Principal Product Manager, CDI

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology (DEEP&T) 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. 

The team marries technology with creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world.  

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. 

Commerce, Data & Identity (CDI) provides the core product management functions for areas crucial to Disney’s media businesses. These include initiatives and products that power digital commerce, identity, and growth, as well as those that reach uniquely across The Walt Disney Company enterprise, such as messaging and privacy, among others. Additionally, it is responsible for the data engineering, science, and products for Disney Entertainment & ESPN, along with their interconnection with other parts of The Walt Disney Company. 

About The Role

This is a unique, senior product role within the Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology organization.  This role will serve as a strategic product leader and trusted advisor to the VP, Data Product Management within Disney’s Entertainment & ESPN Technology division.  It is an individual contributor role (non-people manager), directly reporting to the VP of Data Product Management, and part of the Data Product leadership team.  The role is pivotal in driving the execution of cross-functional strategic initiatives, ensuring operational efficiency, and fostering collaboration, alignment, and product excellence across the data organization. This role will manage key product initiatives, facilitate communication, and provide critical support to data product leadership in achieving the department's goals and driving an innovative strategy for enabling Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer Sports and Entertainment businesses with data solutions to enable quick and impactful insights and power uniquely Disney customer experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Product Planning and Execution:  Develop and execute strategic data initiatives spanning multiple data infrastructure, tools, and solutions teams in support of major business programs driving growth and engagement with Disney’s direct-to-consumer entertainment & sports streaming platforms (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, etc.).

• Cross-Organizational Operational Efficiency: Oversee daily data product operations, help streamline processes, and implement best practices to enhance productivity and efficiency within the department.

• Communication and Collaboration: Facilitate effective communication within the department and with stakeholders, internal partner teams, vendors, and technology providers by helping to develop impactful executive/board level presentations, status updates, project memos, and product release materials. Help manage critical vendor relationships and contracts, facilitate build/buy decision processes.  Foster a collaborative environment and ensure strategic and operational consistency across teams.

• Executive Support: Provide high-level support to the Vice President, including preparing reports, presentations, and other materials. Assist in decision-making processes by providing insights and recommendations, act as a senior representative for the data product organization to the broader business and partner technology teams.

• Stakeholder Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Represent the Vice President and data product team in meetings and discussions as needed.

• Data Governance and Compliance: Help ensure cross-team adherence to data governance policies and regulatory requirements. Promote a culture of data integrity and security within the organization.

• Product Strategy and Vision: Help develop and communicate a clear data product vision and strategy that aligns with the company's goals and objectives and enables a broad set of dependent stakeholders across business and technology teams to access, interpret, and activate data.

• Market Research: Conduct market research to identify customer needs, market trends, competitive & technology landscape. Use insights to inform product development and positioning.

• Product Roadmap: Create and maintain a cross-team product roadmap that outlines the development and release of new features and enhancements. Prioritize initiatives based on business value and customer impact.

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including engineering, data science, marketing, sales, business operations, etc. to ensure successful product development and launch. Facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders.

• Requirements Gathering: Gather and document detailed product requirements from stakeholders, including customers, internal teams, and executives. Translate requirements into actionable tasks for the development team.

• Data Governance: Ensure that data products adhere to data governance policies and best practices. Promote data quality, integrity, and security within the organization.

• Performance Monitoring: Monitor and analyze the performance of data products using key metrics and KPIs. Identify areas for improvement and implement changes to enhance product performance.

• Customer Feedback: Collect and analyze customer feedback to understand user needs and pain points. Use feedback to drive product improvements and enhancements.

• Product Launch: Plan and execute product launches, including developing marketing materials, training internal teams, and coordinating with external partners. Ensure a smooth and successful product rollout.

• Continuous Improvement: Stay up to date with industry trends and emerging technologies. Continuously seek opportunities to innovate and improve data products.

Basic Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Data Science, or a related technical field.

• Experience: Minimum of 10 years of experience in a product management role, with a strong background in data management, analytics, data governance.

• Skills: 

  • Excellent product management skills with a track record of successful delivery of complex technical products.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication

  • Strong leadership skills.

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

  • Proficiency in data management tools and technologies. 

  • Must be highly proactive and able to self-manage.  Must be able to drive delivery through partnership and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

• Attributes: Strategic thinker with a proactive approach. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships at all levels of the organization.

Additional Information

#DISNEYTECH

#CDI

The hiring range for this position in Seattle/New York is $193,100 to $258,900 per year, and in Bristol/ Santa Monica is $184,300 to $247,100, and San Francisco is $201,900 - $270,700 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.