Walt Disney Imagineering Studio Business Manager (Project Hire)

About the Role & Team

Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative force that imagines, designs, and brings to life all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, and cruise ships worldwide. Working across a spectrum of disciplines that range from creative and conceptual to scientific and technical, Imagineers blend an innovative mixture of storytelling, art, science, and technology to create immersive experiences, memorable destinations, and innovative entertainment for families around the globe.

Nearly every project at Walt Disney Imagineering includes a first-of-its-kind. Innovation is in our DNA, and Imagineers constantly push the boundaries of technology and invent new goals as well as the solutions to achieve them. As Imagineers, one of our greatest rewards is knowing that the experiences and environments we create inspire others. The diversity of expertise at Imagineering makes us uniquely capable of influencing positive change in our communities and around the world. And knowing that we have helped make a difference is incredibly fulfilling and inspiring for all of us.

You will report to the Design & Planning Business Operations Manager.
 

This is a 2 1/2-year Project Hire position with no guarantee of permanent placement.

What You Will Do

The Design and Planning (D+P) Studio Business Manager will partner with project leaders to implement project and studio design strategies. The successful candidate will provide project and studio executives with financial guidance that enhances business outcomes. Responsibilities include collaborating and influencing multiple partners, including finance, business development and project managers, architects, engineers, designers, planners, and producers – delivering plans and establishing standard processes that achieve short- and long-term strategic goals.

• Provide financial guidance that improves spending towards the achievement of strategic goals.

• Develop actionable work plans that move internal projects efficiently toward successful completion.

• Organize sophisticated or minimally defined project scope into implementable phases.

• Lead the work-plan process for internal projects (development, submittal, approval, and tracking) ensuring the project focus, turning points, and spending are collected completely and aligned with department priorities/funding.

• Integrate historical project data and analytics into planning processes and create visualization tools to support this effort

• Collaborate with design and functional managers to coordinate alignment between resource plans and project needs.

• Support project teams and design managers throughout early project estimating cycles, including RFP input preparation.

• Standardize and implement project organizational change and Earned Value processes.

• Proactively collaborate with project teams to ensure smooth execution. Actively identify and resolve risk elements that could affect the schedule and budget.

• Produce ongoing financial, risk, and development reports to status the health and progress of each project towards its goals, in partnership with Project Finance and key internal partners.

• Translate, support, and effectively communicate studio strategies and organizational needs to the finance organization.

• Work with the Sourcing & Procurement department to establish and maintain vendor contracts.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• 3+ years of relevant experience

• Strong background in Engineering, Business, or Finance related positions.

• Proven ability to translate high-level vision/scope descriptions into actionable plans.

• An understanding of the business of design.

• Ability to distill sophisticated information, including financial details, into engaging high-level messages accessible to a wide audience.

• Have the ability to form positive working relationships with several teams, seniority levels, and personality types.

• Curious about scope and tools outside previous experience.

• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to seamlessly manage and prioritize multiple projects and results simultaneously.

• Able to develop, maintain, and improve process and planning tools.

• Proven experience in influencing strategic direction.

• Comfortable working in a creative, fast-paced, and innovation-oriented environment.

• Able to balance competing priorities with various deadlines.

• Willing and able to quickly grasp new concepts and identify relationships of concepts to overall goals, demonstrating adaptability.

• Be a strategic thinker and present information and advance business strategies applying strong analytical skills.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

• Experience within the design or architecture field.

• Experiences with dashboard tools like Power BI or Tableau will be a plus.

• Knowledge of Walt Disney Imagineering and its essential functions or themed entertainment business experience, is desired.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, engineering, or a related strategy-based subject area is required.

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) with emphasis on estimating controls, design management, or finance Management is preferred.

Additional Information

Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits. 

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The hiring range for this position in Glendale, CA is $83,700 to $115,000 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.