Principal Product Manager, ML Platform

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also redefining Disney’s media business for the future. Whether that’s evolving our streaming and digital products in new and immersive ways, powering worldwide advertising and distribution to improve flexibility and efficiency, or delivering Disney’s unmatched entertainment and sports content, every day is a moment to make a difference to partners and to hundreds of millions of people around the world.
 

A few reasons why we believe you’d love working for Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

• Building the future of Disney’s media business: DE&E Technologists are crafting and building the infrastructure that will power Disney’s media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.

• Reach & Scale: The products and platforms this group builds and operates delight millions of consumers every minute of every day – from Disney+ and Hulu, to ABC News and Entertainment, to ESPN and ESPN+, and much more.

• Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and improve how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news.
   

The Product Management team guides the strategy and vision for Disney’s incredible global digital products portfolio - from Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and the ESPN App to Marvel Unlimited, National Geographic, ABC and ABC News, and film websites and games. This team impacts the way millions of people around the world experience and engage with Disney’s iconic stories and unmatched content in more personalized and immersive ways, using innovative technologies ranging from Machine Learning to Extended Reality.
 

Job Summary

Machine learning powers applications at The Walt Disney Company including personalization and search for hundreds of millions of subscribers across Disney+, Hulu, Star+, ESPN and more. Our in-house machine learning platform enables applications like these at global scale across multiple products. We aim to accelerate and democratize ML innovation so we can bring more magical experiences to Disney fans, new and old. The possibilities to use Machine Learning and AI for positive consumer and business impact are limitless, and we’re just getting started.
 

As Principal Product Manager for ML Platform, you will be at the forefront of building the foundational AI/ML platform that is used across our entire product suite and customer base. This role involves leading the strategy, development, execution, and evolution of the ML Platform, an ML toolkit and underlying infrastructure that enables data scientists and ML engineers to build and operate end-to-end ML workflows on our ML Platform. You will work closely with a cross-functional team including engineers, data scientists and product managers to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.
 

The scale at which we operate is unique – not only do we have hundreds of millions of subscribers to delight and entertain, but we also have hundreds of customer touchpoints across multiple consumer products through which we should deliver a seamless experience. This is just one of the ways machine learning can help.
 

This is an ideal role for someone who thrives in ambiguity and has a consistent track record of contributing to the product strategy and roadmap for a complex machine learning problem space. You should be able to balance pragmatism and product intuition to achieve significant impact for a rapidly growing customer base at global scale.
 

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, roadmap, and execution for our ML platform

• Collaborate closely with engineering & Data Scientists while working in an agile software development environment

• Define product requirements, objectives, and success metrics for the ML platform

• Gather and incorporate product feedback into subsequent product releases

• Conduct research and competitive analysis to identify new opportunities in the field of Machine Learning and Data Science

• Work closely with customers to understand their needs and incorporate feedback into product design and features

• Create a delightful, self-serve product experience to power the ML platform for use by all AI practitioners with ease and speed

• Lead teams on all business readiness activities, including product planning, sequencing, testing, user education, rollout, iteration, and support

• Be the internal champion of AI/ML to technical and non-technical partners
   

Basic Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in Product Management or other relevant experience

• Experience working with AI/ML Products with understanding of machine learning / data science methodologies

• Knowledge on ML infrastructure for data storage, data wrangling, feature storage, feature execution, model deployment, infrastructure management etc.

• Experience in conducting market research and competitive analysis

• Passion for technology and innovation, with a customer-centric approach to product development

• Adept at building, measuring and reporting against fundamental product metrics

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills at all levels of organization and partners
   

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with streaming services and/or media products

• Familiar with A/B experimentation methods and hypothesis-driven development

• Strong experience working on search & recommendation systems

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field required

The hiring range for this position in Santa Monica, CA is $ 184,300 – $ 247,100 per year, in San Francisco is $ $201,900 - $270,700 and in NYC and Seattle is $193,100 - $258,900 per year based on a 40 hour work week. The amount of hours scheduled per week may vary based on business needs. 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.