Lead UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead UX Designer Company: The Walt Disney Company Location: Glendale, CA, USA (with flexibility for Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco, CA, USA; New York, NY, USA; Bristol, CT, USA) Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Enterprise Design Operations / Product Design Date Posted: 2025-08-08 Experience Level: 10+ Years (Senior/Lead) Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the product design vision and execution for complex enterprise tooling solutions, focusing on operational efficiency and business process optimization.
• Drive user-centered design methodologies and data-informed decision-making to enhance internal workflows for critical business functions like commerce management, accounting, and finance.
• Mentor and guide a team of designers, fostering a high bar for craft, design excellence, and collaborative problem-solving within the Enterprise Design team.
• Contribute to strategic product planning by translating user research, data insights, and business needs into innovative and intuitive user experiences for internal stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Lead UX Designer," the description emphasizes "Product Designer" for enterprise tooling. The role focuses on internal operations, specifically commerce management, aligning it with an operational design function rather than direct consumer-facing product design. The "Lead" aspect clearly indicates a senior role with mentorship and team oversight responsibilities.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design Leadership & Mentorship: Lead the product design efforts for the Enterprise Design team, providing direction, mentorship, and design critique for at least 1-2 other designers (senior, mid-level, and associate).
• Strategic Product Design: Define and own the end-to-end app and web experiences for enterprise products, particularly focusing on the commerce management tool used by Business Operations, Accounting, and Finance teams.
• User-Centric Strategy & Research: Drive the product design process and user research strategy across projects, leveraging user research, data analytics, and insights to understand business needs and inform product strategy.
• Process Optimization & Innovation: Innovate within technical constraints to create intuitive tooling solutions that streamline internal operations, manage 1,000+ retail and promo offers, and accelerate e-commerce impact.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilize data to guide design decisions, ensuring that design initiatives pursue measurable, achievable, and impactful outcomes, particularly in areas like tiered pricing, subscription models, and promotional offers.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Product Management, Engineering, Business Operations, Accounting, and Finance teams to shape product vision, execute design solutions, and ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Design Practice Evolution: Contribute to evolving the design practice by improving people, processes, and tools within the Enterprise Design team, maintaining a high bar for craft and design excellence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of individual contribution and leadership, with a strong emphasis on internal operational tooling and process improvement. The mention of "commerce concepts" suggests a need for understanding business logic and financial workflows within the design process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in Product Design or UX Design roles within a technology company, with a proven track record of delivering complex digital products.
• Minimum 1 year of experience leading other designers, either through formal people management or as a project lead, demonstrating leadership and mentorship capabilities.
• Demonstrated experience in designing high-quality solutions for enterprise workflows, with a strong ability to manage complexity and ambiguity.
• Familiarity with commerce concepts such as tiered pricing, subscription models, promotional offers, bundling, and related financial/business operations.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: Expertise in the end-to-end product design lifecycle, from research and ideation to prototyping and implementation.
• User-Centered Design (UCD): Deep proficiency in user-centered design thinking methodologies, user research techniques (qualitative and quantitative), and usability testing.
• Data-Driven Mindset: Ability to leverage data analytics, user feedback, and business metrics to inform and validate design decisions and measure impact.
• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively present design concepts, influence stakeholders, and collaborate with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Business Operations).
• Mentoring & Design Direction: Proven ability to mentor and provide design direction to other designers, fostering their growth and ensuring design quality.
• Design Tools Proficiency: Mastery of a deep arsenal of design and prototyping tools, including Figma, Sketch, InVision, Framer, Mural, Keynote, and other relevant platforms.
• Prioritization & Documentation: Strong skills in prioritizing design tasks, managing multiple projects simultaneously, and creating clear, concise design documentation.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems or business management software.
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and participation in agile ceremonies.
• Experience in the media, entertainment, or streaming industries.
• Knowledge of design operations principles and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required experience level and leadership component suggest that candidates will be evaluated on their ability to not only execute design but also to guide and uplift a design team and influence product strategy at a higher level. The emphasis on enterprise workflows and commerce concepts indicates a need for practical, business-oriented design thinking.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate Leadership: Showcase examples of projects where you led design efforts, mentored other designers, or influenced product strategy.
• Enterprise Workflow Focus: Include case studies detailing your experience designing solutions for complex internal business processes or enterprise software.
• Data-Informed Design: Provide examples of how you used data, user research, or analytics to inform your design decisions and achieve measurable business outcomes.
• Process Ownership: Present projects where you took ownership of the design process from conception through to implementation, highlighting your problem-solving approach.
• System Thinking: Illustrate your ability to design for interconnected systems or large-scale platforms, demonstrating an understanding of how different components interact.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Include examples of how you've mapped, analyzed, and optimized existing workflows to improve efficiency, reduce friction, or introduce new capabilities.
• User Research & Validation: Showcase your process for conducting user research, synthesizing findings, and validating design solutions with target users (internal stakeholders in this case).
• Prototyping & Iteration: Demonstrate your iterative design process, including the creation of wireframes, interactive prototypes, and how you incorporated feedback for refinement.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Provide examples of how you documented and communicated design decisions, rationale, and specifications to engineering and product teams to ensure successful implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role, extending beyond typical UX work to demonstrate leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive impact within an enterprise context. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their design process, the challenges they faced, and the measurable results achieved, particularly in relation to operational efficiency.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• New York and Seattle: $145,400.00 - $195,000.00 per year
• Bristol and Los Angeles: $138,900.00 - $186,200.00 per year
• San Francisco: $152,100.00 - $203,900.00 per year

