Lead Software Engineer
Apply Now Apply Later Job ID 10159874 Location Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States Business Disney Experiences Date posted Oct. 08, 2026Job Summary:
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. 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 Retail, Restaurant & Supply Chain Technology organization within Technology & Digital for Disney Experiences. It works closely with a diverse team of engineers, business stakeholders, and service owners from across the company.
The Lead Software Engineer will report to the Manager, Software Engineering.
What You’ll Do
Lead and personally build (hands-on coding expected) scalable, well-documented software systems, applications, APIs, and RESTful services — from technical specs through delivery — using Java, AWS/cloud-native patterns, relational and NoSQL databases, messaging, and orchestration technologies.
Champion AI-driven development and architecture, embedding AI-powered tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Amazon Q, Claude, Kiro) across the software lifecycle — from design and coding to testing and troubleshooting — to accelerate delivery and elevate quality, while shaping how the team adopts AI in its engineering practices.
Set architectural direction by translating complex functional, technical, and business requirements into solution architecture, coordinating with Architecture and IT stakeholders, evaluating technology choices (software, hardware, SaaS/PaaS), and developing proof-of-concepts and roadmaps that align applications with reference architecture.
Own dining and bookable experience reservation systems, maintaining deep expertise in inventory, availability, offers, and reservations, and proactively preventing overbooking issues that could impact guests.
Integrate and support complex systems across databases, messaging, and orchestration platforms, and manage AWS infrastructure to keep production and lower environments reliable.
Drive engineering quality and continuous improvement through code and design reviews, automated testing, end-to-end troubleshooting and root-cause analysis, and proactive recommendations to processes, technologies, and coding practices — maintaining focus and sound judgment in a dynamic, fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
Collaborate cross-functionally with product owners, engineering partners, delivery managers, business analysts, and other architecture teams to align solutions with current and future business needs, estimate delivery, and communicate the team's value.
Required Qualifications & Skills:
7+ years of experience building large-scale software systems and web applications, leading engineering teams and projects, with hands-on experience in solution and application architecture.
Expertise with enterprise architecture repository tools (e.g., tools similar to BlueDolphin or LeanIX)
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-domain architectural initiatives and guide decision processes
Experience developing and managing architecture taxonomies, patterns, and standards.
Proven ability to align architecture with strategic objectives, OKRs, and scorecards.
Hands-on familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), API-led integration, security-by-design, and data architecture principles.
Strong hands-on skills in Java 21+, Spring, microservices, and RESTful APIs.
Deep experience with AWS, databases (DynamoDB, Aurora, MongoDB), Kafka, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines.
Solid understanding of object-oriented design, coding best practices, and Agile/Test-Driven Development.
Experience running and monitoring distributed production systems, including tools like Splunk, Grafana, or AppDynamics.
Knowledge of inventory optimization and preventing overbooking-type issues.
Hands-on experience using AI-powered coding tools (Copilot, Cursor, Amazon Q, Claude, etc.) to accelerate development.
Able to lead complex projects independently — setting direction, solving hard problems, and guiding testing and debugging.
Comfortable managing multiple projects at once and making fast decisions under pressure.
Experience working with distributed/remote teams.
Strong mentoring skills — able to train, guide, and review the work of junior engineers.
Good communicator who can work well with product owners, UI/UX teams, and other technical and business stakeholders.
Adaptable, thrives in fast-changing, sometimes ambiguous environments.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in Disney, Food & Beverage, Attractions & Entertainment domain
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.
#DISNEYTECH
The hiring range for this position in Lake Buena Vista, FL is $150,500.00 to $201,800.00 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.
About Disney Experiences:
Disney Experiences brings the magic of Disney stories and franchises to life through theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, unique vacation experiences, products and more around the world. Disney shines in the travel industry with six resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line; a popular vacation ownership program; and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Plus, Disney's global consumer products operations include the world's leading licensing business; the world's largest children's publishing brands; one of the world's largest licensors of games across all platforms; and Disney store locations around the world and on the web.
About The Walt Disney Company:
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.
This position is with Walt Disney Attractions Technology LLC, which is part of a business we call Disney Experiences.
Walt Disney Attractions Technology LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. 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.
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