Vice President - Network Operations

On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also transforming Disney’s media business for the future. Whether that’s evolving our streaming and digital products in new and immersive ways, powering worldwide advertising and distribution to maximize flexibility and efficiency, or delivering Disney’s unmatched entertainment and sports content, every day is a moment to make a difference to partners and to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

A few reasons why we think you’d love working for Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology:

• Building the future of Disney’s media business: DE&E Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power Disney’s media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.
• Reach & Scale: The products and platforms this group builds and operates delight millions of consumers every minute of every day – from Disney+ and Hulu, to ABC News and Entertainment, to ESPN and ESPN+, and much more.
• Innovation: We develop and execute groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news.

Content Operations is ultimately responsible for successfully delivering Disney’s entertainment and sports content to millions of people every day. This involves developing, operating, and managing a global content supply chain – the myriad of steps involved from taking a finalized TV show/movie, or live piece of content, from inside Disney to audiences around the globe, in their preferred language and format. This team also manages technology operations in Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Job Summary:

The Vice president, Network Operations is the senior executive in the Network Operations pillar within the Platform and Media Technical Operations. The VP leads a team located in two locations within the US, Bristol, CT and The Woodlands, TX. The team has direct oversight of TWDCs critical on-air linear network live and server-based playout operations. This work is foundational to the success of content distribution across Disney’s linear networks to consumers throughout the US receiving content on cable, over-the-air and streaming. Those properties include the ABC national feeds, owned and affiliated television, Disney and National Geographic/FX cable channel families, the entire bouquet of ESPN networks. The VP leads communication and coordination with other senior business leaders, department heads and business critical vendors to align on business priorities. They create operational roadmaps to expand the level of operational excellence and efficiency expected for our most critical on-air properties. 

The VP will be leading a team of 300 specialists responsible for final network presentation. This includes maintaining an exceptional level of delivery reliability, high level of quality, keeping networks on time, adding network level graphics, compressions, rundowns, and event integration for live events as well as ensuring the reliable delivery of ad inventory that is of paramount importance to our business and that of our commercial partners. The VP will develop a strong team environment that takes pride and ownership of their ability to deliver Disney’s most important content and collaborates willingly and often with teams to execute upon commitments. The VP will be accountable for developing and maintaining a robust recovery mechanism along with appropriate escalation procedures for content impacting outages and for recognizing near term operational efficiency opportunities. The VP will be accountable for consolidating operations in two locations, embracing technology to develop workflows that create a streamlined operation able to deliver across a range of complex networks, from the most important and complex sporting event or awards show to more simple events.

The VP reports to the SVP, Platform and Media Technical Operations, and collaborates with leadership teams across the organization to understand overall company priorities and direction. He or she will develop a good understanding of the overall objectives of the pilar and take part in vigorous conversations driving the direction of the group.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:

• Responsible for all linear network related operations of Disney Entertainment and ESPN linear networks and media pipelines for content acquisition on the entertainment networks
• 24/7 operation with high profile events around the clock, requires focus as events happen and could be at any time or day throughout the year
• Understands business objectives related to content strategy and aligns operational workflows to stay ahead of the growth
• Creates roadmaps to consolidate disparate workflows with an eye towards creating more streamlined and repeatable solutions
• Create an environment of collaboration and ownership among a team that is uniquely positioned to affect Disney content to consumers
• Focuses on operational excellence and builds a team that embraces the challenge of delivering reliably around the clock throughout the calendar year
• Ensures Business Continuity of all networks and platforms are in place and able to perform at a moment’s notice
• Works with Engineering leadership to understand new technologies and how they may benefit the operation
• Evaluates performance of management staff and operational teams and provides direction for performance improvement while rewarding great performance  
• Oversight of budgets and recommendations for Capital and Operational budgets
• Develops strong relationships with our HR, ER Legal and Finance team for staffing concerns, changes, and new considerations
• Guides the development of management staff through mentoring, coaching and critical and positive feedback
• Builds critical relationships throughout the business and with outside vendors to ensure and understanding of strategy and opportunities within the industry 

Required Education, Experience/Skills/Training:

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of experience in the broadcast, streaming, or high-tech industry 
• Minimum 10 years leading manager level staff 
• Extensive knowledge of the workings of an advanced Network Operations Center
• Candidate should have a proven track record of leadership, creativity, innovation, operational excellence and risk-taking
• Ability to react quickly and effectively to issues that arise whether they are air affecting, scheduling, customer related, etc. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Major market experience at content provider, distribution facility or transport vendor.
• Major market level at the Network Level with roles within the operations environments including live event playout integration, Master Control, server playout, global distribution and Media capture.

Required Education  

• College, technical or trade school, or military leadership competencies, and/or equivalent experience preferred.