Manager, Software Engineering

Manager, Software Engineering

At Disney Experiences Technology, our team creates world-class immersive digital experiences for the Company's premier vacation brands including Disney's Parks & Resorts worldwide, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, and Disney Vacation Club. The Disney Experiences Technology team is responsible for the end-to-end digital and physical Guest experience for all technology and digital-led initiatives across the Attractions & Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Resorts & Transportation, and Merchandise lines of business as well as other initiatives including the MyDisneyExperience app and Hey, Disney!

Disney's supply chain operations depend on a portfolio of warehouse management and execution systems that move all merchandise, food, costuming, general supplies, network technology, and central shops product across Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

The best leaders here bring deep technical credibility, a talent for growing people, and the drive to make complex systems work seamlessly behind the magic. If you thrive at the intersection of engineering leadership, operational excellence, and innovation—this role is for you.

The Manager, Software Engineering leads the engineering team responsible for delivering, sustaining, and continuously improving those systems, with direct accountability for Blue Yonder WMS, Oracle Retail WMS, and the automation and execution platforms connected to them.

1. Lead and develop a team of software and systems engineers, in addition to external contractors and vendor resources; setting high standards for quality, ownership, and growth.
2. Own delivery and sustainment of Blue Yonder WMS, Oracle Retail WMS, and connected warehouse automation and execution platforms.
3. Build and drive a world-class support roadmap; own SLA performance, lead incident response, and ensure thorough root-cause resolution.
4. Manage capital and operating budgets in MyPPM; build business cases, run RFPs, and lead Annual Operating Plan cycles with Finance and Program partners.
5. Oversee third-party vendor relationships; hold partners to contracted KPIs, manage SOWs, and lead negotiations and performance reviews.
6. Evaluate commercial off-the-shelf vs. custom solutions; lead fit-gap analysis and recommend approaches based on total cost of ownership, integration complexity, and long-term fit.
7. Define and track system health metrics using visualization tools; drive on-time, in-scope delivery across sustainment and enhancement workstreams.
8. Champion AI tool adoption across the full development lifecycle; stay ahead of emerging technologies and translate them into team capability.
9. Lead architecture and design reviews; ensure solutions are secure, compliant, and built to scale.
10. Communicate delivery status, system health, financials, and risks clearly to Director- and VP-level stakeholders.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Minimum 8+ years of experience across the software development lifecycle in enterprise environments.
• 4+ years leading software engineering or systems teams.
• Deep understanding of Object-Oriented Analysis, Design, and Development; experience with Java/J2EE and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Experience across the full software delivery lifecycle, including web, mobile, backend, and multi-vendor environments.
• Proven track record owning production systems: SLA accountability, incident response, and reliability improvement.
• Experience managing third-party vendors and delivery partners, including SOW oversight and performance accountability.
• Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools and governing AI adoption across a team.
• Agile delivery experience: design, development, CI/CD, testing, and deployment.
• Strong communicator; comfortable presenting to executives and collaborating with vendor PMs in complex, matrixed organizations.
• A visionary leader who motivates teams, fosters creativity, and drives excellence.
• Champion of diverse, inclusive teams where every member feels a sense of belonging.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with Blue Yonder WMS or a comparable enterprise WMS platform.
• Background in warehouse, supply chain, or inventory systems (inbound, outbound, inventory movement).
• Cloud platform experience at enterprise scale; GCP a plus, AWS and Azure also valued.
• Familiarity with LLMs, generative AI, or AI-assisted development workflows.
• Experience running global or follow-the-sun support models.
• Familiarity with open systems architecture and managed service contract structures.

Required Education:

• Bachelor's or foreign equivalent degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software, Electrical or Electronics Engineering, or comparable field of study, and/or equivalent work experience.