Principal Data Engineer, Architect

Principal Data Engineer, Architect

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology (DEEP&T)

On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & 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.

Building the future of Disney's media business : DEEP&T 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.

About The Role & Team The Product & Data Engineering team is responsible for end to end development for Disney's world-class consumer-facing products, including streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, and digital products & experiences across ESPN, Marvel, Disney Studios, NatGeo, and ABC News. The team drives innovation at scale for millions of consumers around the world across Apple, Android, Smart TVs, game consoles, and the web, with our platforms powering core experiences like personalization, search, messaging and data.

Design and develop scalable, high-performance data architecture that supports both operational and analytical use cases.

Lead the integration of new data management technologies and software engineering tools into existing structures.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams including product management, software engineers, data scientists, and other stakeholders to align architecture with business requirements.

Ensure data security, compliance, and privacy standards are met in accordance with company policies and regulations.

Drive innovation in data processing and analytics, exploring emerging technologies and methodologies.

Provide technical leadership and mentorship to the data architecture platform team.

Oversee the documentation and communication of architectural designs and standards.

Basic Qualifications

At least 10+ years of experience in data architecture, engineering, or related field.

Expertise in cloud-based data platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and big data technologies (Hadoop, Spark, Kafka).

Expertise in MPP and SaaS Data Products like Snowflake, Redshift etc.

Strong knowledge of database design, SQL, and data warehousing principles.

Proven ability to lead complex projects and cross-functional teams.

Excellent problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in the media / entertainment industry.

Knowledge of streaming data platforms and real-time analytics.

Familiarity with GDPR, CCPA, and other data privacy regulations.

Experience with data modeling, ETL processes, and data integration tools.

Experience with building SDLC for developing and implementing cost-effective large-scale data platforms from real-time / batch ingestion to delivering analytics feedback and reporting to consumers.

Understanding different file format (parquet, ORC etc.) and table format (iceberg, delta etc.) and how to enable them if different data catalogs.

Required Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software, Electrical or Electronics Engineering, or comparable field of study, and / or equivalent work experience.

The hiring range for this position in Orlando / The Woodlands is $159,800 - $214,200 per year, in Bristol / LA / DC / Chicago it is $167,700 - $224,900 per year, in NYC / Seattle it is $175,800 - $235,700 per year, and in San Francisco it is $183,700 - $246,400 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.