstream services.
• Engineering Quality: Contributes to engineering standards, participates in code reviews, and helps guide design decisions to ensure quality and maintainability.
• Cross-Team Collaboration: Partners with product managers and stakeholders to refine requirements and deliver solutions, driving alignment across technical and non-technical teams.
• Mentorship: Mentors junior engineers and helps onboard new team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning through informal but impactful leadership.
• Innovation: Stays current with modern architecture patterns, cloud-native practices, and automation strategies, and helps drive their adoption within the team.
• Incident Response: Troubleshoots and resolves complex production issues, participating in incident response for team-owned systems.

Skills

Java

Spring Framework

RESTful API design

Asynchronous programming

Distributed systems

CI/CD practices

Technical collaboration

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

AWS (EKS, SQS, RDS, MSK)

Apache Kafka

Observability tooling

Job description

Job Requirements

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.

Job Requirements

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.

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.

Content Platforms & Operations is responsible for the development and ongoing advancement of the technical and operational functions driving the worldwide distribution and monetization of Disney’s linear networks and theatrical content. This includes Disney’s media supply chain and storage, network and theatrical distribution operations, media localization, network transmission and origination, and more. The global team also plays a critical role as the primary collaboration point for Product & Technology with Disney’s EMEA, APAC, and LATAM regional business teams.

The Rights & Accounting fleet oversees products and optimizes workflows that enable TWDC to monetize content including content rights and avails management, content sales and content protection, content accounting, and talent payments.

Job Summary

As a Senior Software Engineer on Disney’s Content Platforms team, you will design and deliver resilient, scalable systems that power accounting workflows for payments to content creators and rights holders across Disney Movies and TV. You will take ownership of the technical design and implementation of medium-sized projects and features that support Disney’s global content monetization ecosystem.

This Position Might Be a Great Fit If You

• Are a curious and efficient engineer who wants to help shape the direction of development and collaborate closely with some of the brightest minds in our organization.
• Thrive in an agile, collaborative environment where teamwork and innovation are valued.
• In this role, you will focus on the systems that power accounting workflows for payments to content creators and rights holders across Disney Movies and TV. You will collaborate closely with engineering, product, and finance teams to ensure our platforms meet high standards of performance, security, and reliability.

Responsibilities

• Technical Execution: Designs, builds, and maintains resilient, performant, and scalable services for high-volume, mission-critical accounting applications. Contributes hands-on across the full development lifecycle and leads development of larger features and epics.
• System Expertise: Develops deep knowledge of core accounting systems and their integration with upstream and downstream services.
• Engineering Quality: Contributes to engineering standards, participates in code reviews, and helps guide design decisions to ensure quality and maintainability.
• Cross-Team Collaboration: Partners with product managers and stakeholders to refine requirements and deliver solutions, driving alignment across technical and non-technical teams.
• Mentorship: Mentors junior engineers and helps onboard new team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning through informal but impactful leadership.
• Innovation: Stays current with modern architecture patterns, cloud-native practices, and automation strategies, and helps drive their adoption within the team.
• Incident Response: Troubleshoots and resolves complex production issues, participating in incident response for team-owned systems.

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering experience designing, building, and operating large-scale, fault-tolerant systems.
• Strong proficiency in Java and frameworks such as Spring, plus experience with RESTful API design.
• Solid knowledge of asynchronous programming models and distributed systems using Apache Kafka.
• Hands‑on experience with AWS services (EKS, SQS, RDS, MSK, etc.).
• Proficiency in CI/CD methodology and best practices for testing and code quality.
• Ability to articulate technical concepts clearly and collaborate effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
• Passion for mentoring junior engineers and working in collaborative, diverse environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Software, Electrical or Electronics, or comparable field of study, and/or equivalent work experience.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with financial or accounting systems and SAP integrations.
• Knowledge of observability tools and performance tuning for high-throughput applications.
• Familiarity with security and compliance standards in enterprise environments.

Disclaimer

PAY TRANSPARENCY

The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA, Glendale, CA is $144,100.00 to $193,200.00 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 with Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC, which is part of a business we call Disney 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.