Software Engineer II

About the role

About Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and other technology professionals building the technological foundation for Disney's media businesses worldwide.

The organization combines technology and creativity to develop products and platforms supporting Disney's media, advertising, distribution, and consumer experiences, including brands such as Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, ABC, and ABC News.

About the Content Platforms & Operations Team

The Content Platforms & Operations team focuses on developing and advancing the technology and operational capabilities that support the worldwide distribution and monetization of Disney's linear networks and theatrical content.

The team's responsibilities include media supply chain and storage, network and theatrical distribution operations, media localization, network transmission and origination, and collaboration with Disney's regional business teams across EMEA, APAC, and LATAM.

The team is continuing to invest in innovative technology to build a state-of-the-art content pipeline.

About the Role

As a Software Engineer II, you will use your technical and analytical skills to support and maintain applications, deliver new features, resolve production issues, and improve overall system functionality.

You will be an important contributor to a motivated engineering team, participating in bug triage, enhancements, troubleshooting, monitoring, and alerting. The role has a strong backend focus while also requiring working knowledge of frontend development.

The ideal candidate has experience building and supporting scalable and reliable systems, with knowledge of APIs, databases, distributed systems, modern frontend frameworks, and AWS cloud technologies.

Key Responsibilities

Act as an escalation point for complex technical issues.

Investigate system anomalies and perform root-cause analysis.

Assist in developing and deploying fixes for production bugs.

Develop a strong understanding of application systems and their upstream and downstream dependencies.

Support and troubleshoot integrations involving REST APIs, microservices, and third-party SaaS platforms.

Participate in peer code reviews to ensure solutions are secure, efficient, and aligned with engineering standards.

Assist with monitoring platform performance and scalability.

Follow established CI/CD and deployment processes to support reliable releases.

Contribute to cross-functional troubleshooting of complex technical issues.

Support the long-term health, reliability, and functionality of the applications ecosystem.

Perform additional technical tasks required to support business objectives.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or a comparable technical field, and/or equivalent professional experience.

At least 3 years of experience with cloud-based technologies.

Strong backend development experience using modern languages and frameworks such as:

Node.js

Python with Django or FastAPI

Go

Strong understanding of RESTful API design.

Experience with SQL and/or NoSQL databases.

Understanding of server-side architecture and backend application development.

Experience with AWS services including:

Amazon EC2

Amazon CloudFront

AWS Lambda

Amazon SQS

Amazon S3

Ability to analyze incidents and implement effective bug fixes.

Understanding of the application development lifecycle.

Knowledge of software engineering practices including unit testing, code reviews, and documentation.

Strong problem-solving and debugging skills.

Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering, product, design, and QA teams.

Comfortable working within teams that include engineers with varying levels of experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Frontend development experience using modern JavaScript frameworks such as React or Angular.

Strong knowledge of HTML, CSS, and responsive design.

Experience using AI-assisted development tools such as:

GitHub Copilot

Claude Code

Similar AI development tools

Previous experience in media management or digital media distribution operations.

Ability to learn and adapt to new technologies.

Strong communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly.

Ability to influence technical decisions through well-reasoned explanations.

Proactive approach to identifying problems and opportunities.

Ability to recommend practical technical solutions.

Experience working in an Agile development environment.

Strong interest in the Media & Entertainment industry.

Technical Skills

Backend Development

Node.js

Python

Django

FastAPI

Go

RESTful APIs

Server-Side Architecture

Cloud & Distributed Systems

AWS EC2

AWS CloudFront

AWS Lambda

AWS SQS

AWS S3

Cloud-Based Applications

Distributed Systems

Microservices

Databases

SQL

NoSQL

Database Management

Frontend

JavaScript

React

Angular

HTML

CSS

Responsive Design

Engineering Practices

CI/CD

Unit Testing

Code Reviews

Bug Triage

Root-Cause Analysis

Production Troubleshooting

Monitoring & Alerting

Agile Development

Collaboration & Problem Solving

The role requires close collaboration across engineering and cross-functional teams. You will work with engineers, product professionals, designers, and QA teams to investigate technical issues, develop solutions, and maintain reliable applications.

Successful candidates should be analytical problem solvers who enjoy working through complex technical challenges and communicating solutions clearly.

Media & Content Technology Focus

Experience or interest in the media industry is valuable for this role, particularly around the journey of content from creation and management through distribution to consumers.

The Content Platforms team works across areas including:

Media Supply Chain

Content Storage

Media Localization

Network Distribution

Theatrical Distribution

Network Transmission

Content Platforms

Digital Media Operations

Education

Required Education:

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or a related technical discipline, or equivalent experience.

Compensation & Benefits

The hiring range for this position in Glendale, California is $117,500 – $157,500 USD.

Actual base compensation may vary based on factors including internal equity, geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

The compensation package may also include:

Bonus and/or long-term incentive units, depending on level and position.

Medical benefits.

Financial benefits.

Other applicable employee benefits.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a backend-focused Software Engineer with experience supporting scalable cloud-based systems, troubleshooting production issues, and working with APIs, databases, microservices, and AWS.

You should also have enough frontend knowledge to collaborate effectively across the application stack and a willingness to learn new technologies while contributing to a collaborative Agile engineering environment.

Equal Opportunity

Disney is committed to building diverse and collaborative teams and providing an environment where technology professionals can contribute their skills while working on products and platforms serving audiences around the world.