Director of Product, News & Entertainment Growth

Job Summary:

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally. 

The team marries technology with creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world.  

Here are a few reasons why we think you’d love working here: 

Building the future of Disney’s media:  Our Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come. 

Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disney’s technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the company’s brands and stories. Disney+. Hulu. ESPN. ABC. ABC News…and many more. These products and brands – and the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry – matter to millions of people globally.  

Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms, and solve complex and distinctive technical problems. 

Product Management is responsible for driving the overall user experience, feature strategies and concepts, and engagement paradigms for Disney Entertainment & ESPN's global portfolio of consumer-facing streaming and digital products – including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, ABC, ABC News, Nat Geo, Marvel, and Star Wars. 

We are looking for a Director, News & Entertainment Growth Products to lead the product strategy across user journey, messaging and algorithmic consumer experiences to drive acquisition and retention across the News & Entertainment portfolio. This role reports to the VP of Product Management, News & Entertainment and leads a team of product managers.

You will define the vision and roadmap for the growth that powers how we understand and drive user reach, engagement and retention for our audiences — from advancing our lifecycle messaging to optimizing more direct relationships for our users, and so much more. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role at the intersection of consumer experience, engineering, data science, programming & editorial, and marketing.

Responsibilities

• Define the long-term product vision, roadmap, and OKRs for growing reach and deepening engagement to drive loyalty across the News & Entertainment portfolio

• Lead and develop a team of product managers; provide coaching, career development, and clear direction

• Drive the strategy for driving direct 1:1 relationships with users, enabling more relevant and engaging content experiences for our audiences across brands that drive our OKRs around habituation and stickiness

• Oversee audience messaging across email, push, and in-app channels across portfolio so our users get the right messages and the right time - whether those messages are editorially-driven or programmatic

• Lead development of personalized consumer experiences across our product suite to deepen relevance 

• Define how we use data signals in our user experiences to improve targeting, timing, and relevance and drive users further into their user journey 

• Evolve our experimentation culture across News & Entertainment in partnership with our Platform teams  — making it easier for teams to test, learn, and iterate quickly

• Identify and prioritize cross-brand needs across the portfolio, advocating for the infrastructure investments that enable better product decisions

• Partner closely with cross functional teams internal to Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology and Product as well as end creative stakeholders 

Basic Qualifications

• 12+ years of product management experience, with a track record of leading complex, cross-functional initiatives

• Background in consumer products at scale, ideally worked in news products or storytelling experiences

• Proven experience managing and developing teams of product managers

• Deep expertise in driving product acquisition and retention strategies and experience in driving growth through key levers i.e. personalization, experimentation and A/B testing, CRM/lifecycle messaging, or data products

• Strong analytical instincts — you define KPIs, understand data, and make decisions grounded in evidence

• Demonstrated ability to define and execute product strategy in ambiguous, high-stakes environments

• Exceptional communication and influence skills; comfortable navigating complex, matrixed organizations

• Experience in consumer digital media, streaming, or entertainment

• Passion for news, entertainment, or media and creating transformative user experiences at scale

Education

• Bachelor's degree required; any field of study considered

The hiring range for this position in New York, NY is $217,300 to $291,500 per year and in Glendale, CA is $207,400 to $278,100 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.