Content Partner Manager

Department/Group Overview:

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

• On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also transforming Disney’s media business for the future. Whether that’s evolving our streaming and digital products in new and immersive ways, powering worldwide advertising and distribution to maximize flexibility and efficiency, or delivering Disney’s unmatched entertainment and sports content, every day is a moment to make a difference to partners and to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Additional details to include (optional):

• Building the future of Disney’s media business: DE&E Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power Disney’s media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.
• Reach & Scale: The products and platforms this group builds and operates delight millions of consumers every minute of every day – from Disney+ and Hulu, to ABC News and Entertainment, to ESPN and ESPN+, and much more.
• Innovation: We develop and execute groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news.

Content Operations is ultimately responsible for successfully delivering Disney’s entertainment and sports content to millions of people every day. This involves developing, operating, and managing a global content supply chain – the myriad of steps involved from taking a finalized TV show/movie, or live piece of content, from inside Disney to audiences around the globe, in their preferred language and format. This team also manages technology operations in Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Content Platforms & Operations is responsible for the development and ongoing advancement of the technical and operational functions driving the worldwide distribution and monetization of Disney’s linear networks and theatrical content. This includes Disney’s media supply chain and storage, network

and theatrical distribution operations, media localization, network transmission and origination, and more. The global team also plays a critical role as the primary collaboration point for Product & Technology with Disney’s EMEA, APAC, and LATAM regional business teams.

Content Partner Management (CPM) is a cross-functional, technology and business-facing team within the Content Platforms & Operations team, and part of the Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology organization. CPM is responsible for the operational execution of Disney’s streaming content agreements with both internal and third-party content providers. The team is responsible for managing the full content lifecycle, inclusive of partner integration, content delivery, launch planning and scheduling, content remediation, and building product requirements against partner agreements. Serving as a central point of contact between content partners and internal stakeholders, the team ensures seamless execution of contractual obligations, technical specifications, and both technology and business priorities across the organization.

As super-users of Disney’s content management systems, CPM plays a critical role in driving continuous platform improvement by providing feature feedback and operational requirements. 

Job Summary:

As Content Partner Manager, you are accountable for executing program requirements outlined in the partner agreements, technical specifications, and business objectives. You will build and maintain cross-functional relationships with content providers and ensure the successful launch, and in-app experience, of their brand and content on Disney’s streaming products. You will drive the content launch plan, executing short and long-term projects, while maintaining the agility and responsiveness to quickly and effectively address ad-hoc issues. A qualified candidate will have the technical and business fluency to lead projects, partnering with stakeholders across technology, operations, product, and business to facilitate conversations and execute deliverables.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:

• Build, integrate, and manage partnerships with our content providers, accountable for ensuring all relationship goals are met and contractual requirements are executed.
• Partner with Operations, and other PMO and Delivery teams, to ensure successful delivery and launch of content within business expectations and requirements.
• Hands-on execution in the Content Management System to enter Content Partner contract details and program avails, rights, brand elements, tune-in messaging, etc., ensuring proper product experience for our partners’ content.

• Provide program governance across workstreams with clear and consistent communication of project level status for CPM leadership, project sponsors, and stakeholders.

• Understand and communicate tech specifications and requirements, including MovieLabs (MDDF) specifications, multi-language delivery needs, and other Disney streaming standards, and facilitate conversations between technologists and business teams, internally and externally.

• Maintain clear visibility across the program for all deliverables.

• In partnership with team leads, implement scalable processes and frameworks that support agile operations and align with evolving business needs.

• Proactively identify and manage risks, issues, and dependencies. In partnership with team leads, develop plans to escalate and mitigate.

• Partner with Marketing on promotional opportunities around major events, holidays, and series launches.
• Monitor partner compliance against terms and conditions.
• Keep up-to-date with new technologies and recognize how it can impact CPM work/relationships

Required Education, Experience/Skills/Training:

• BA/BS or equivalent experience
• 5 years of program or project management experience working with both internal and external stakeholders
• Experience building and nurturing external partnerships, establishing deliverables pipelines, and maintaining strong communication between partners.
• Ability to translate complex concepts between technology and business partners and effectively communicate status updates to senior leadership
• Demonstrated excellence in an agile, fast-paced and cross-functional technology environment
• Working experience with tech platforms such as JIRA, ServiceNow, Airtable, Smartsheet, content management systems and proficiency in productivity suites like Office and Google Docs.
• Experience working within development and product methodologies, such as Agile, PMP, etc

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in streaming, broadcast, or digital media distribution operations, including familiarity with streaming technologies, content rights, content management systems, and related operational workflows, strongly preferred.

The hiring range for this position in Santa Monica, CA is $95,500 - $128,000 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.