Manager, Machine Learning Engineering - Ad Platforms

Manager, Machine Learning Engineering - Ad Platforms Job ID: 10152782 Location: Seattle, Washington / Santa Monica, California Business: Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology Date posted: Jun. 03, 2026 Job Summary Our Ad Platforms organization builds a high-performance, distributed, microservice-based advertising platform across Disney’s online properties including Hulu and ESPN+. The mission of this role is to advance AI and machine learning capabilities, delivering scalable, high-impact AI/ML solutions that enhance ad serving and contribute to the business’s overall performance. This position offers a unique leadership opportunity for an experienced ML/AI and people leader who thrives at the intersection of technical excellence, strategic impact, and cross‑functional collaboration. Responsibilities and Duties Lead, mentor and guide Data Scientists, Machine Learning and AI engineers to build solutions adhering to industry best practices and deliver scalable solutions including model architecture and algorithm selection. Lead by example and strive to improve design for more scalable, cleaner, and decoupled implementations. Drive adoption of best practices in model development, code quality, testing, and documentation. Maintain a solid understanding and usage of automated AI tools while adhering to company policy. Define strategic direction for machine learning projects and collaborate with product and engineering stakeholders. Oversee end‑to‑end machine learning workflow, including data collection, model development, deployment and monitoring, aligned with the larger platform strategy. Foster innovation by exploring new ML techniques, tools, and technologies. Communicate strategies, progress, and results to leadership and cross‑functional teams. Ensure responsible AI practices, including fairness, explainability, and compliance with privacy and ethical standards. Develop partnerships across the organization to identify and prioritize high‑impact ML opportunities. Participate in on‑call rotations based on the team’s escalation policy and support schedule for ML/AI solutions. Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics, statistics, or a related field. 8+ years of relevant industry experience, with at least 2–3 years in a people‑management or technical leadership role. Proven ability to translate business problems into scalable ML and GenAI solutions with deep understanding of machine learning fundamentals, deep learning, and statistical modeling. Experience designing, building, and deploying scalable machine learning models and systems in production. Experience deploying ML/GenAI systems at scale using cloud platforms and MLOps practices. Advanced programming proficiency (e.g., Python, Java) and experience with ML/DL frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, or Hugging Face. Experience building, fine‑tuning, evaluating, and deploying LLM‑based systems (e.g., RAG, prompt engineering, model optimization). Demonstrated ability to lead global teams and collaborate across organizational boundaries. Preferred Qualifications Domain knowledge in the Ad Tech industry. Experience working with large‑scale data and distributed systems. Knowledge of cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure) and MLOps pipelines. Track record of innovation and contributions to the ML/AI community (publications, talks, open source). Compensation The hiring range for this position in Los Angeles, CA is $171,600 – $230,100 per year and in Seattle is $179,700 – $241,000. Base pay will be determined by internal equity and may vary based on location, knowledge, skills, and experience. A bonus and/or long‑term incentive units may be provided, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and other benefits. Equal Opportunity Employer Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world. Disability Accommodation For Employment Applications The Walt Disney Company and its Affiliated Companies are Equal Employment Opportunity employers and welcome all job seekers including individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or apply for a position, email View email address on click.appcast.io with your request. This email address is not for general employment inquiries or correspondence. We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability. #J-18808-Ljbffr