The Walt Disney Company is a world-class entertainment and technological leader. Walt’s passion was to continuously envision new ways to move audiences around the world—a passion that remains our touchstone in an enterprise that stretches from theme parks, resorts and a cruise line to sports, news, movies, and a variety of other businesses. Uniting each endeavor is a commitment to creating and delivering unforgettable experiences — and we’re constantly looking for new ways to enhance these exciting experiences. Bring your individual talents here and discover for yourself why a career with Disney is the opportunity you’ve been looking for.
This role will report to Director, Technology — DCL New Build & Dry Docks.
About the Role
The Senior Manager, Systems Engineering for Disney Experiences is a knowledgeable specialist and strategic leader responsible for shaping and delivering the systems engineering vision that powers magical guest and crew experiences across Disney Cruise Line new builds and related vacation offerings. You will lead multiple related engineering teams, set technical direction, and ensure our platforms and infrastructure are robust, secure, and ready to support innovative, large-scale experiences at sea and on shore.
Focused on the standup and commissioning of all infrastructure and systems for a ship’s operations, this role spans both Disney Cruise Line New Build and Dry Dock Capital efforts—partnering with key stakeholders across all departments to deliver each ship from initial concept through final installation and go-live.
Responsibilities
In this management role, you will provide leadership to other leaders and professional staff, developing departmental plans and priorities that align with Disney Experiences’ strategic goals and the unique demands of Disney Cruise Line new builds. You will allocate resources across multiple systems engineering teams, guide complex initiatives from concept through delivery, and mentor leaders and engineers to think strategically, collaborate effectively, and prioritize work that advances both current operations and future guest experiences.
Lead and mentor multiple systems engineering teams, including other managers and senior engineers, ensuring clarity of vision, priorities, and performance expectations across all work streams.
Develop departmental plans, set organizational priorities, and allocate budget and resources to balance near-term delivery with strategic investments in infrastructure, reliability, and security. Own the financial planning, budget management, and capital stewardship of multi-million-dollar complex projects—including cost forecasting, variance management, vendor and contract spend oversight, and executive-level capital reporting from concept through commissioning.
Oversee the design, implementation, and operations of complex systems and infrastructure (compute, storage, networking, and cloud/on-prem platforms) that support shipboard and shoreside environments at scale.
Collaborate closely with product, operations, cruise, and technology partners to understand requirements, define project scopes and timelines, and ensure solutions are customer-focused, reliable, and service-minded.
Provide continuous coaching, feedback, and development opportunities for leaders and engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and career growth.
Partner with security, portfolio, and finance teams on capital planning, prioritization, and risk management for major systems engineering initiatives and platform transformations.
Guide continuous improvement of engineering practices, operational procedures, and observability to enhance system reliability, performance, and supportability across global locations.
Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners, including vendors and cross-functional Disney teams, to align on priorities and deliver integrated solutions for cruise and resort experiences.
Lead performance planning, evaluation, and development for the infrastructure build team’s Cast Members—managing priorities, removing roadblocks, mentoring for career growth, and addressing performance improvement as required.
Lead the design and deployment of innovative architectures supporting the unique maritime requirements of Disney Cruise Line ships, including safety and maintenance systems required for the operation of a cruise vessel and systems that provide information to U.S. and international governments for Guest and Crew information.
Required Qualifications
10+ years of relevant systems engineering or related technology experience, including 3+ years in management leading multiple teams or managers, and 5+ years delivering maritime, cruise line, or large-scale infrastructure programs.
Demonstrated experience managing complex systems or infrastructure portfolios (e.g., servers, storage, virtualization, or cloud platforms) supporting mission-critical environments.
Knowledge of modern infrastructure and site reliability engineering practices, including automation, infrastructure-as-code, and observability tooling.
Track record of strategic thinking, problem solving, and decision making in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience leading engineering efforts for cruise, resort, or large-scale themed entertainment environments, including shipboard or multi-site operations.
Background with virtualization, containerization, and automation platforms (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V, Docker, Kubernetes, Ansible, or similar).
Familiarity with IT service management and collaboration tools such as ServiceNow, JIRA, Confluence, and related platforms.
Required Education
Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Computer Science, Information Systems, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
Preferred Education
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