Senior Product Software Engineer

Senior Product Software Engineer

As a Senior Software Engineer, you will be part of a diverse and talented organization focused on building and maintaining complex sports platform services and applications for ESPN. You will be a key contributor on a team creating the world's #1 sports products, working with modern server-side platform frameworks and services such as Spring Boot, MongoDB, and Apache Kafka. You will design, build, and own significant features and services end-to-end, mentor junior engineers, and drive technical quality across the codebase.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:

• Design and develop platform services and features within a complex distributed system that delivers live sports data to Web, Mobile, and Living Room devices
• Own and operate services in production — monitoring, troubleshooting, and incident response for the systems you build
• Collaborate cross-functionally with other engineering teams to solve complex problems, considering performance, scalability, caching, resiliency, and flexibility for expanding product requirements
• Mentor and elevate junior and mid-level engineers through code reviews, pairing, and technical guidance
• Contribute to technical direction by participating in architectural reviews, proposing improvements, and researching emerging technologies

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years relevant industry experience
• Strong proficiency in backend platform development technologies and principles
• Strong understanding of software architectural patterns (microservices, event-driven, RESTful APIs)
• Experience with Cloud-based architecture and deployment
• Strong proficiency in Java or other JVM languages; familiarity with Go, Rust, or other system-level languages a plus
• Experience with messaging/streaming platforms such as Apache Kafka
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and task automation (GitLab Pipelines, GitHub Actions, TeamCity)
• Experience with relational and/or NoSQL database technologies (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra)
• Strong communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment
• Demonstrated ability to own features end-to-end from design through production support

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of AWS services (e.g., CloudWatch, ECS/Fargate, EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS)
• Experience with observability tooling (Datadog, Grafana, Splunk, or similar)
• Experience with GraphQL APIs
• Familiarity with Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, CloudFormation)
• AI and LLM knowledge
• Experience working in sports media, live data systems, or high-throughput real-time platforms

Required Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or relevant technical field, such as: AI and Robotics; Application Development; Applied Computer Science; Computer and Information Science; Computer Engineering; Computer Information Systems; Computer Information Technology; Computer Programming; Computer Science Engineering in Robotics; Computer Systems; Cybersecurity; Electronic/Electrical Engineering; Informatics; Information Security; Information Systems; Information Technology; Machine Learning; Management Information Systems; Network Engineering; Software Design; Software Development; Software Engineering; Web Development; Applied Mathematics

TECHATDISNEY

The hiring range for this position in Bristol, CT is $144,100.00 - $193,200.00 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.

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology:

At Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology, we’re blending imagination and innovation to reimagine the ways people experience and engage with the world’s most beloved stories and products. Our work is wide-ranging and deeply sophisticated. We create amazing experiences, transform the future of media, and build products and platforms that enable the connection between people everywhere and the stories and sports they love.

Disney’s ability to marry world-class technology with one-of-a-kind creativity makes us unique. It is at the heart of our past, present, and future. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC, which is part of a business we call Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology.

Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

To learn more about Disney's policies on the use of AI for candidates, click here.

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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 have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or apply for a position, visit the Disn