Lead Software Engineer

Overview As Lead Software Engineer, you own multi-system outcomes and set technical direction for the Connected Products portfolio within DXT. You’ll build and operate real-time, event-driven systems at scale, guiding architecture and delivery across teams. This hands-on role requires writing production code while mentoring others and communicating with executives. You’ll work on edge-to-cloud data processing, driving observable, resilient platforms that support Disney’s guest experiences. Compensation / Benefitsbonus and/or long-term incentive unitsmedical benefitscompetitive pay rangecareer growth opportunitiesrelocation assistancefull range of benefits ResponsibilitiesDesign, build, and operate real-time, event-driven systems ingesting data from edge devicesDevelop backend services and streaming pipelines using Java and Apache Flink to transform data into reliable eventsArchitect and operate production systems on AWS with a focus on scalability, observability, and fault toleranceLead end-to-end delivery for multiple systems, balancing goals and constraintsDrive technical decisions and own critical platform componentsCreate clean, versioned event schemas and APIs for downstream and external systemsAct as technical liaison with high autonomy across teamsMentor junior developers and present to executive audiencesParticipate in estimation and planning of scalable projectsOccasional travel expected (10–15%) Key requirements7+ years in professional software engineering for distributed, production systems3+ years of cross-team technical leadership and end-to-end ownership of multi-service initiativesLeads through technical influence rather than people managementProficient in real-time or streaming data pipelines with AWS IoT Core, Kinesis, Kafka, and MQTTExpert-level proficiency in JavaDeep hands-on experience with AWS (ECS/EKS, Lambda, DynamoDB, S3, CloudWatch, Timestream/InfluxDB)Strong understanding of event-driven architecture, schema evolution, and downstream integrationProven ability to design observable, resilient, and scalable systemsCommitment to staying up to date with emerging technologiesMentoring and coachingEffective communication with executive audiencesAutonomy and ownershipJavaAWS (ECS/EKS, Lambda, DynamoDB, S3, CloudWatch, Timestream/InfluxDB)Real-time/streaming data pipelines