Rarefied talent in data science, data technology, and analytics

Principal Architect, Data Platforms

The Walt Disney Company

Job Description

Job Summary:

The Data Solutions & Architecture group is part of the Enterprise Technology organization. We are responsible for architecting, developing and managing the data platforms, data integrations and reporting and analytics solutions for The Walt Disney Company’s enterprise business data. We are experts at architecting and building highly scalable data and analytics solutions that meet the business requirements of the groups across the company we support.

The Data Platforms position is one of the key architect roles on team. You will have the opportunity to be integrally involved in and influence the architecture of many complex and high-profile projects that will shape the future of data, reporting and analytics for The Walt Disney Company.

As part of our team, you will be working with a full range of data technologies and architectures including big data platforms, enterprise data warehouses, pub/sub data messaging, master data management, AI/ML predictive analytics, Robotics Process Automation, and multiple reporting and analytics frameworks and tools.

You will be working in a complex, challenging, fast-paced and rewarding environment, with other like-minded peers who are solutions and results oriented, and who enjoy collaboration. Besides being experts in their respective fields, our architects and developers are smart, curious, innovative, solutions-oriented, respectful, highly collaborative and continuous learners.

Responsibilities:

  • Architecting highly-scalable, distributed enterprise data solutions with focus on big data platforms and enterprise data warehouses for reporting & analytics
  • Designing and developing highly scalable and flexible data platform solutions
  • Designing and documenting architecture at multiple levels (high-level to detailed) and across multiple views (conceptual, logical, physical, data flow and sequence diagrams)
  • Providing active “hands-on” architectural guidance and leadership through the entire lifecycle of development projects
  • Translating business requirements into conceptual and detailed technology solutions
  • Collaborating closely with other architects and peers across the organization architecting and delivering solutions
  • Performing third-party vendor assessments
  • Developing and leading proof-of-concepts projects
  • Keeping fluent in industry and marketplace evolution; continously learning new data technologies and introducing these into the organization
  • Cross-training peers and mentoring junior teammates

Basic Qualifications:

  • 10 years plus experience architecting enterprise data solutions
  • 10 years of hands-on data platform design and development in large-scale and complex environments

Technical Skills

  • Expertise architecting and delivering highly-scalable, distributed, cloud-based enterprise data solutions
  • In-depth experience with big data platforms, enterprise data warehouses, and reporting & analytics solutions
  • Experience with SAP HANA
  • Experience working with BI reporting and analytics tools
  • Experience with data modeling
  • Experience with semantic layer design
  • Fluent understanding of data security and compliance requirements and experience designing data solutions that are secure and compliant
  • Fluency architecting and documenting architecture at multiple levels (high-level to detailed) and across multiple views (conceptual, logical, physical, data flow and sequence diagrams)
  • Understanding and experience with Solutions Architecture methodology and practices
  • Ability to translate business requirements into conceptual and detailed technology solutions
  • Ability to perform third-party vendor assessments
  • Ability to develop and lead proof-of-concepts
  • Focused on delivering practical, working solutions (no ivory tower solutions)
  • Practical experience designing data solutions in multiple models and technologies: relational, no-SQL, big data, graph DB, unstructured and structured
  • Experience and expertise with data lifecycle management, data-tiering and data archiving
  • Functional understanding of cloud data storage and analytics offerings
  • Experience migrating legacy systems to modern solutions
  • Familiarity and working experience with common data integration patterns and processes including: ETL, APIs, Messaging Bus, Pub-Sub, flat files
  • Experience with Hadoop, MapReduce, Spark, R, Python, SQL
  • Experience and expertise with all aspects of data management: data governance, data mastering, meta-data management, data taxonomies and ontologies

Non-Technical Skills

  • Strong collaboration skills
  • Ability to “influence without authority”
  • Strong communication skills, both oral and written. Ability to communicate well to both technical and business audiences.
  • Thinks strategically
  • Innovative thinking and embraces innovation by constantly seeking new or contrary ideas and approaches to what has been done in the past
  • Results oriented, biased toward action
  • Keeps fluent in new technologies and successful sharing with peers and introducing new technologies into the organization
  • Good at managing relationships with colleagues and stakeholders outside the organization
  • Not afraid to take risks
  • Creates enduring excitement about what is possible, while setting direction and driving results
  • Thinks big and broad, without being constrained by existing norms or business models
  • Recognizes diverse backgrounds, points of view, and cultural histories that directly impact the organization’s ability to innovate
  • Challenges teams – and self, to deliver the very best in everything they doSeeks differing points of view

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with specific BI Tools: Tableau, Power BI, SAP BusinessObjects, Cognos
  • Experience and background in AI/ML and predictive analytics

Required Education

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Preferred Education

  • Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field

About The Walt Disney Company (Corporate):

At Disney Corporate you can see how the businesses behind the Company’s powerful brands come together to create the most innovative, far-reaching and admired entertainment company in the world. As a member of a corporate team, you’ll work with world-class leaders driving the strategies that keep The Walt Disney Company at the leading edge of entertainment. See and be seen by other innovative thinkers as you enable the greatest storytellers in the world to create memories for millions of families around the globe.

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 with the following business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. 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 Worldwide Services, Inc., which is part of a business segment we call The Walt Disney Company (Corporate).

Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Interested in this position?
Job Location
Burbank, CA
Additional Job Details
Employment Type:
Full Time
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