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical coverage.
• Financial benefits package.
• Potential for long-term incentive units (stock options/equity).
• Other benefits may be offered depending on the level and position.

Working Hours:

• Typically 40 hours per week, standard business operations hours, with potential for flexibility depending on project needs and team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are competitive for a Lead UX Designer role, reflecting the experience level, leadership responsibilities, and the significant markets where Disney operates. The inclusion of bonus and long-term incentives indicates a total compensation package that goes beyond base salary, common for senior positions at large, publicly traded companies. The salary variations by location are standard, reflecting cost of living and market demand.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Entertainment, Media, Technology, E-commerce. Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology is at the forefront of digital transformation in the media landscape, leveraging technology to deliver unparalleled viewing experiences and manage a vast media business. Company Size: Large Enterprise (Thousands of employees globally). This means opportunities for impactful projects, structured career paths, and extensive resources, but also a need for navigating larger organizational structures. Founded: 1923. With a rich history, Disney is a brand synonymous with innovation, creativity, and storytelling, which permeates its approach to technology and product development.

Team Structure:

• Enterprise Design Team: This team is part of the broader Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology organization. It focuses on creating platform solutions, tools, dashboards, and processes that drive efficiency and value across various internal operations.
• Reporting Structure: The Lead UX Designer reports to the Senior Manager of Product Design, indicating a clear management hierarchy within the design function.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role demands close collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, Business Operations, Accounting, and Finance teams, highlighting a matrixed environment where design is integrated into core business processes.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design (UCD): A foundational methodology, ensuring that internal tools are designed with the end-user (internal employees) in mind, focusing on usability and efficiency.
• Data-Driven Insights: Emphasis on using data analytics, user research, and performance metrics to inform design decisions, validate hypotheses, and measure the impact of design solutions.
• Agile & Iterative Development: Likely operates within agile frameworks, encouraging iterative design, continuous feedback loops, and adaptability to changing business requirements.

Company Website: https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Working within Disney means contributing to a brand with immense cultural significance. The Enterprise Design team's focus on internal tooling suggests a strategic investment in operational excellence to support Disney's vast entertainment and media operations. The scale of the company offers opportunities for broad impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior-level role, positioned as a "Lead." It signifies a transition from individual contributor to a role with significant influence over design direction, team development, and strategic product input. Reporting Structure: The Lead UX Designer reports to a Senior Manager of Product Design, indicating a clear path for growth within the design hierarchy. The role also involves leading and mentoring junior designers. Operations Impact: The role directly impacts operational efficiency and business outcomes by streamlining internal processes, particularly in commerce management. By improving these tools, the designer contributes to faster, more accurate, and cost-effective business operations, indirectly supporting revenue generation and profitability.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to grow into a Senior Manager or Director of Product Design roles, managing larger teams and broader design portfolios within Disney Entertainment & ESPN.
• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in enterprise systems, commerce platforms, or specific operational domains within Disney's diverse business units.
• Cross-functional Mobility: Potential to move into product management, program management, or design operations roles, leveraging a deep understanding of both design and business processes.
• Skill Development: Continuous learning through mentorship, exposure to diverse projects, and potential access to industry conferences and training related to design, technology, and business operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a significant step towards leadership in the design field, offering a blend of strategic contribution and team management. The focus on enterprise operations within a major company like Disney provides a unique platform for developing skills applicable to a wide range of business and technology roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Primarily on-site, with flexibility for multiple major US cities. This suggests a collaborative office environment designed for team interaction and brainstorming. Office Location(s): Glendale, CA; Seattle, WA; San Francisco, CA; New York, NY; Bristol, CT. These locations are major hubs for technology and media, offering vibrant work environments and access to talent. Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Likely includes open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and potentially dedicated brainstorming spaces to foster team interaction and cross-functional collaboration.
• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software, hardware, and internal collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Jira, Confluence) is expected to support efficient workflow.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with design peers, product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders, facilitating knowledge sharing and joint problem-solving.

