Staff (Lead) Software Engineer

This is not a remote role. You must be local or open to relocation.

Why The Walt Disney Studios?

The Walt Disney Studios is where unforgettable stories come to life. From theatrical releases to global streaming platforms, our technology enables the creation and delivery of content enjoyed by millions. Behind every frame is a complex, distributed supply chain and a team of engineers building the systems that make it all possible.

Job Description

We are in search of a Staff (Lead) Software Engineer to help build the next generation of

intelligent infrastructure for the Studio Digital Supply Chain. This role blends expertise in

backend software engineering, workflow and AI to design and deliver agentic platforms that

support workflows like mastering, localization, and delivery.

This is a hands-on senior engineering role that demands strong execution, adaptability, and

comfort working at the pace of evolving AI technologies.

Key Responsibilities

Design & Build AI Middleware:

• Design and build API gateways, wrappers, and middleware services that expose studio systems and data to AI agents.

• Manage secure access to tools, metadata, and content systems through model context protocol (MCP).

• Standardize how agents’ interface with internal services across the supply chain.

Build Agentic Workflows:

• Deploy agentic platforms such as LangGraph or LangChain to manage tool execution, context routing, and decision logic.

• Implement tracing, audit logging, and governance checkpoints including human approval and fallback paths.

• Integrate orchestration into media workflows such as mastering, localization, and delivery.

Productize and Optimize AI Services:

• Translate prototypes into production-ready microservices using Java, TypeScript, or Python, deployed via Kubernetes and managed through CI/CD pipelines.

• Implement event-driven services using Kafka, EventBridge, or SNS/SQS to support loosely coupled, fault-tolerant communication across services.

• Build and maintain APIs with clear contracts, emphasizing reliability, observability, and long-term maintainability.

Lead, Collaborate, and Mentor:

• Work directly with ML engineers, platform teams, and product managers to deliver business-ready AI capabilities.

• Contribute to technical planning, system design, and delivery reviews across

engineering and product.

• Mentor team members and stay current on emerging trends in LLM tooling,

orchestration, and agent frameworks.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in a Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field.

• 8+ years of backend or systems engineering experience, with at least 3 years building AI-powered or workflow-centric platforms.

• Proficient in Java, Python, or Node.js, with deep understanding of testing, observability, and systems at scale.

• Production experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, and container orchestration with Docker and Kubernetes.

• Hands-on experience deploying infrastructure via Terraform, CDK, or similar

infrastructure-as-code frameworks.

• Experience building or integrating workflow engines, ideally in LLM or GenAI contexts.

• Clear, structured communication skills and a track record of technical leadership in cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with LLM frameworks and APIs such as LangGraph, LangChain, OpenAI, or Anthropic.

• Background in media, entertainment, or content operations, including localization or post-production workflows.

• Experience building multi-tenant or shared platform services.

• Exposure to Agile delivery practices and DevOps automation at scale.

• Contributions to GenAI open-source projects or internal AI/ML infrastructure tooling.

At Disney, storytelling is powered by technology. As a Staff Software Engineer, you will build platforms that move our content from production to audience. Join us and contribute to the systems behind some of the most iconic storytelling in the world.

#DISNEYTECH

The hiring range for this position in Glendale, CA is $155,700 to $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.