Sr. Manager, Business Insights & Analytics- Food & Beverage/Merchandise

About the Role & Team

"We create happiness.” That’s our motto at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and it permeates everything we do. At Disney, you’ll help encourage that magic by enabling our company to push the limits and build the never-before-seen! Are you ready to join this team and make an impact?

As Sr. Manager, Business Insights & Analytics, you will lead an analytical team that tells compelling stories, guides strategic decisions, and builds dashboards and tools for Walt Disney World Food & Beverage and Merchandise. This team applies analytical and technical skills, statistics, data visualization, and storytelling to track and measure business performance and identify and frame up opportunities. Types of analyses include forecasting, allocation, benchmarking, what-if scenarios, and impact quantification. Data-driven decision-making and storytelling are needed to be successful in this role, while having a collaborative mindset and effective integration approach with multiple partners including Operations, Finance, Industrial Engineering, Revenue Management, Commercial, and Technology.

This role requires a very high capacity for producing and understanding business opportunities and needs with a curiosity to understand the "why", as well as the ability to use quantitative findings in explanation to technical and non-technical audiences.

This role will report to the Director, Food & Beverage/Merchandise Insights, Optimization, and Supply Chain.

Key Responsibilities:

• Enable the Business – Partner with F&B and Merchandise leaders and Line of Business subject matter experts to understand business needs; Lead data analytics and provide storytelling & insights to the Line of Business teams and Operations leaders to inform and influence business strategy.

• Storytelling with Data – Utilize analytical skills to translate data into meaningful storytelling to drive data-driven decisions and lead discussions with all relevant stakeholders. Leverage data visualization techniques and communication skills to present complex analytical findings in clear, concise business terms to leadership, lay out appropriate options and make recommendations to inform decision-making. Strong data acumen used to monitor and analyze key performance indicators to guide strategic decisions and ensure alignment with business objectives.

• Develop F&B and Merchandise Insights – Exceptional skills in statistics and analytics, factoring the intricacies of F&B and Merchandise data. Identify business growth and optimization opportunities and partner closely with the Line of Business, Operations, Finance, Revenue Management, and Commercial teams to develop effective strategies to meet business needs.

• People Leadership & Team Effectiveness – Lead and develop individual contributors and people managers with strong team effectiveness while fostering a team culture of continuous improvement and innovation with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Project Management – Identify and lead large-scale strategic initiatives requiring collaboration within Food & Beverage and/or Merchandise lines of business and across partner groups, including ongoing integration, communication, and project management to deliver against objectives.

Capabilities include:

Curiosity – Seeks to understand “why”; Cultivates own curiosity and focuses on impact. Expert analytical and statistical guidance and direction to assess current performance and business trends as well as identify improvement opportunities.

Strategic Thinking – Leads with innovation and creativity, tied to business outcomes. Provides an analytical and strategic perspective on F&B and Merchandise initiatives and is solutions focused.

Values Driven – Present a strong sense of responsibility and a proactive approach. Embody the values of integrity, creativity, collaboration, community, and inclusion.

Balances Stakeholders & Relationship Building – Anticipates and balances the needs of multiple stakeholders.  Provide expert guidance and support to LOB and Operations stakeholders. Develop strong relationships at all levels across WDW.

Communicates Effectively – Exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, ability to build and tell the story to gain buy-in and engagement from non-technical and technical audiences.

Decision Quality – Makes good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward. Offers effective analytical approaches to address business questions and identify recommendations with a quick turnaround. Comfortable dealing with ambiguity and incorporating and promoting change.

Required Experience:

• Walt Disney World Parks & Resorts experience

• Relevant experience in analytics, data science, mathematics, or equivalent, including being in a leadership role

• Experience leading, motivating, and managing an analytical team in a dynamic, fast-paced environment

• Experience developing and delivering operations-focused analytics and tools, including forecasting and data management

• Experience in data visualization using Tableau, Microstrategy, Power BI, Business Objects, or equivalent tools

• Experience and proficiency in SQL using Snowflake, Business Objects, Microstrategy or similar tools

Required Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Data Science, or related field

Preferred Experience: 

• Experience with Statistical or Data Science languages such as R, SAS, Python

• Experience working with Food and Beverage and/or Merchandise data

• Experience in Food & Beverage and/or Merchandise operations

• Demonstrated understanding of Merchandise operations as well as systems and reporting including DSP (Disney Sales Point of Sales platform), SIM, RMS, and Smart Stockroom

• Demonstrated understanding of Food & Beverage operations as well as systems and reporting including Matra, Nala, and Ariel

Preferred Education: 

• Advanced degree in Mathematics, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Simulation, or related field

Additional Information:

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.

Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits.

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