Senior Manager, DTC Technical Operations, EMEA

About the Role & Team

The Senior Manager, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Technical Operations for Disney+, is accountable for technical coordination and specification requirements for all incoming Disney+ non-UK produced EMEA Originals and Acquisitions, sitting at the dynamic intersection between title management, production management, acquisitions, production and post-production teams.

As well as onboarding licensors and working with mastering vendors for the extensive Disney+ acquisitions pipeline, this Senior Manager will sit prior to and at the front end of the post-to-platform workflow, ensuring that vendors and internal teams are aligned on Disney technical specifications and delivery requirements as part of the European (non-UK) Original Productions process. They will interact with internal and external partners, including but not limited to Burbank DO, EMEA programming, the acquisitions team, vendors and other members of the Distribution Ops team. This manager may be required to manage other team members.

As well as being encouraged to inspire change and workflow improvements (i.e. through the use of metrics) they will also work closely with the Head of DTC Operations and the VP of Distribution Operations to identify and lead ongoing process improvement projects across DTC business.

This team operates in a highly complex, often high-pressured environment. The shown ability to operate effectively under pressure is paramount.

In line with The Walt Disney Company policy, this is an in-person role, with 4 days office-based work at Disney’s Hammersmith HQ and one day per week working from home.

What You Will Do

Acquisitions

• As part of the Disney+ acquisitions workflow, this Manager will onboard licensors and mastering and localisation vendors to guarantee that materials meet the required technical specifications for the service.

EMEA Originals

• Coordinates technical management as a lead within the broader DTC Ops team for Disney+ content, specifically EMEA Originals (non-UK) and EMEA Acquisitions.
• Partnering closely with the Senior Manager of DTC Operations and working hand-in-glove with the production management team, title managers, and vendors, the Senior Technical Manager will initiate kick-off meetings with production groups, post houses and mastering vendors to ensure alignment on technical specifications, paperwork and delivery expectations, archiving, QC management, remediation and smooth execution of all technical aspects of the delivery.
• Work with Postproduction houses to manage the archival of raw digital and physical Production assets into Disney’s inventory.

General

• Designs and reviews workflows to ensure that new technical opportunities are adopted and evolved and that business objectives are met.
• Manages and analyses high volumes of data to build detailed and accurate project plans, metrics and factual improvement plans.
• Builds close and effective working relationships with senior vendor contacts and internal collaborators to ensure that content is delivered to accurate specification with minimal failure rate.
• Contributes to planning for specific projects providing technical expertise and project timelines.
• Where applicable, coaches and develops team members to build a successful team.

Vendor management:

• Builds and maintains relationships with vendor partners and holds these businesses and individuals to account, e.g.: ensure they implement appropriate corrective action plans, personnel changes, and process changes as the need arises.
• Aligns with the mastering/QC vendors from kick-off through to delivery to ensure accurate delivery requirements to spec, troubleshooting, remediation, postmortem, workflow improvements and metrics.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Proven experience in a post-production, production or technical role within an OTT environment.
• Experience leading a team is needed.
• Vendor management and contract negotiation experience.
• Significant experience in dealing with and leading multiple partners across a global remit at a senior level.

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave
• Private medical insurance & dental care
• Free Park Entry: You will have the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free
• Disney Discounts: you are entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing
• Excellent parental and guardian leave
• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney DIVERSITY, Disney PRIDE, our new disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.