Data Engineering Intern, Summer 2026

About the Role & Program: 

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.  

Commerce, Data & Identity provides the core product management functions for areas crucial to Disney’s media businesses. These include initiatives and products that power digital commerce, identity, and growth, as well as those that reach uniquely across The Walt Disney Company enterprise, such as messaging and privacy, among others. Additionally, it is responsible for the data engineering, science, and products for Disney Entertainment & ESPN, along with their interconnection with other parts of The Walt Disney Company. 

This internship is designed to help you grow not only your technical skills in data engineering, but also your professional skills that are essential for success in a collaborative and fast-paced work environment. You’ll gain hands-on experience, mentorship from experienced professionals, and the opportunity to make a real impact through your work. 

What You Will Do: 

• Contribute to the growth and development of our Data Products focusing on Content Performance 
• Support in the design and implementation of scalable data warehousing solutions, assisting in the construction of ETL pipelines within various Big Data environments (cloud-based, on-premises, hybrid). 
• Work with technologies like AWS, Databricks, Snowflake, Spark, and Airflow under the guidance of experienced Data Engineers.
• Aid in the formulation of data frameworks and models for underlying data warehouses and data marts. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Data Product Managers, Data Architects, and Data Engineers to execute successful data solutions. 
• Maintain comprehensive documentation supporting data quality and governance practices. 
• Support operational efficiency and quality assurance efforts to meet SLAs and uphold commitments to internal customers (Data Science, Data Analytics teams). 
• Engage actively and apply agile/scrum practices to contribute to team health and process enhancements

Required Qualifications & Skills:  

• Experience using SQL and an eagerness to create queries to extract data and contribute to building efficient datasets. 
• Eagerness to grasp Data Modeling techniques and Data Warehousing methodologies. 
• Basic scripting skills (Python)  
• Problem-solving mindset with strong attention to detail and excellent analytical and communication skills. 

Preferred Qualifications & Skills 

• Demonstrable understanding or experience with distributed systems, such as Spark, Hadoop (HDFS, Hive, Presto, PySpark), for data querying and processing. 
• Exposure or willingness to learn major MPP or cloud database technologies (e.g., Snowflake, Redshift, Big Query). 
• Familiarity or interest in cloud technologies like AWS (S3, EMR, EC2). 
• Exposure or willingness to learn data integration tools (e.g., Airflow) and involvement in developing and maintaining Data Pipelines. 
• Interest in Scrum and Agile methodologies. 

This internship provides an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual eager to dive into the world of Data Engineering within the entertainment and sports industry. 

Education: Currently enrolled undergraduate student in an accredited college/university, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in advanced Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science or comparable field of study, and/or equivalent work experience

 

Eligibility Requirements & Program Information:  

• Be enrolled in an accredited college/university pursuing a degree taking at least one class in the semester/quarter (spring/fall) prior to participation in the internship program AND returning to school the semester/quarter following the internship OR currently participating in a Disney College Program or Disney Internship.
• Current Disney Interns, College, International, or Culinary Program Participants:  You may only work for ONE consecutive year (12 months) in any combination of an internship and/or program.  
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Possess unrestricted work authorization

Additional Information:

• Able to have a consistent, reliable work schedule throughout the internship
• Fully available from M-F, 40 hours each week for the entire program duration: May/June - August/September 2026 (12 weeks)
• Able to provide own housing for the duration of the internship program
• Able to provide/have reliable transportation to/from work 

The pay rate for this role in Santa Monica, CA is $42 per hour. Select benefits may be provided as part of the compensation package, such as medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered. To learn more about our benefits visit: https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits.