The Walt Disney Company (Germany) GmbH
Machine Learning Engineer
The Walt Disney Company (Germany) GmbH, Glendale, California, us, 91222
Overview
“Any sufficiently complex technology is indistinguishable from magic.” - Arthur C. Clarke At Imagineering, we explore new ways to connect with our guests—surprising them, making them smile, and opening minds to magic—everywhere around the world. Disney Research Imagineering pursues the science behind the magic, applying world-class technology to opportunities across project lifecycles, from early ideation to deployment. We are looking for a Machine Learning Engineer with strong software engineering skills and experience in AI, who thrives in experimental, interdisciplinary environments. You will work with senior engineers and scientists to prototype, build, and productionize software algorithms, components, and complex systems to support agentic workflows across Disney’s themed entertainment portfolio. The role focuses on technical execution, software development, and translating experimental AI technologies into robust, production-ready tools. This role reports to the Associate Lab Director and contributes to the AI/ML applied research portfolio at Disney Research Imagineering. This is a full-time role. What You Will Do
Implement and support prototypes of generative AI tools and intelligent agents for creative and technical tasks. Develop and maintain software pipelines that integrate agentic AI workflows and tooling. Collaborate with researchers to translate conceptual models and experimental algorithms into working code and functional systems. Optimize, test, and document systems to support evaluation and deployment within Imagineering teams. Participate in the integration of AI models with APIs, databases, internal tools, and creative software. Troubleshoot and iterate on system performance and usability based on feedback from cross-disciplinary collaborators. Partner with interdisciplinary teams to ensure AI applications empower rather than constrain artistic and storytelling processes. Collaborate with internal and external research partners, including software teams, business stakeholders, academic institutions, industry labs, and vendors. Translate scientific insights into working prototypes and production-ready implementations. Required Qualifications & Skills
3+ years of professional software development experience Experience using ML/AI and prototyping solutions in academic, entertainment, or industrial settings Experience with generative models and AI agent architectures Strong programming skills in Python and experience with large model libraries, APIs, and support tooling (e.g. OpenAI, Azure, Ollama, MCP, etc) Excellent collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills with the ability to present complex ideas to multidisciplinary teams Demonstrated ability with production-ready, real-world implementations A desire to work in a collaborative, creative environment where technical and creative experts collaborate and challenge each other every day to achieve groundbreaking solutions Preferred Qualifications
Proven track record of delivering novel AI solutions in practical contexts Familiarity with development, evaluation, and deployment of LLMs, VLMs, and multimodal AI systems Experience with reinforcement learning, prompt engineering, and fine-tuning generative models Experience with AI-assisted tools in architecture, entertainment, or XR applications is a plus Track record of technology transfer, patents, or deployed AI systems Contributions to open-source projects or prior work in research labs or innovation teams Interest in construction tech, architecture, or fabrication workflows is a plus Education
Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computational Design, or a related field. Specialization in AI/ML preferred. Additional Information
Benefits and Perks: Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits. Location: Glendale, CA Salary range for this position in Glendale, CA is $114,900-$154,100 per year. The base pay offered will reflect internal equity and may vary by geographic region, knowledge, skills, and experience. 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 level and position offered. #DXMedia #LI-KK2 About the Role & Team
Disney Research Imagineering seeks to unlock new opportunities for Imagineering in all aspects of project lifecycles, from ideation to deployment. We are a team of engineers, designers, artists, and scientists solving impossible problems and building ground-breaking experiences. Disability Accommodation for Employment Applications
The Walt Disney Company and its affiliated companies are Equal Employment Opportunity employers and welcome all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or apply for a position, visit the Disney candidate disability accommodations FAQs. We will respond to requests related to accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.
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“Any sufficiently complex technology is indistinguishable from magic.” - Arthur C. Clarke At Imagineering, we explore new ways to connect with our guests—surprising them, making them smile, and opening minds to magic—everywhere around the world. Disney Research Imagineering pursues the science behind the magic, applying world-class technology to opportunities across project lifecycles, from early ideation to deployment. We are looking for a Machine Learning Engineer with strong software engineering skills and experience in AI, who thrives in experimental, interdisciplinary environments. You will work with senior engineers and scientists to prototype, build, and productionize software algorithms, components, and complex systems to support agentic workflows across Disney’s themed entertainment portfolio. The role focuses on technical execution, software development, and translating experimental AI technologies into robust, production-ready tools. This role reports to the Associate Lab Director and contributes to the AI/ML applied research portfolio at Disney Research Imagineering. This is a full-time role. What You Will Do
Implement and support prototypes of generative AI tools and intelligent agents for creative and technical tasks. Develop and maintain software pipelines that integrate agentic AI workflows and tooling. Collaborate with researchers to translate conceptual models and experimental algorithms into working code and functional systems. Optimize, test, and document systems to support evaluation and deployment within Imagineering teams. Participate in the integration of AI models with APIs, databases, internal tools, and creative software. Troubleshoot and iterate on system performance and usability based on feedback from cross-disciplinary collaborators. Partner with interdisciplinary teams to ensure AI applications empower rather than constrain artistic and storytelling processes. Collaborate with internal and external research partners, including software teams, business stakeholders, academic institutions, industry labs, and vendors. Translate scientific insights into working prototypes and production-ready implementations. Required Qualifications & Skills
3+ years of professional software development experience Experience using ML/AI and prototyping solutions in academic, entertainment, or industrial settings Experience with generative models and AI agent architectures Strong programming skills in Python and experience with large model libraries, APIs, and support tooling (e.g. OpenAI, Azure, Ollama, MCP, etc) Excellent collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills with the ability to present complex ideas to multidisciplinary teams Demonstrated ability with production-ready, real-world implementations A desire to work in a collaborative, creative environment where technical and creative experts collaborate and challenge each other every day to achieve groundbreaking solutions Preferred Qualifications
Proven track record of delivering novel AI solutions in practical contexts Familiarity with development, evaluation, and deployment of LLMs, VLMs, and multimodal AI systems Experience with reinforcement learning, prompt engineering, and fine-tuning generative models Experience with AI-assisted tools in architecture, entertainment, or XR applications is a plus Track record of technology transfer, patents, or deployed AI systems Contributions to open-source projects or prior work in research labs or innovation teams Interest in construction tech, architecture, or fabrication workflows is a plus Education
Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computational Design, or a related field. Specialization in AI/ML preferred. Additional Information
Benefits and Perks: Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits. Location: Glendale, CA Salary range for this position in Glendale, CA is $114,900-$154,100 per year. The base pay offered will reflect internal equity and may vary by geographic region, knowledge, skills, and experience. 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 level and position offered. #DXMedia #LI-KK2 About the Role & Team
Disney Research Imagineering seeks to unlock new opportunities for Imagineering in all aspects of project lifecycles, from ideation to deployment. We are a team of engineers, designers, artists, and scientists solving impossible problems and building ground-breaking experiences. Disability Accommodation for Employment Applications
The Walt Disney Company and its affiliated companies are Equal Employment Opportunity employers and welcome all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or apply for a position, visit the Disney candidate disability accommodations FAQs. We will respond to requests related to accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.
#J-18808-Ljbffr