Program Manager, Production Technology

The Walt Disney Company•Burbank, CA

16h

About The Position

Since the creation of our studio over a century ago, WDAS has pioneered animation technologies to empower film-makers to tell amazing stories. As a company, we are committed to exploring emerging technologies, such as AI, in responsible ways that respect the unique role of human creativity and seek to enrich our stories, experiences, and empower us to do our best work every day. We are seeking an experienced and highly organized Program Manager to lead and support programs within Walt Disney Animation’s Production Technology team. This position is responsible for managing complex, cross-functional programs that advance our technology roadmap, integrate research and emerging technology driven innovations, and optimize workflows across the studio. The role includes overseeing program planning and execution, establishing consistent project management practices, tracking success metrics, and ensuring smooth adoption of new technologies. Additionally, the Program Manager will support partnerships with Disney Research and Studio Lab, manage vendor relationships, and lead process improvement and change management efforts to enhance operational efficiency.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in technical program and project management experience, preferably within a studio and production environment.
Strong understanding of emerging technologies (e.g. AI/ML, cloud platforms, virtual production) and their application to production workflows.
Previous experience in providing management of organization-wide software development programs from initiation through delivery
Proven technical expertise developing and reporting on metrics for engineering development, test development and execution, bugs, issues, risks, and other aspects of project and program management
Proven track record managing complex, cross-functional programs involving technology integration and/or innovation initiatives.
Experience managing vendor relationships, including contracts, implementation, and performance oversight.
Exceptional communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities; able to navigate ambiguity and prioritize competing demands.
Proficiency with program management tools (e.g., Jira, Smartsheet, or similar).
BS in Science, Engineering, or related field; or comparable industry experience.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with production technology in animation, VFX, or similar creative industries is a plus

Responsibilities

Technical Program Management
Utilizing deep technical knowledge and understanding of all 12 Production Technology teams and their software packages, align roadmap goals with studio priorities and long-term vision in collaboration with the Director of Production Technology.
Understand the overall technical architecture and interdependencies to be able to effectively strategize and prioritize work across multiple projects
Define and maintain a strategic Production Technology roadmap with formal reviews, including highlighting risks and mitigation plans, every three to six months.
Identify and implement process improvements to enhance operational efficiency and standardize workflows across programs.
Proven technical expertise developing and reporting on metrics for engineering development, test development and execution, bugs
Develop and execute change management and communication strategies in partnership with leadership.
Establish consistent project planning practices, including templates, timelines, and milestone tracking in Jira.
Forecast budgets, resources, and timelines for initiatives to ensure accurate planning and delivery.
Create and maintain frameworks for success metrics and KPIs, providing visibility through regular reporting.
Collaborate with information services to align on data collection and reporting strategies to analyze software development efforts and resource allocation.
Oversee complex, cross-team programs such as platform and software upgrades, ensuring alignment and timely execution.
Coordinate development efforts from inception to completion, driving collaboration and accountability.
Facilitate retrospectives and planning sessions to capture lessons learned and inform future improvements.
Maintain complete, current project documentation and ensure accessibility for all stakeholders.
Promote continuous improvement by optimizing workflows and fostering cross-team collaboration.
Emerging Technology Integration & Collaboration
Support the Director of Production Technology in partnerships with innovation groups such as Disney Research and Studio Lab, assisting with coordination and knowledge transfer.
Spearhead phased integration of research-driven and AI-based tools into production workflows, ensuring alignment with studio goals.
Work with Emerging Technology leadership to facilitate the transition of experiments into production-ready tools and processes.
Define and manage handoff procedures for transferring emerging technology ownership to other project managers and development teams.
Support ongoing education, change management, and communication efforts to enable smooth integration of emerging technologies.
Implement metrics and KPIs to measure success and impact of emerging technology initiatives in Production Technology.
Vendor Management
Evaluate and manage vendor partnerships, ensuring ongoing support and alignment with internal workflows.
Act as a key point of coordination for third-party technology providers, confirming service-level agreements (SLAs) are met and integration efforts are successful.
Establish and maintain strong relationships with key vendors through regular engagement, strategic meetings, and industry events (e.g., SIGGRAPH, etc), fostering collaboration and long-term partnership success.
Track and report on the impact of vendor-delivered technologies, providing feedback and recommendations to Production Technology leadership.