Manager Data Engineering

Job Summary:

This is not a remote role. You must be in the local area or open to relocation.

Manager, Data Engineering

The Walt Disney Company is a world leader in storytelling and innovation, spanning entertainment, technology, and experiences that inspire and delight audiences globally. At The Walt Disney Studios, we’re building next-generation data capabilities to power smarter decisions and scalable operations across film, television, and digital media. We’re seeking a Manager of Data Engineering to lead a team of skilled engineers focused on building scalable, modern data solutions. This role is ideal for a hands-on leader with deep expertise in data platforms, a strong architectural mindset, and a passion for delivering high-impact business value through data.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a data engineering team, ensuring high-quality delivery and technical excellence.
• Translate business needs into scalable data solutions, aligned with the Studio’s data strategy.
• Oversee the design and implementation of robust data architectures, pipelines, and models using tools such as Snowflake, Airflow, and dbt.
• Establish and enforce best practices across data modeling, automation, deployment, support operations, and lifecycle management.
• Partner with stakeholders to identify analytics opportunities, ensuring alignment with business goals and measurable outcomes.
• Promote a data-driven culture by improving data access, usability, and governance across the organization.
• Manage project planning, resource allocation, and team development to maximize impact and efficiency.
• Stay current with industry trends and tools, continuously evolving the team’s capabilities.

Required Qualifications

• Must have 8+ years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, or a related technical domain, including 3+ years of experience with team leadership.
• Must have expertise in AWS, Snowflake, Airflow, dbt, and advanced SQL.
• Must have strong experience in data modeling, ETL/ELT design, and modern data warehousing principles.
• Proven track record of architecting and delivering enterprise-scale data solutions.
• Familiarity with CI/CD processes and Agile methodologies.
• Broad technical knowledge spanning data platforms, application development, infrastructure, and architecture.
• Experience with multi-environment development (Dev/QA/Prod), code promotion workflows, and containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Demonstrated success leading high-performing engineering teams, fostering a culture of ownership, trust, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to translate vision into execution, influence across technical and non-technical teams, and drive alignment with business priorities.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience navigating complex, cross-functional environments.

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or related field.

Optional Qualifications

• Exposure to AI/ML tooling and deployment, including Snowflake Cortex or similar platforms.
• Experience supporting ML Ops workflows or collaborating with data science teams to productionize models.
• Familiarity with prompt engineering, model evaluation, or LLM integration is a plus.

#DISNEYTECH

The hiring range for this position in Glendale, CA is $171,600 to $200,000 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.