Lead Product Manager, Automation

BUILD SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF 

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, Disney Parks, and Experiences and Products. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

How will you contribute to our magical experience?  

The Automation and Innovation Team within HR Products supports functional areas across Human Resources by collaborating on automation solutions to manual and cumbersome processes. We seek to create a world class working experience for our HR clients!

The Lead Product Manager, Automation will be responsible for:

As a Lead Product Manager, you will drive the vision, strategy, and roadmap for high-impact HR technology products, with a particular emphasis on automation products that enhance operational efficiency for HR. This role will lead complex initiatives from concept through delivery, mentoring other product managers and partners while ensuring that product outcomes align with organizational goals and deliver measurable value.

• Develop and own the product vision, strategy, and roadmap for key automation products, ensuring alignment with business objectives and measurable value delivery.

• Serve as the subject matter expert and primary product representative, clearly explaining difficult concepts and negotiating trade-offs with stakeholders to drive consensus on priorities and solutions.

• Gather and refine requirements by collaborating with technology, design, business, and operations partners; translate concepts into epics, features, user stories, and acceptance criteria that guide development teams.

• Lead cross-functional teams through the product lifecycle—discovery, planning, execution, release, and optimization—while managing risk, dependencies, and scope for initiatives of moderate to high complexity.

• Define and monitor key performance metrics for automation and digital products, using data to form assumptions, build business cases, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

• Act as a communication bridge between technical and non-technical teams, ensuring shared understanding of goals, trade-offs, and timelines through clear documentation and regular updates.

• Champion and coach Agile and product-centric ways of working, helping teams adopt best practices in backlog management, release planning, and iterative delivery.

• Provide day-to-day guidance, mentoring, and informal leadership to other product managers and team members, helping them solve complex problems and grow their product skills.

• Support defect triage and issue resolution by partnering with engineering and other teams to identify root causes, prioritize fixes, and protect product quality.

• Prepare and deliver executive-level communications, including product updates, roadmaps, and influence direction and secure alignment on key decisions.

• Lead change and release planning efforts for impactful product launches, coordinating with partners to ensure smooth deployment and adoption.

What we need from you to be part of this story:

• 5+ years of experience as a Lead Product Manager or equivalent SME, driving digital/technology products from concept to launch in complex environments.
• Advanced level of English (is a must).
• Experience with modern technologies, including ERP platforms such as Workday and SAP, as well as Generative AI tools.
• Proven success managing roadmaps and delivery for automation-focused products, including workflow, process, and operational automation.
• Strong end-to-end product management expertise, covering discovery, market/needs analysis, backlog creation, prioritization, iterative delivery, and KPI measurement.
• Data-driven approach with the ability to use analytics to develop hypotheses, build business cases, and measure product performance and value.
• Hands-on experience with Agile methodologies and tools such as Jira and Confluence, plus strong collaboration across technology, design, business, and operations.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to translate business needs into technical requirements, influence senior stakeholders, solve complex problems, navigate ambiguity, and drive innovation; Bachelor’s degree or higher required, with data/analytics experience and Agile certifications (e.g., CSPO) preferred.

Additional Information: 

At Disney, we believe it takes great people to create memorable experiences, products and services our consumers know and love. We are a team of storytellers and hire under equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability and gender identity. We foster a corporate culture of belonging and inclusiveness, which empowers our staff and company to thrive. At Disney, everyone has the opportunity to speak up and participate, grow and share ideas.

“You can design and create and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” Walt Disney.