The Walt Disney Company

Software Engineer II, AI Performance

The Walt Disney Company$123K — $165K *
Information Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 3+ years in backend and data pipeline engineering with scalable APIs (e.g., FastAPI, Flask)
  • Experience with distributed processing tools (e.g., PySpark, SQL, Pandas, Databricks, Snowflake)
  • Knowledge of model evaluation concepts (precision, recall, model drift)
  • Hands-on with development best practices (GitHub, Docker, AWS/EKS)
  • Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code)
  • Strong analytical skills for telemetry data interpretation
  • Excellent communication for cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

  • Design and maintain automated feedback pipelines correlating operational outcomes to AI predictions
  • Develop frameworks to evaluate model precision, recall, and drift, including alert thresholds
  • Build data pipelines connecting AI outputs with incident lifecycles and business metrics
  • Design scalable APIs and dashboards for presenting AI performance to stakeholders
  • Create mechanisms to gather user feedback for model improvement.

Benefits

  • Health insurance including medical and dental
  • Retirement plans with employer contributions
  • Paid time off and holiday leave
  • Employee discounts on Disney products and services
  • Opportunities for professional development and training.
Full Job Description

Job Posting Title:

Software Engineer II, AI Performance

Req ID:

Job Description:

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology

Product Engineering is a unified team responsible for the engineering of Disney Entertainment & ESPN digital and streaming products and platforms. This includes product engineering, media engineering, quality assurance, engineering behind personalization, commerce, lifecycle, and identity.

The Observability & Insights group ensures that Disney Streaming’s distributed systems are reliable, performant, and transparent. We build the telemetry, dashboards, alerting, insights pipelines, and developer experience tooling that enable engineers across the organization to understand system health and take action quickly.

Job Summary:

As a Software Engineer II on the Reliability Insights team, you will design and build data and reporting pipelines that evaluate and prove the real-world performance, precision, and business impact of Disney’s operational AI and observability tools. You will bridge backend engineering and data-driven insights, transforming raw telemetry, AI agent interactions, and operational logs into clear metrics around AI reliability, model drift, and incident mitigation.  

In this role, you will build automated ground-truth pipelines and model evaluation frameworks that quantify how effectively AI agents and anomaly models perform in production. You will capture end user feedback, correlate AI signals with incident resolution timelines (e.g., Mean Time to Mitigation), and build single pane dashboards for engineering and leadership. Partnering closely with SRE, product, and platform engineering teams, you will eliminate visibility gaps, reduce alert noise, and establish clear standards for AI model performance across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN.

Responsibilities:

  • Design, build, and maintain automated feedback pipelines that capture operational outcomes (confirmed incidents, false positives, dismissed alerts) and correlate them directly back to AI model predictions and agent actions.
  • Develop programmatic evaluation frameworks to track model precision, recall, and drift over time, establishing automated threshold alerts to proactively trigger model tuning and prevent alert fatigue.
  • Build end-to-end data pipelines linking AI outputs to incident lifecycles, quantifying business impact through metrics such as Service to Incident correlation, notification success rates, and Mean Time to Mitigation (MTTM).
  • Design and deploy scalable APIs, metrics layers, and single-pane model health dashboards that present clear AI ROI, operational health, and performance narratives to leadership and technical stakeholders.
  • Build mechanisms to capture structured feedback from end users to continuously feed real-world usage signals back into model improvement cycles.

Basic Qualifications:

  • 3+ years of applicable experience in backend and data pipeline engineering, including building scalable APIs (e.g., FastAPI, Flask) and metrics/insight generation platforms.
  • Strong experience with data platform engineering and distributed processing tools (e.g., PySpark, SQL, Pandas, Databricks, Snowflake) to process and analyze telemetry data.
  • Practical understanding of model evaluation concepts, such as precision, recall, model drift, and ground-truth labeling systems.
  • Hands-on experience with modern development practices, including version control (GitHub), containerization (Docker), and cloud-native deployments (AWS/EKS).
  • Proficiency with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code) to accelerate engineering velocity.
  • Strong analytical skills to translate complex system telemetry and operational logs into meaningful reliability metrics and business insights.
  • Excellent cross-functional collaboration and communication skills, with a track record of partnering with operational teams (SRE, DevOps) to turn raw data into actionable insights.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with observability, telemetry, and monitoring platforms (e.g., Datadog, Grafana, Conviva).
  • Familiarity with agentic workflows and foundation models (e.g., GPT-4, Claude) and how to evaluate their output accuracy.
  • Knowledge of incident management workflows and SRE metrics (e.g., MTTR, MTTD, alert suppression).
  • Prior experience working on data attribution, metrics aggregation, or financial/performance visibility tooling in high scale environments.

 

Education

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience

#TECHATDISNEY

The hiring range for this position in New York, NY is $123,000 to $165,000 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:

PE - Sports, News & Entertainment, Tech Enablement

Job Posting Primary Business:

PE - Sports, News & Entertainment, Enablement - News & Entertainment Engineering

Primary Job Posting Category:

Software Engineer

Employment Type:

Full time

Primary City, State, Region, Postal Code:

New York, NY, USA

Alternate City, State, Region, Postal Code:

Date Posted:

2026-09-18

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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