Product Software Engineer II (News Front End)

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally.

The team marries technology with creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world. 

Here are a few reasons why we think you’d love working here:

• Building the future of Disney’s media: Our Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.

• Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disney’s technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the company’s brands and stories. Disney+. Hulu. ESPN. ABC. ABC News…and many more. These products and brands – and the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry – matter to millions of people globally. 

• Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and solve complex and distinctive technical problems.

Product Engineering is a unified team responsible for the engineering of Disney Entertainment & ESPN digital and streaming products and platforms. This includes product engineering, media engineering, quality assurance, engineering behind personalization, commerce, lifecycle, and identity.

Job Summary:

As a Product Software Engineer II on the News Web Squad, you will be part of a team focused on building and maintaining the web sites for ABC News and the eight ABC Owned and Operated Television Stations. We surface personalized video, tally election results, and keep local audiences connected to breaking news in their communities. We work alongside engineers from ESPN and Disney's entertainment brands to support each other's products and share solutions. Our team uses modern server-side and web technologies such as TypeScript, JavaScript, Node and React to deliver scalable and elegant solutions for new product features and core site architecture.

If you:

• Employ a flexible attitude and can work constructively in a diverse team setting

• Are passionate about web development

• Value learning and being exposed to new experiences

• Demonstrate determination in finding solutions to complex puzzles

• Have the curiosity to research and learn new technologies

• Care about bringing people closer to their world … then working at Disney is unlike anything else. We have the latest technology, game-changing ideas, and world-class talent. Come be a part of our team and help us find new ways to interact with users, however and wherever they connect with our brands.

Role Responsibilities:

• Build and ship component-level features for ABC News and the ABC OTV station sites

• Write clean, tested code in TypeScript, Node, and React; perform your own testing and debugging; uphold readability and maintainability standards in peer code reviews

• Participate in developing specifications for assigned components, projects, and fixes; ask the right clarifying questions of product and design partners

• Contribute to the evolution of our engineering practices by recommending improvements to development, coding, maintenance, and system standards as you spot opportunities

• Efficiently support software the team owns throughout its lifecycle: handle technical maintenance, troubleshoot production issues, and keep documentation current

• Participate in developing specifications for assigned components, projects, and fixes; ask the right clarifying questions of product and design partners

• Apply judgment within defined practices and procedures to resolve technical issues; identify problems clearly even when the solution isn't yet obvious, and escalate with context when you need guidance

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional software engineering experience.

• Strong understanding of front-end web development technologies, frameworks, and best practices.

• Extensive experience with TypeScript, JavaScript, React, and Node.js.

• Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and core web development principles.

• Demonstrated ability to own features and components throughout the full software development lifecycle, from design and implementation to deployment and ongoing support.

• Experience developing automated tests and actively participating in peer code reviews to ensure code quality and maintainability.

• Proven ability to research, analyze, and solve complex technical challenges.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills with exceptional attention to detail.

• Highly motivated, proactive, and capable of working independently in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience building consumer-facing web experiences at scale

• Experience integrating with a CMS or content delivery pipeline

• Familiarity with A/B testing or experimentation platforms

• Experience with personalization, recommendation, or feed-driven UIs

• Comfortable using AI coding assistants as part of your workflow, with strong judgment about when to lean on them

Experience with:

• AWS or another major cloud provider

• CI/CD pipelines and modern deployment tooling

• Web accessibility (WCAG) standards

• Monitoring/observability tools such as New Relic or Datadog

• High-traffic consumer products

Required Education  

• BS Computer Science or related technical discipline or its equivalent

#DISNEYTECH

The hiring range for this position in NY is $123,000 to $165,000 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.