The Walt Disney Company

Lead Machine Learning Engineer

The Walt Disney Company$141K — $190K *
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's in Computer Science, Statistics, Math, or related field
  • 7+ years of software engineering experience
  • 5+ years in deploying machine learning systems
  • Expertise in deep learning and statistical methods
  • Experience with backend microservices for distributed systems
  • Familiar with AWS cloud infrastructure
  • Proven leadership and mentoring skills

Responsibilities

  • Lead technical projects from design to deployment
  • Develop machine learning infrastructure and data pipelines
  • Create data-driven solutions like recommendation systems
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to translate needs into technical solutions
  • Prioritize and manage initiatives for high-impact results
  • Promote engineering best practices and quality standards
  • Mentor engineers to foster a collaborative culture

Benefits

  • Comprehensive healthcare plans
  • Retirement savings options
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Training and development opportunities
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Employee discounts
  • Generous paid time off policy
Full Job Description
Job Posting Title:
Lead Machine Learning Engineer

Req ID:


Job Description:

Job Summary:

The News ML team is responsible for building robust data pipelines and advanced machine learning platforms that deliver personalized experiences to users across ABC News, Good Morning America, and local news stations. Our services leverage machine learning models to enable real-time content personalization and targeted distribution across web, mobile, and connected TV platforms, ensuring that users receive the most relevant and engaging news content tailored to their interests. Our mission is to drive seamless, resilient, and low-latency personalized content delivery at scale, while continuously advancing our ML infrastructure and recommendation algorithms.

As a Lead Machine Learning Engineer, you will play a leading role in shaping the technical direction of the News ML Platform. You will drive infrastructure for scalable learning, inference, and monitoring, conduct in-depth data exploration and analysis, and collaborate across product, data, and engineering teams to power exceptional, personalized guest experiences. Your work will directly support strategic initiatives to help shape the roadmap for algorithmic innovation while ensuring that solutions are scalable, impactful, and aligned with stakeholder needs.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:
  • Own complex technical initiatives end-to-end, from technical design through production deployment and operational excellence
  • Design and develop infrastructure supporting the full cycle of machine learning, including data pipelines and workflow orchestration, data discovery and quality tools, and feature libraries
  • Drive data and ML-driven solutions for diverse engineering use cases such as recommendation systems, object detection, autogenerated tagging solutions, RAGs
  • Partner with product, editorial, and engineering stakeholders to translate business requirements into robust technical solutions
  • Strategically prioritize initiatives and technical workstreams to deliver the highest-impact and most time-sensitive outcomes, while proactively identifying, communicating, and mitigating risks to ensure successful execution
  • Champion engineering best practices across code quality, testing, CI/CD, observability, and incident response
  • Mentor and coach engineers, fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement
  • Contribute to technical documentation and promote knowledge sharing across teams


Required Education, Experience/Skills/Training:

Minimum and Preferred. Inclusive of Licenses/Certs (include functional experience as well as behavioral attributes and/or leadership capabilities)

Basic Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Systems, Statistics, Math, or comparable field of study, and/or equivalent work experience
  • 7+ years of software engineering experience
  • 5+ years of hands-on experience developing and deploying machine learning systems in production
  • Expertise in data science, deep learning algorithms, or statistical methods to solve real-world engineering problems
  • Comfortable operating at all levels of the predictive stack, including data collection, data analysis, feature engineering, batch training and low-latency online serving
  • Experience designing and developing backend microservices for large-scale distributed systems using REST
  • Experience with cloud infrastructure, preferably AWS (Step Functions, Lambda, Glue, SQS, SNS, Personalize)
  • Familiarity with developing and deploying Spark and ML pipelines
  • Hands-on experience with big data technologies such as Databricks, Kinesis, Kafka
  • Proven leadership, coaching, and mentoring skills, with the ability to inspire and empower a team towards achieving business goals
  • Experience with observability tools for metrics, logging, and monitoring such as Datadog
  • Experience working in Agile/Scrum development environments
  • Excellent communication skills and a commitment to collaboration in a fast-paced, guest-focused environment
The hiring range for this position in New York, NY is $148,700 - $199,400 per year and in Glendale, CA is $141,900 - $190,300. 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.

Job Posting Segment:
Commerce, Data & Identity

Job Posting Primary Business:
PE - Sports, News & Entertainment, Enablement

Primary Job Posting Category:
Machine Learning

Employment Type:
Full time

Primary City, State, Region, Postal Code:
Glendale, CA, USA

Alternate City, State, Region, Postal Code:
USA - NY - 7 Hudson Square

Date Posted:
2026-06-23

About The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company started as a cartoon studio and evolves into sports coverage and television shows. Using the company's portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services, and consumer products, Walt Disney seeks to develop creative, innovative, and profitable entertainment experiences and related products.

The Walt Disney Company Careers

Join the magical world of The Walt Disney Company, a place where dreams come true and imagination meets innovation. As a global leader in entertainment and media, we offer unparalleled job opportunities that invite you to be part of a beloved brand known for its influential culture, diversity, and dynamic growth. Work You’ll Do Embark on a career journey with The Walt Disney Company and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of media and entertainment. Engage in work that matters, contributes to storytelling excellence, and brings joy to millions around the globe. Transform your professional life by joining a team that values creativity, leadership, and visionary thinking. The Walt Disney Company stands at the forefront of industry innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in entertainment and beyond. Lead with us from a unique position in the marketplace, where your skills in technology, creativity, and management converge to create extraordinary experiences. Collaborate with a diverse group of talented professionals, united in their passion for delivering magical experiences. Our team at The Walt Disney Company is composed of over 200,000 dedicated individuals who thrive in an environment that fosters growth, mentorship, and innovation. Introducing The Walt Disney Company Leadership and Professional Growth Programs We are committed to developing leaders who can navigate the challenges of the digital era and drive success across our various business segments. Our leadership programs are designed to hone your skills and prepare you for executive roles within the company. Do Innovative Work Join our team and contribute to projects that redefine the entertainment landscape. From groundbreaking films and television series to pioneering technological advancements, your work at The Walt Disney Company will set new standards in the creative and business worlds. Be Part of a Great Team Experience a culture that is inclusive, collaborative, and forward-thinking. Work alongside the best in the business and see how diversity and inclusion fuel our creativity and success. The Walt Disney Company’s commitment to a diverse workforce is evident in our hiring practices, training programs, and our everyday operations. Future-Proof Your Career With a wide array of benefits, continuous learning opportunities, and a network of supportive colleagues, your career at The Walt Disney Company is equipped for longevity and success. Our benefits package includes comprehensive health care, employee discounts, and access to exclusive company events and previews. Explore Job Opportunities and Internships Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking for your next challenge or a student seeking a transformative internship, The Walt Disney Company offers positions across a spectrum of fields and disciplines. Explore our career portal to find job opportunities that match your skills and passions. Stay Connected Join Our Team Search open positions, apply through our streamlined application process, and take the first step towards a magical career. We look for individuals who are passionate, curious, and eager to contribute to our legacy of storytelling and innovation. Keep Up to Date Stay informed with the latest company news, career tips, and insider perspectives—all from the people who make The Walt Disney Company a place of inspiration and excitement. Job Alert Emails Customize your subscription to receive job alerts and updates that align with your career interests. Discover the exciting and rewarding opportunities that await at The Walt Disney Company. Join us, and be part of the magic that only happens here at The Walt Disney Company!
Learn more about The Walt Disney Company
Size
190,000 employees
Market Cap
$155.1 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$4.9 billion
Founded
1923
5 Year Trend
+3.9%
Revenue
$60.7 billion
NASDAQ

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