The Walt Disney Company
Lead Applied AI Engineer
The Walt Disney Company, Santa Monica, California, United States, 90403
Join us as a Lead Applied AI Engineer at Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology (DEEP&T) to reimagine immersive viewing experiences and transform the media business through cutting‑edge AI and streaming technologies.
On any given day at Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also transforming our 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 enhance 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.
Why Join Us
Building the future of Disney’s media: DEEP&T Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power our 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 ESPN and ESPN+, and much more.
Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news.
Role Location
Hybrid – 4 days onsite (Monday‑Thursday) at one of the following locations: Santa Monica, Glendale, Seattle, New York.
What You Will Do
Integrate generative AI to power business impact on frontend clients.
Develop MCP servers to enhance everyday LLMs used by Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
Improve engineering efficiency by using development data to improve developer workflows, code quality, and build/deploy processes.
Discover applications for machine learning and AI for Disney’s streaming brands.
Collaborate with engineering teams, program managers, and product managers to deliver high‑impact features.
Mentor and onboard team members on ML and AI technologies.
Required Qualifications & Skills
7+ years of experience in a technical field.
Bachelor’s in Computer Science (or related field) required.
Proficient with JavaScript and Python.
Experience with models such as Vertex, Gemini, ChatGPT, Nova, or Deepseek.
Preferred Qualifications & Skills
MS or higher degree in computer science or related field.
2+ years of working experience using applied AI to solve real‑world business problems and deliver value.
Experience with embeddings, RAG, RLHF, prompt engineering, and fine‑tuning.
Knowledge of deploying to cloud infrastructure.
Education
Bachelor’s in Computer Science (or related field) and/or equivalent work experience required.
The hiring range for this position in Santa Monica, CA is $167,700 to $224,900 per year, in New York, NY and Seattle, WA is $175,800 to $235,700 per year, and in San Francisco, CA is $183,700 to $246,400 per year. 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.
Seniority Level Mid‑Senior level
Employment Type Full‑time
Job Function Information Technology
Industries Entertainment Providers
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On any given day at Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also transforming our 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 enhance 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.
Why Join Us
Building the future of Disney’s media: DEEP&T Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power our 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 ESPN and ESPN+, and much more.
Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news.
Role Location
Hybrid – 4 days onsite (Monday‑Thursday) at one of the following locations: Santa Monica, Glendale, Seattle, New York.
What You Will Do
Integrate generative AI to power business impact on frontend clients.
Develop MCP servers to enhance everyday LLMs used by Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
Improve engineering efficiency by using development data to improve developer workflows, code quality, and build/deploy processes.
Discover applications for machine learning and AI for Disney’s streaming brands.
Collaborate with engineering teams, program managers, and product managers to deliver high‑impact features.
Mentor and onboard team members on ML and AI technologies.
Required Qualifications & Skills
7+ years of experience in a technical field.
Bachelor’s in Computer Science (or related field) required.
Proficient with JavaScript and Python.
Experience with models such as Vertex, Gemini, ChatGPT, Nova, or Deepseek.
Preferred Qualifications & Skills
MS or higher degree in computer science or related field.
2+ years of working experience using applied AI to solve real‑world business problems and deliver value.
Experience with embeddings, RAG, RLHF, prompt engineering, and fine‑tuning.
Knowledge of deploying to cloud infrastructure.
Education
Bachelor’s in Computer Science (or related field) and/or equivalent work experience required.
The hiring range for this position in Santa Monica, CA is $167,700 to $224,900 per year, in New York, NY and Seattle, WA is $175,800 to $235,700 per year, and in San Francisco, CA is $183,700 to $246,400 per year. 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.
Seniority Level Mid‑Senior level
Employment Type Full‑time
Job Function Information Technology
Industries Entertainment Providers
#J-18808-Ljbffr