VP-Creative & Advanced Development
About The Position
Disney Live Entertainment (DLE) is seeking a visionary and hands-on creative leader to serve as Vice President, Creative & Advanced Development. This role sits at the center of DLE's global creative delivery — shaping the artistic voice, casting, and innovation pipeline behind the live entertainment experiences that define Disney's parks, resorts, and cruise line around the world. Reporting to the SVP of Disney Live Entertainment, this leader is functionally responsible for the Glendale-based creative team — including executive and non-executive Creative Directors, production design, and casting — while also serving as the connective thread between site-based Creative Directors across the globe. The VP will guide creative casting, commissioning, and development of Tier 1 projects, and lead Advanced Development (LEAD), driving innovation in performance, immersive and experiential entertainment, and emerging technologies. This is a role for a leader with deep roots in live storytelling — someone equally fluent in the language of theatre, themed entertainment, and immersive experience design, who can champion bold creative ambition while building the systems and global community needed to deliver it at scale.
Requirements
- 10+ years of progressive creative leadership experience in theatre, themed entertainment, immersive/experiential design, or live entertainment production
- Demonstrated success directing or overseeing large-scale live productions — such as theatrical shows, parades, spectaculars, themed attractions, or immersive experiences — from concept through delivery
- Proven ability to lead and develop creative teams and talent across multiple sites or geographies
- Strong background in creative casting, talent development, and performance management
- Experience partnering with production design, technical direction, and show production disciplines
- Excellent collaboration and influence skills, with a track record of building relationships across senior leadership, site, and enterprise stakeholders
- Entrepreneurial, solution-focused, and action-oriented leadership style
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Fine Arts, Theatre, Design, or a related field required
Nice To Haves
- Experience directing or contributing to an Advanced Development, R&D, or innovation function within a creative or entertainment organization
- Familiarity with emerging technologies as they apply to live performance and immersive storytelling
- Financial and business acumen, including experience managing creative budgets or evaluating new business/revenue models (preferred, not required)
- Experience championing inclusion and diversity initiatives within a creative organization
- Global or multi-site operating experience within themed entertainment, cruise, resort, or live event environments
Responsibilities
- Own the successful delivery of all creative content globally, including DLE capital and expense projects, events, major integrated WDI capital projects, new lands, ships, and gates
- Provide global script, treatment, and presentation review for site-based and all Tier 1 content
- Serve as Creative Director for select projects, including Disney's Hollywood Studios' nighttime spectacular
- Partner on content creation and creative direction across Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland Paris, and Advanced Development
- Lead Pre-LEPR and LEPR (Live Entertainment Project Review) processes and quarterly global creative updates
- Edit and oversee Atypical Tuesday, DLE's weekly creative newsletter
- Represent DLE as a member of Bob Weis' Creative Council and contribute to DLE's global strategic planning as part of its leadership body
- Hold dual leadership accountability for site-based creative leaders worldwide and direct leadership of non-site-based creative leaders
- Establish and lead a high-functioning global creative organization and community, elevating creative standards and alignment across all DLE sites
- Build and maintain credible, influential relationships with site presidents, site creative portfolio executives, WDI creative executives, and other senior enterprise leaders
- Act as the partner of choice ensuring the best possible entertainment creative is planned and delivered at every site
- Maintain a flexible, senior non-site-specific creative talent pool, planned through the WDI resourcing cycle, to meet site and enterprise-wide creative needs
- Partner with Regional VPs and site leadership on project casting strategy and creative resourcing decisions
- Direct DLE's Advanced Development function (LEAD), empowering research and experimentation into emerging trends in performance, immersive/experiential entertainment, and new technologies
- Commission and oversee Advanced Development projects
- Partner with R&D, production, and technical teams to explore new business models and revenue streams for DLE, DPEP, and TWDC
- Champion discovery of diverse performance talent and new creative technologies
- Oversee casting assignments, resource planning, and cast development globally
- Guide performance management, talent development, and cast enrichment
- Own onboarding for creative and cast talent, and approve related expense and travel
- Lead the Global Creative Directors forum and weekly Creative Director meetings
- Serve as a member of the Global DLE Executive Team and WDI Creative Council
- Provide direct leadership of the Director, Inclusive Strategies role, ensuring inclusion is embedded appropriately throughout the creative production lifecycle
- Actively participate in and champion DLE's DEI Advisory Committee, WDI Diversity Council, DLE BIPOC Connect, and WDI Blue Sky/Ideation Steering Committee
Benefits
- 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.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
