Lead Software Engineer - AI/Agentic Systems

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.

Ad Platforms is responsible for Disney’s industry-leading ad technology and products – driving advertising performance, innovation, and value in Disney’s sports, news, and entertainment content, across all media platforms.

Job Summary:

As a Lead Software Engineer, you will be assuming a pivotal role within our team, helping shape the future of our AI-powered foundational services within the Quote-to-Cash space. You will be responsible for guiding the technical direction of our team and ensuring the delivery of high-quality AI solutions that meet the needs of our user base.

The ideal candidate should be proficient in Python, LangChain, SQL, Terraform, and have deep expertise designing Agentic Architectures. They must combine engineering skills with strong communication skills to work with stakeholders to turn business requirements into efficient, scalable features. 

While The Walt Disney Company is a large company, ideally, we’d like if you have some previous experience in a U.S. startup environment and be comfortable performing multiple roles.  We strive to get things done quickly, at high quality, and we are committed to the agile methodology. Our work is guided by lean principles (looking at value and looking for waste; not doing anything ‘for the sake of doing it’).   

We’re looking for a passionate technical expert who wants to come here to do their very best work and make their mark, adding their chapter to the long and storied history of The Walt Disney Company.  Someone who holds themselves and their team accountable in a professional, collaborative manner.  A collaborative technologist who seeks to bring the best out in themselves and their team.  Someone who can provide guidance, a fresh perspective, and innovative insight into our initiatives.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of autonomous agents using Python, LangChain, and related ecosystems (e.g., LlamaIndex, LangGraph).

• Architect and implement agentic patterns such as ReAct, Reflexion, and Agentic Reflective Loops, ensuring robust inter-agent communication (e.g., MCP, A2A).

• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and engineers to translate user needs into scalable, high-quality solutions.

• Champion software engineering best practices, including CI/CD, testing, observability, and responsible AI behavior.

• Guide and mentor engineers, conduct technical reviews, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

• Author and review technical proposals, root cause analyses, and maintain clear documentation.

• Stay current with emerging technologies and integrate innovative approaches into the development process.

Required Experience:  

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

• 7+ years of experience in software engineering, with a strong background in web application development and modern frameworks.

• Deep expertise in Python, FastAPI/Django, and autonomous agent frameworks.

• Proficient in SQL/NoSQL databases (e.g., Postgres), vector stores (e.g., FAISS, Pinecone), and RAG pipelines.

• Familiarity with LLM evaluation tools (e.g., LangSmith, TruLens), prompt testing, and AI observability.

• Experience with containerization (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes), and cloud platforms (AWS).

• Strong communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills.

• Proven ability to align technical decisions with business goals and foster a culture of engineering excellence.

Preferred Experience:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related technical discipline is highly desirable 

• Experience creating performant User Interfaces leveraging HTML/CSS/JS and React or other frameworks 

• Previous work experience in digital advertising 

• Strong curiosity about how Disney delivers the Magic and a desire to be a part of it 

#DISNEYTECH

The hiring range for this position in Seattle, Washington and New York, NY is $159,500 to $213,900 per year. Santa Monica, CA is $152,200 to $204,100 per year, San Francisco, CA is $166,800 to $223,600 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.