Senior Manager, Systems Engineering

Senior Manager, Systems Engineering (New Build & Dry Docks) 

The Walt Disney Company is a world-class entertainment and technological leader. Walt’s passion was to continuously envision new ways to move audiences around the world—a passion that remains our touchstone in an enterprise that stretches from theme parks, resorts and a cruise line to sports, news, movies, and a variety of other businesses. Uniting each endeavor is a commitment to creating and delivering unforgettable experiences — and we’re constantly looking for new ways to enhance these exciting experiences. Bring your individual talents here and discover for yourself why a career with Disney is the opportunity you’ve been looking for. 

This role will report to Director, Technology — DCL New Build & Dry Docks.

About the Role 

The Senior Manager, Systems Engineering for Disney Experiences is a knowledgeable specialist and strategic leader responsible for shaping and delivering the systems engineering vision that powers magical guest and crew experiences across Disney Cruise Line new builds and related vacation offerings. You will lead multiple related engineering teams, set technical direction, and ensure our platforms and infrastructure are robust, secure, and ready to support innovative, large-scale experiences at sea and on shore. 

Focused on the standup and commissioning of all infrastructure and systems for a ship’s operations, this role spans both Disney Cruise Line New Build and Dry Dock Capital efforts—partnering with key stakeholders across all departments to deliver each ship from initial concept through final installation and go-live. 

Responsibilities 

In this management role, you will provide leadership to other leaders and professional staff, developing departmental plans and priorities that align with Disney Experiences’ strategic goals and the unique demands of Disney Cruise Line new builds. You will allocate resources across multiple systems engineering teams, guide complex initiatives from concept through delivery, and mentor leaders and engineers to think strategically, collaborate effectively, and prioritize work that advances both current operations and future guest experiences. 

• Lead and mentor multiple systems engineering teams, including other managers and senior engineers, ensuring clarity of vision, priorities, and performance expectations across all work streams. 

• Define and drive systems engineering strategies and roadmaps for Disney Cruise Line new builds, connecting team responsibilities to broader Disney Experiences objectives and long-term technology evolution. 

• Develop departmental plans, set organizational priorities, and allocate budget and resources to balance near-term delivery with strategic investments in infrastructure, reliability, and security. Own the financial planning, budget management, and capital stewardship of multi-million-dollar complex projects—including cost forecasting, variance management, vendor and contract spend oversight, and executive-level capital reporting from concept through commissioning. 

• Oversee the design, implementation, and operations of complex systems and infrastructure (compute, storage, networking, and cloud/on-prem platforms) that support shipboard and shoreside environments at scale. 

• Collaborate closely with product, operations, cruise, and technology partners to understand requirements, define project scopes and timelines, and ensure solutions are customer-focused, reliable, and service-minded. 

• Provide continuous coaching, feedback, and development opportunities for leaders and engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and career growth. 

• Champion Disney values by creating an inclusive, team-oriented environment where diverse perspectives are encouraged, and creative problem solving is recognized and rewarded. 

• Partner with security, portfolio, and finance teams on capital planning, prioritization, and risk management for major systems engineering initiatives and platform transformations. 

• Guide continuous improvement of engineering practices, operational procedures, and observability to enhance system reliability, performance, and supportability across global locations. 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners, including vendors and cross-functional Disney teams, to align on priorities and deliver integrated solutions for cruise and resort experiences. 

• Lead performance planning, evaluation, and development for the infrastructure build team’s Cast Members—managing priorities, removing roadblocks, mentoring for career growth, and addressing performance improvement as required. 

• Lead the design and deployment of innovative architectures supporting the unique maritime requirements of Disney Cruise Line ships, including safety and maintenance systems required for the operation of a cruise vessel and systems that provide information to U.S. and international governments for Guest and Crew information. 

• Lead the design and deployment of network-based entertainment systems that utilize shipboard Technology services to enable world-class entertainment provided on Disney Cruise Line ships. 

• Manage the development and governance of contracts, service level agreements, and policies for third-party suppliers as they relate to procurement activities for New Build and Dry Docks. 

• Develop new-ship technical specifications to ensure Disney Cruise Line is positioned to offer future ship vision guest experiences. 

• Partner with the shipyard to develop ship design as it relates to technology. 

• Develop the labor plan to support the design and build phases of new ships and dry docks, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition of newly commissioned systems—and the supporting team—to operations. 

• Partner with Marine Technical, Entertainment Technical, and DX Technology to ensure requirements are integrated into new-ship design. 

• 30% Travel

Required Qualifications 

• 10+ years of relevant systems engineering or related technology experience, including 3+ years in management leading multiple teams or managers, and 5+ years delivering maritime, cruise line, or large-scale infrastructure programs. 

• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing engineering teams, including mentoring first-line leaders and senior individual contributors. 

• Demonstrated experience managing complex systems or infrastructure portfolios (e.g., servers, storage, virtualization, or cloud platforms) supporting mission-critical environments. 

• Knowledge of modern infrastructure and site reliability engineering practices, including automation, infrastructure-as-code, and observability tooling. 

• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to influence and partner effectively across technical and non-technical stakeholders, including executive audiences. 

• Validated ability to plan, prioritize, and manage budgets and resources across multiple concurrent projects and initiatives. 

• Track record of strategic thinking, problem solving, and decision making in fast-paced, dynamic environments. 

• Experience managing projects in a multi-vendor environment, including offshore teams. 

• Professional-level qualifications in Information Technology Infrastructure. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience with cybersecurity standards relating to the maritime industry, including IMO 2021 and IACS E26 & E27. 

• Proven experience managing satellite technologies in the maritime industry, from contract through commissioning. 

• Experience leading engineering efforts for cruise, resort, or large-scale themed entertainment environments, including shipboard or multi-site operations. 

• Experience in ship build projects and process. 

• Background with virtualization, containerization, and automation platforms (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V, Docker, Kubernetes, Ansible, or similar). 

• Familiarity with IT service management and collaboration tools such as ServiceNow, JIRA, Confluence, and related platforms. 

Required Education 

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Computer Science, Information Systems, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field. 

Preferred Education 

• Master’s degree in a related engineering or technology discipline. 

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