Staff Software Engineer at The Walt Disney Company

Glendale, California, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Media, EntertainmentIndustries

Requirements

Bachelor's or master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
7+ years of experience building distributed, cloud-native backend systems
Hands-on experience integrating AI/ML tools, LLMs, or decision engines into workflow-driven systems
Strong foundation in cloud platforms (especially AWS), event-driven architecture, and infrastructure automation
Strong proficiency in Java, Python, or Node.js
Deep knowledge of containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), CI/CD pipelines, and system observability
Exceptional communication and technical leadership skills
Preferred
Prior experience in Media or Entertainment, particularly studio/post-production workflows
Experience building shared platforms or multi-tenant environments
Hands-on experience with machine learning systems, pipelines, or model integration in production environments
Familiarity with Agile and DevOps methodologies

Responsibilities

Design AI-Augmented Workflows: Lead the development of systems that exhibit agentic behavior using AI/ML technologies. Integrate tools such as large language models (LLMs), decision engines, and semantic search. Enable intelligent, adaptive processing within complex workflow environments
Workflow Orchestration & Automation: Create deterministic workflows using state machines or rules engines. Design hybrid patterns that blend structured logic with adaptive capabilities. Enable flexible execution of both predictable and dynamic processes
Architecture & Scalability: Build modular, distributed system architectures. Optimize for high-throughput, long-running, and stateful tasks. Support human-in-the-loop processing in complex studio workflows
Event-Driven Development: Develop services that use event-driven communication patterns. Leverage Kafka, EventBridge, or SNS/SQS for messaging and orchestration. Ensure resilience and loose coupling between distributed components
API & Microservices Engineering: Build performant APIs and microservices in Java, Python, or Node.js. Design for cloud-native environments and deployment flexibility. Emphasize reliability, maintainability, and clear service boundaries
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with product, program, and ML stakeholders. Translate business and creative requirements into scalable systems. Align diverse teams around shared architecture and delivery goals
Mentorship & Best Practices: Guide engineers through architecture and code reviews. Provide mentorship on system design and software quality. Foster innovation and technical excellence across the team