Program Manager, Studio Technology Portfolio Operations

About the Role & Team

The Walt Disney Studios is a global leader in the entertainment industry, producing iconic movies, shows, and characters through Disney Motion Picture Productions, Marvel Studios, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, and Lucasfilm. Within Studio Technology, the Studio Technology and Operations Strategy and Portfolio Operations (SPO) team drives scalable, secure, and innovative solutions that power production, data, and technology ecosystems — from production technology and data systems that enable financial operations to consumer-facing applications that propel Disney’s legacy forward.

We are seeking a Program Manager to lead complex, cross-functional programs that integrate technology delivery, AI-enabled workflows, and financial value realization. This role elevates traditional project management into a strategic program leadership function focused on outcomes, operational intelligence, and business impact — combining program leadership, technical fluency, financial acumen, and AI literacy to shape the future of Disney’s iconic cinematic legacy.

What You Will Do

The Program Manager, Studio Technology Portfolio Operations will oversee a portfolio of initiatives across production support and software development teams, ensuring alignment to strategic priorities, financial outcomes, and AI-enabled operating models. Acting as a connector across engineering, product, finance, and business/production stakeholders, this role translates strategy into execution while continuously optimizing for efficiency, ROI, and scalability.

Responsibilities

Execution & Delivery

• Lead complex, cross-functional programs across the full lifecycle — intake, requirements and scope definition, planning, resource capacity allocation, execution, and post-mortem/value realization.
• Manage tasks and resources through waterfall, scrum, kanban, or hybrid methodologies; lead sprint ceremonies including planning, daily standups, reviews, and retrospectives.
• Prioritize and escalate critical operational tasks, and revise project work plans as business needs and priorities evolve.
• Work with managers to assign day-to-day activities, remove blockers, and maximize team throughput and resource utilization.

Metrics & Insight

• Define and track program-level success metrics tied to business outcomes, financial performance, and adoption — not just delivery milestones.
• Determine and track the portfolio of products and services that align to the offerings of Studio Technology to its end stakeholders (i.e., productions, Corporate, or other Disney groups).
• Design and maintain real-time program and KPI dashboards (e.g., Power BI, vibe-coded dashboards, JIRA) using modern analytics and AI-assisted tools to provide operational intelligence to leadership.
• Conduct portfolio reviews that give executive leadership visibility into progress, risk, portfolio/project health, and resource utilization.
• Create workflow diagrams and process maps to identify inefficiencies and streamline operations.

Stakeholder & Change Management

• Partner with product, engineering, finance, and business leaders to translate strategic objectives into scalable program roadmaps and prioritized initiatives.
• Facilitate key program ceremonies and leadership reviews, ensuring clarity, accountability, and alignment across teams.
• Develop executive-level communications — presentations, business cases, and technology roadmaps — to support decision-making.
• Mentor and guide project managers and team members, elevating program management maturity and best practices across the organization.

Governance & Quality

• Manage interdependencies and complex risk scenarios across teams and initiatives; develop contingency plans and strategic risk assessments.
• Organize and maintain project documentation, governance artifacts, and reporting standards in a clear, accessible manner.
• Support quarterly planning, OKRs, and portfolio prioritization, ensuring alignment with business goals, technology strategy, and resource capacity.

Financial Acumen

• Drive financial planning and governance across programs, including budget management, forecasting, cost optimization, and ROI tracking.
• Connect program investments to measurable value, enabling data-driven decision-making and transparency for leadership.

AI Workflow Management

• Establish and evolve AI-enabled workflows, including integration of LLM-powered tools, automation agents, and intelligent dashboards.
• Design prompt frameworks and oversee AI governance practices — output validation, bias mitigation, and continuous improvement of AI systems.
• Partner with technology teams on AI integrations and manage adoption/rollout of new AI-enabled process agents.

Required Qualifications & Skills

Basic Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in program/project management, technical project management, or product operations, utilizing waterfall and agile methodologies.
• 5+ years managing a diverse portfolio of complex, cross-functional programs across multiple teams and technologies, including data-focused and production-oriented initiatives.
• Demonstrated leadership managing cross-functional technical teams (e.g., architects, infrastructure/data engineers, software developers, site reliability engineers, storage engineers, audio/visual or post-production engineers).
• Demonstrated ability to manage financial aspects of programs, including budgeting, forecasting, and ROI analysis.
• Experience leveraging data, analytics, and/or AI tools to improve operational efficiency and decision-making.
• Expert in project management and ticketing tools (e.g., Jira, Jira Service Manager, Smartsheet) and process mapping tools (e.g., Lucidchart).
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and meeting facilitation skills; ability to work under pressure while managing multiple priorities in a fast-changing environment.
• Exceptional written, oral, and visual communication skills, with demonstrated ability to present programs and business cases to executives.

Tools & Technologies

• Program & Agile: Jira, Jira Service Manager, Smartsheet, Airtable
• Collaboration & Visualization: Microsoft Teams, Miro, Lucidchart
• Analytics & AI: Power BI, Cursor, Claude or similar AI-assisted platforms, dashboarding tools
• Productivity: Microsoft Office Suite, Atlassian Suite

Core Competencies

• Delivery Discipline: Proven ability to drive end-to-end execution and adapt plans to changing business needs.
• Data Literacy & Insight: Strong capability interpreting analytics and AI-generated insights and translating them into actionable strategy.
• AI Fluency: Ability to leverage AI tools (LLMs, automation agents) to enhance delivery, reporting, and decision-making.
• Financial Acumen: Experience managing budgets, forecasting, and connecting program spend to business value and ROI.
• High EQ & Stakeholder Management: Builds cross-team trust, communicates clearly, and drives change adoption.
• Risk Judgment & Governance: Establishes scalable governance models that balance speed, quality, and compliance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in media, entertainment, or production environments.
• Experience working with AI products, data platforms, or advanced analytics initiatives.
• Certifications such as PMP, Certified Scrum Master (CSM), or SAFe.
• Consulting experience.

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Business, or a related technical discipline.

PAY TRANSPARENCY

The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA is $131,000.00-$176,000.00 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.

This position is with Walt Disney Pictures, which is part of a business we call The Walt Disney Studios.

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Walt Disney Pictures is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. 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.

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