Work Schedule:

• Standard business hours (e.g., 40 hours/week) are expected, but the nature of product development may require occasional flexibility to meet project deadlines or critical business needs. The emphasis on internal operations means designers must be available to support ongoing business functions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement emphasizes the value Disney places on in-person collaboration for complex problem-solving and team cohesion. The availability of multiple office locations provides candidates with geographical flexibility within the United States.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and portfolio to assess basic qualifications and fit.
• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Expect an interview where you present your portfolio, walking through 2-3 relevant case studies. This will focus on your design process, problem-solving approach, collaboration, and impact, particularly for enterprise or complex projects.
• Design Challenge/Whiteboarding: You may be given a design exercise or asked to whiteboard solutions to a given problem, assessing your strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to articulate design decisions under pressure.
• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with peers (other designers, product managers, engineers) and potentially senior stakeholders to evaluate collaboration style, communication, and cultural fit.
• Hiring Manager Interview: A final discussion with the Senior Manager of Product Design to assess leadership potential, strategic alignment, and overall fit for the team and role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your leadership, enterprise design experience, data-driven approach, and impact on operational efficiency. Prioritize projects with similar complexity or domain to Disney's commerce management tool.
• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, prototyping, testing, implementation), the challenges encountered, the solutions you designed, and the measurable results or impact achieved.
• Highlight Leadership: Emphasize instances where you mentored others, led design initiatives, or significantly influenced product direction. Quantify your impact where possible.
• Showcase Process: Detail your user research methodologies, how you synthesized insights, and how you collaborated with cross-functional partners.
• Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss your design rationale, trade-offs made, and how you handle feedback or differing opinions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, quickly grasp the business goals and user needs. Think about the constraints and specific context of enterprise operations.
• Articulate Your Process: Clearly explain your thought process as you work through the challenge. Focus on problem decomposition, user empathy, and exploring multiple solutions.
• Prioritize and Justify: Demonstrate your ability to prioritize features or design elements and justify your choices based on user needs, business impact, and feasibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess both your design craft and your leadership capabilities. Expect a strong emphasis on how you approach complex problems, use data, collaborate, and mentor. Your portfolio is your primary tool to demonstrate these skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable as industry standard), Sketch, InVision, Framer, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).
• Collaboration & Whiteboarding: Mural, Miro, Confluence, Jira.
• User Research & Testing: UserTesting.com, Lookback, or internal tools.
• Presentation: Keynote, PowerPoint.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Amplitude) to understand user behavior and business metrics.
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for presenting insights.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly responsible for CRM administration, an understanding of how enterprise tools integrate with CRM or marketing automation platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Marketo) may be beneficial for context, especially for commerce-related features.
• Familiarity with enterprise resource planning (ERP) concepts and systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern design tools, particularly Figma, is essential. The role also requires an understanding of how design tools integrate into broader project management and analytics workflows within an enterprise environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact & Efficiency: A strong drive to create solutions that demonstrably improve internal operations, reduce manual effort, and enhance business performance.
• Collaboration & Partnership: Valuing teamwork, open communication, and the ability to build strong relationships with cross-functional partners to achieve shared goals.
• User Advocacy: Championing the needs of internal users, ensuring that tools are intuitive, efficient, and empowering for those who rely on them daily.
• Data-Informed Innovation: Using data and insights as a foundation for creative problem-solving and continuous improvement, rather than relying solely on intuition.
• Design Excellence: Maintaining a high standard for the quality, usability, and visual polish of all design outputs.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively engaging with Product Management and Engineering from the early stages of ideation through to launch and iteration, ensuring design is a core part of the product development process.
• