Manager, Technical Program Management

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology 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. 

The Business Operations team helps guide and articulate technology strategy and research, and is responsible for driving the day-to-day operation of the Product & Technology organization, including: project and portfolio management and tracking; organization-level capital, space, and resource management and allocation; process management; technical incident management; and our administrative and workplace experience support team.

The Technical Program Management team supporting Ad Platforms is focused on facilitating the design and engineering behind Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology ad platforms for our linear and non-linear distribution channels. Ad Platforms develops the products, technology, systems, and tools that extend and accelerate Disney’s advertising business and drive advertising innovation and performance. The department supports a diverse set of Disney brands including: Hulu, Disney+, ABC, ESPN, Freeform, FX, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, and National Geographic.   

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.

Job Summary:

• Leads a team of professional employees, providing day-to-day guidance, coaching, and performance management.

• Owns program delivery outcomes within a defined portfolio, ensuring quality, schedule adherence, and risk mitigation.

• Implements established TPM frameworks, tools, and reporting practices; identifies opportunities for incremental improvements.

• Resolves delivery escalations within the team and coordinates with peer managers to address cross-team dependencies.

• Builds and maintains strong relationships with engineering, product, and operations stakeholders to align priorities and drive execution.

• Demonstrates capability in hiring, onboarding, and developing early- to mid-career TPM talent.        

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:

• Leads and manages a team, ensuring alignment to organizational objectives and delivery excellence. 

• Oversees the execution and delivery of multiple programs or projects, ensuring adherence to scope, schedule, and quality expectations. 

• Partners with engineering, product, and business leaders to set delivery priorities, resource allocation, and risk mitigation strategies. 

• Ensures team adoption and adherence to TPM discipline standards, methodologies, and best practices. 

• Drives the professional development, coaching, and performance management of team members. 

• Represents the TPM team in cross-functional planning and leadership forums.

• Manages resource planning and forecasting to support current and future program needs. 

• Builds a collaborative and inclusive culture that promotes innovation and continuous improvement.

Basic Qualifications:

• 8+ years of relevant program management experience, with 2+ years of formal people management experience.

• BA/BS or equivalent experience required

• Understands technical program management at a deep enough level to guide team in best practices and methods.

• Familiar with software architecture, dependencies, technical risk management, and scaled program execution.

• Proficient in software development lifecycle processes and Agile frameworks, able to remove barriers and unblock delivery teams.

• Capable of translating delivery data into actionable insights for stakeholders.
   

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree or certifications (PMP, CSM, SAFe)

• Proficiency in enterprise program management tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Airtable)

• Experience working in a media technology environment  

• Technology domain knowledge, or demonstrated aptitude for learning a technology-based engineering domain 

• Skilled in establishing team-level goals, setting performance expectations, and delivering feedback.

The hiring range for this position in California is $155,700 - $208,700 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.