Application Development Manager

About the Role & Team

At Disney Destinations International, we are responsible for delivering magical and seamless experiences through our Walt Disney Travel Company International ecommerce platform and a portfolio of marketing microsites. Our team works on building the infrastructure that powers Disney Parks' bespoke B2C/B2B ecommerce platform, supporting millions of guests worldwide. From enhancing digital offerings to driving the evolution of our technology stack, every day is an opportunity to make a significant impact.

A few reasons why we think you’d love working here:

• Innovation: Join a team dedicated to developing new technology solutions to shape the future of Disney's ecommerce experience.

• Collaborative Culture: Work in a cross-functional environment with opportunities for growth and collaboration across various teams.

• Impact: You will be at the heart of developing and maintaining a high-availability ecommerce platform that serves diverse markets, ensuring a seamless and robust experience for customers.

The Application Development team at Disney Destinations International plays a crucial role in sustaining, evolving, and scaling our ecommerce platform. As an Application Development Manager, you will lead a talented team of developers to manage and enhance the platform, ensuring the continued success of Disney Parks' digital presence.

About the Team
You will be part of a dedicated, high-performance team focused on delivering critical software solutions for Disney Destinations International, collaborating with product owners, business teams, and technical partners to build robust, scalable web applications.

What You Will Do
As the Application Development Manager, you will lead the Web Application Development team, responsible for both front- and back-end development of Disney’s ecommerce platforms. Your day-to-day responsibilities will include overseeing technical development, ensuring the quality of code, and guiding your team through development cycles. This role also involves strategic planning, mentoring team members, and ensuring the platform remains scalable and fault-tolerant.

• Lead front- and back-end web application development, applying deep technical knowledge across all stages of the development lifecycle.

• Define best practices for development, ensuring the creation of maintainable, scalable, and high-quality code utilising SOLID principles and OO design patterns.

• Drive migration from legacy platforms to .NET MVC 5 framework, ensuring a smooth transition while enhancing platform performance.

• Collaborate with the Product Owner to define and capture technical specifications and communicate technical requirements to the team through JIRA epics and stories.

• Oversee platform documentation and ensure that all technical materials are kept up to date.

• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies, integrating them into the development process to enhance business offerings.

• Act as a Scrum Master, facilitating Agile ceremonies such as standups, retrospectives, and sprint planning.

• Manage team performance, support professional development, and ensure high team morale by resolving conflicts and addressing challenges.

• Take responsibility for recruitment, onboarding, and team development to ensure a well-rounded, motivated team.

• Ensure timely delivery of robust, scalable, and fault-tolerant features, while aligning with business goals.

• Maintain critical software infrastructure, managing tasks such as SSL certificate renewals, VM leases, and other maintenance tasks.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Technical Leadership: Proven experience leading a development team, with the ability to define technical direction and ensure best practices are followed.

• Ecommerce Expertise: Significant experience with bespoke ecommerce web applications in a commercial environment.

• Full-Stack Development: Strong experience in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and .NET technologies, particularly .NET MVC 5 and C#

• Database Management: Proficient in SQL Server, T-SQL queries, performance tuning, and relational database design.

• Web Services & APIs: Experience with SOAP WebServices, RESTful WebAPIs, and .NET ORMs (e.g., Entity Framework, Dapper).

• Agile Methodology: Expertise in Agile development processes, Scrum ceremonies, and project management tools like JIRA.

• Cloud-Based Technologies: Exposure to cloud services like Azure or AWS is a plus.

• DevOps & Release Management: Familiar with CI/CD tools, source code management (Git), and automated build tools like Gitlab, Cake, and Octopus.

• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to manage stakeholder expectations and work across teams.

• Team Leadership: Strong leadership skills with experience in coaching, mentoring, and developing team members, ensuring both individual and team success.

• Problem Solving: Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to troubleshoot complex issues across the tech stack.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with SDL Tridion (or similar enterprise headless CMS).

• Exposure to message queuing technologies (e.g., RabbitMQ, NServiceBus)

• Understanding of IOC containers such as Autofac or Ninject.

Additional Information

• Flexibility for UK, European, or international travel may be required.

• The role may require flexible hours to meet business needs.

• Contribution to ad-hoc projects as the business evolves.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.