The Walt Disney Company

Senior Software Engineer

The Walt Disney Company$148K — $199K *
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in software engineering, cloud engineering, or technical FinOps roles
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field
  • Experience mentoring junior engineers
  • Strong hands-on knowledge of AWS services and cloud technologies
  • Proficient in Python and SQL; experience with production data pipelines
  • Familiarity with cloud cost management and billing data
  • Excellent communication skills for cross-functional collaboration

Responsibilities

  • Design and maintain AI-driven cost intelligence platforms
  • Own deployment patterns for production services including CI/CD
  • Build and maintain cost data pipelines for billing and usage data
  • Extend tracking capabilities for AI and ML workloads
  • Implement optimization automation for cloud resources
  • Mentor junior engineers and evolve team engineering practices
  • Collaborate with multiple teams to integrate cost awareness into workflows
  • Define and track key engineering performance indicators

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, financial, and other benefits
  • Full range of support depending on level and position
  • Bonus and/or long-term incentive opportunities
  • Opportunities for professional development and training
  • Collaborative work environment within a renowned company
Full Job Description
Job Posting Title:
Senior Software Engineer

Req ID:


Job Description:

The Business Operations team helps guide and articulate technology strategy and research, and is responsible for driving the day-to-day operation of the Product & Technology organization, including: project and portfolio management and tracking; organization-level capital, space, and resource management and allocation; process management; technical incident management; and our administrative and workplace experience support team.

Disney's DE&E Cost Management team manages one of the largest and most complex cloud and technology spend portfolios in the entertainment industry, spanning AWS, GCP, Azure, and a broad ecosystem of enterprise software vendors. As a Senior Software Engineer, you will build and operate the data infrastructure, automation, and AI-driven tooling that gives Disney's engineering and finance leaders real-time visibility into a large-scale annual cloud and technology portfolio.

This is a senior individual-contributor role for an engineer who understands cloud infrastructure, billing data, data platforms, and applied AI. You will help turn complex cost signals into trusted, actionable intelligence at Disney scale, design and build internal FinOps engineering platforms, mentor junior engineers, and serve as a go-to technical resource for cost visibility, attribution, and optimization across DE&E.

Responsibilities:
  • Design, build, and maintain AI-driven cost intelligence platforms, contributing to architecture decisions for retrieval-augmented generation workflows, evaluation and quality frameworks, guardrails, rate limiting, secure access patterns, and cross-account model integration.
  • Own deployment and infrastructure patterns for production services, including containerized workloads, CI/CD pipelines, secure networking, certificate management, load balancing, and reliable service delivery.
  • Design, build, and maintain cost data pipelines that ingest, transform, reconcile, and serve billing and usage data from cloud providers and enterprise software vendors, with a focus on data quality, freshness, reliability, and stakeholder trust.
  • Extend AI spend tracking and attribution capabilities as AI and machine learning workloads scale, including usage metering, cost allocation, and reporting for emerging AI services and platforms.
  • Build and maintain optimization automation for rightsizing, idle resource detection, commitment coverage monitoring, and anomaly alerting.
  • Mentor junior engineers and contribute to team engineering practices, including CI/CD standards, code review, and operational quality standards.
  • Partner with Cloud Engineering, Platform Engineering, Finance, Product, and Architecture teams to embed cost awareness into engineering workflows, developer platforms, and operational practices.
  • Define and track engineering KPIs, including pipeline reliability, data reconciliation, freshness, automation impact, and cost avoidance. Contribute engineering-driven insights to team and leadership reporting, budget cycles, and planning.


Minimum Qualifications:
  • Minimum 5 years' experience in software engineering, cloud or platform engineering, data engineering, or a technical FinOps role. In-depth expertise and a track record of independently owning programs and multiple components with minimal guidance.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software, Electrical or Electronics Engineering, or comparable field of study, and/or equivalent work experience.
  • Experience mentoring junior engineers and serving as a go-to technical resource.
  • Strong hands-on AWS experience, including containers, managed Kubernetes, CI/CD, networking, certificates, load balancing, and DNS. Familiarity with GCP and/or Azure is a plus.
  • Proficiency in Python, strong SQL skills, and experience building and operating production data pipelines using Spark, Databricks, Airflow, or equivalent technologies.
  • Hands-on experience with cloud billing data, cost management APIs, and cloud cost constructs such as compute pricing, commitment discounts, enterprise agreements, and usage-based allocation models.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to align cross-functional stakeholders and translate technical findings into clear narratives for engineering leads and finance partners.


Preferred Qualifications:
  • Production AI/ML application experience, including retrieval-augmented generation, evaluation and quality frameworks, and LLM cost or usage tracking.
  • Experience with modern infrastructure and delivery tooling, such as Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD platforms, and infrastructure as code.
  • FinOps Foundation Certified Practitioner or equivalent experience, with familiarity with cloud cost data standards and allocation practices.
  • Experience operationalizing FinOps tooling, cloud cost management platforms, and developer-facing cost visibility integrations.
  • Experience designing tagging governance frameworks at enterprise scale.
  • Background in large-scale media, streaming, or entertainment technology environments.


What does success look like?
  • AI-driven cost intelligence tooling is hardened, reliable, safely operated at scale, and adopted by engineering and finance stakeholders across DE&E.
  • Cost data pipelines run reliably, reconcile cleanly, and are trusted by finance and engineering stakeholders without manual intervention.
  • Optimization automations are live, monitored, and delivering measurable, repeatable cost avoidance.
  • Engineering teams can self-serve cost insights through reliable tooling and clear documentation, reducing ad hoc support needs.
  • The role becomes a trusted technical resource for cost attribution, anomaly detection, optimization, and infrastructure cost questions, with work that informs planning and leadership reporting.
The hiring range for this position in Seattle, WA is $148,700 - $199,400 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.

Job Posting Segment:
Business Operations

Job Posting Primary Business:
BO - Portfolio Management

Primary Job Posting Category:
Software Engineer

Employment Type:
Full time

Primary City, State, Region, Postal Code:
Seattle, WA, USA

Alternate City, State, Region, Postal Code:

Date Posted:
2026-08-20

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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