Senior Technical Program Manager (Scrum Master)

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN 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.

A few reasons why we think you’d love working for Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology:

Building the future of Disney’s media business: DE&E 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.

Business Operations is the glue of DE&E Technology, with a relentless focus on connecting all the pieces of the business. All the components that make up the organization – engineering, product, design, operations, support and more – come together and move the business forward with oversight, effective prioritization, and guidance. This team synthesizes information from across the business to ensure leaders are armed with all the necessary data before making strategic and financial decisions. From forecasting, funding, tracking, and reporting on projects, to ways of working, and resource management, Business Operations has visibility and input into all aspects of the team.

The Scrum Lead is responsible for driving technical deliverables in the Advertising Platforms area from initiation through closure. This involves daily hands-on management of technology activities utilizing Agile and Scrum based software development practices; and includes working cross-functionally with multiple technical teams to effectively deliver business solutions. This role requires a wide range of leadership competencies, technical (project management) experience, and communications skills. The Scrum Lead is responsible for driving delivery using DEE Technology processes, tools and frameworks; this includes the development of the scope of work and the management of time, work-breakdown, cost, risk, and communications. 

Responsibilities:

• Accountable for driving execution and delivery of a set of software development deliverables from start to finish. 
• Leverage experience with Agile and Scrum to lead teams to successful delivery.
• Lead delivery teams through the identification and management of risks and the resolution of issues, and escalating to management as appropriate.
• Facilitator – must be able to:
  • Facilitate team ceremonies
  • Facilitate meetings/workshops with groups of people beyond the immediate delivery team
  • Facilitate the team through the resolution of complex issues
  • Drive workshop/meeting to conclusion and/or actionable outcome
  • Ensure group participation
• Develop and deliver outcomes/results/notes in a manor appropriate to the level of the group
• Responsible for managing team dynamics, morale and motivation while building a culture where all members and points of view are respected
• Accountable for delivering ‘quality’ solutions that provide desired business benefits and/or solve business problems - ‘on-time’ & within budget.
• Monitor and report on team metrics around delivery
• Able to quickly solve complex problems in a challenging, dynamic environment with minimal direction.
• Provide frequent and transparent communication to the business and technical senior management, delivery teams and stakeholders regarding initiative health, issues, and risks.
• Effectively communicates complex and/or difficult information to both technical and non-technical audiences, including Executives.
• Interacts with internal and external peers, initiative stakeholders, and managers to exchange complex information.
• Ability to influence key decision-makers / stakeholders towards new business processes and technical solutions that best serve DEE Technology & the Walt Disney company.              

Basic Qualifications:

• 5+ years as a Scrum Lead, with hands-on experience with Agile/Scrum developing software applications in a highly-technical domain
• 5+ years of experience managing formal application software development projects
• Strong expertise in Agile and its frameworks (Scrum, Kanban) and Scaled-Agile management methods and processes
• Extensive knowledge and experience with the software development lifecycle
• Expertise with project management tools used in business/project area

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a media technology environment
• Ad tech domain knowledge, or demonstrated aptitude for learning a technology-based engineering domain
• Project management certifications

The hiring range for this position in CA is $135,400.00 to $181,600.00 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.