Principal Research Operations Mgr

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

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.

Design is centrally responsible for the design supporting all consumer-facing and business products and tooling for the Disney Entertainment & ESPN portfolio, including sports, entertainment, enterprise, UX, creative services and design research. 

The Principal Research Operations Mgr designs, scales, and optimizes the systems that enable high-velocity, high-quality UX research across the organization.

This systems design role will architect and scale the research operations infrastructure within Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product and Technology division (DEEP&T). The role sits within our design team and will enable research systems that rely on a strong connection between UX research, experience design, product, legal, finance, procurement, and security.

Key Responsibilities

Research Operations Systems Architecture

• Design and evolve ResearchOps infrastructure (tools, vendors, governance, budgeting, knowledge management)
• Assess the current state of the organization, identify systemic challenges, and create the plan to connect fragmented workflows into cohesive, scalable systems
• Continually reassess structures and processes to help scale Research Operations alongside UXR

Drive Research Velocity & Efficacy

• Design new processes for participant recruitment and conduct participant recruitment
• Consolidate and rationalize research tools and vendors
• Establish standardized workflows and governance frameworks
• Establish best practices and documentation standards
• Develop and mentor junior ResearchOps team members (if applicable)
• Support responsible distribution of research across the organization where appropriate.
   

Own Operational Strategy Within UX Research

• Develop annual operational roadmaps aligned to research and product strategy
• Forecast research operations capacity and budget needs
• Define and track operational OKRs (e.g., study throughput, cost per study, vendor performance, designer and researcher time saved)

Lead Cross-Functional Influence

• Partner with Legal, Finance, Procurement, IT, and Security to streamline research approvals and compliance
• Influence investment decisions related to tools, panels, and vendors
• Translate operational constraints into executive-ready insights

What Success Looks Like (6–18 Months)

• Executives understand and can articulate ResearchOps ROI
• Vendor and tool landscape rationalized and optimized, including a research repository utilized across cross-functional teams
• Designers, cross-functional partners, and researchers report increased clarity and decreased friction
• Research cycle time measurably reduced
• Operational metrics dashboard adopted by research leadership
• Clear governance model implemented and understood

Qualifications

Required Experience

• 10+ years in ResearchOps, UX Research, Program Management, or similar operational role
• Demonstrated experience in both doing the day-to-day work of research operations while designing scalable systems
• Experience managing vendor contracts and research tooling ecosystems
• Experience working cross-functionally with Legal, Procurement, Finance, or Security.
• Bachelor’s degree required
   

Preferred Experience

• Building and scaling a ResearchOps function and team in prior role
• Budget forecasting and financial modeling.
• Governance and compliance framework design
• Building operational strategy aligned to product or research roadmaps
• Managing or mentoring others (formal or informal)

The hiring range for this position in San Francisco, CA is $187,900 - $252,000 per year and in Glendale, CA is $171,600 - $230,100 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.