Senior Manager, Network Product Engineering & Operations

Senior Manager, Network Product Engineering & Operations At Disney, we’re storytellers. We make the impossible, possible. The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) is a world‑class entertainment and technological leader. We strive to continuously envision new ways to move audiences around the world, creating unforgettable experiences across theme parks, resorts, cruise line, sports, news, movies, and a variety of other businesses. Team Description Reporting to the Director of Network Engineering & Operations within Global Network Engineering & Operations (GNEO), this role sits at the intersection of cutting‑edge technology and world‑class storytelling. The Senior Manager leads the engineering and delivery of high‑performance network solutions that power dynamic media workflows – from live broadcast and streaming platforms to film production and post‑production environments. Your team designs, architect, deploys, and operates network services that function as critical products, purpose‑built to support Disney’s global media businesses. What You’ll Do Lead high‑performing teams of managers, senior engineers, and architects, providing hands‑on leadership and product vision for network platforms critical to Disney’s media, broadcast, studio, and production operations. Own end‑to‑end product life cycle for network platforms, developing long‑term vision, roadmaps, and ensuring successful execution from strategy through deployment, operations, and improvement. Integrate deep domain knowledge and customer empathy, balancing creative, editorial, technical, and business requirements to evolve differentiated network products that drive value and competitive advantage. Establish and monitor clear platform SLAs, KPIs, and business outcomes; lead regular reviews to adjust strategy and tactics for optimal value. Champion a product mindset within the organization, fostering continuous improvement, innovation, and delivering compelling user and business experiences. Provide architectural leadership for scalable, reusable, and resilient network solutions across on‑premises, hybrid, cloud, and edge environments. Advance the use of NetDevOps, automation, and AI/ML to streamline operations, enhance product capabilities, and drive efficiency and reliability, leveraging Python, Ansible, Terraform, Git, APIs, and CI/CD. Collaborate closely with Studio, Media Engineering, TV Production, ESPN, ABC, OTV, NatGeo, Product, Security, and Operations teams to align network product strategy with content workflows, user needs, and enterprise initiatives. Oversee and influence technology vendors and partners; negotiate contracts and renewals; drive continuous improvement in capabilities and support. Own financial performance of network products – budget development, forecasting, procurement, and investment planning. Ensure network platform security and compliance, embedding robust requirements and controls throughout the product life cycle. Act as the senior technical escalation point for production incidents and service issues, maintaining operational excellence, minimizing downtime, and driving lessons learned into product enhancements. Required Qualifications & Skills 10+ years of progressive experience in network engineering with deep expertise in modern operations, automation, and platform‑based service delivery. 5+ years of experience leading high‑performing engineering teams, managing managers and senior engineers in complex, mission‑critical, 24×7 operational environments. Demonstrated architectural ownership and influence for large‑scale network platforms, shaping designs, standards, and patterns across teams and business units. Proven experience owning or co‑owning network platforms as products, including roadmap definition, prioritization, delivery, operations, and lifecycle management. Strong understanding of media, studio, broadcast, streaming, and production technologies, including live production, post‑production workflows, contribution and distribution networks, and latency‑sensitive systems. Hands‑on experience designing and operating broadcast‑grade, high‑availability, low‑latency networks where uptime, determinism, and rapid recovery are critical to on‑air and production success. Ability to operate under production and broadcast deadlines, balancing innovation with operational stability and reliability. Hands‑on experience with NetDevOps and infrastructure‑as‑code practices, including Python, Ansible, Terraform, Git, CI/CD pipelines, and network APIs. Experience applying automation, analytics, and AI/ML to network operations, including performance optimization, anomaly detection, predictive capacity planning, and intelligent remediation. Strong understanding of AI‑driven operations and observability to improve reliability, efficiency, and decision‑making in complex network environments. Ability to translate creative, editorial, and business requirements into scalable, resilient network capabilities that directly support studio, production, and broadcast workflows. Experience designing and operating hybrid on‑premises, cloud, and edge network environments supporting global media production and content distribution. Experience partnering with Architecture, Media Engineering, Product, Security, and Operations teams to align platform delivery with long‑term strategy. Demonstrated ownership of budgets, forecasting, and multi‑year investment planning for network platforms and services. Proven ability to manage technology vendors and partners, influencing roadmaps to align with evolving production, studio, and broadcast requirements. Excellent communication and stakeholder‑management skills, engaging effectively across engineering, creative, and business leaders. Strong leadership presence, sound judgment, and ability to make high‑impact technical and operational decisions in ambiguous, high‑pressure environments. Preferred Qualifications Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline. Certifications: JNCIA‑Junos, JNCIA‑MistAI, JNCIA‑SEC, ACE‑A, PCCSA, PCNSA, PCNSE, CCNA, CCNP, BIG‑IP, DDI Professional. Past experience with live event, post‑production, creative, broadcast, or VFX environments. Required Education Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Network Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or comparable field of study, and/or equivalent work experience. Hiring range for this position in New York, NY is $197,400 to $264,700 per year. The base pay offered will consider internal equity and may vary based on geographic region, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. A bonus and/or long‑term incentive units may be available in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and other benefits. 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 to search for a job opening or apply for a position, please visit the Disney candidate disability accommodations FAQs. We will respond only to requests related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability. #J-18808-Ljbffr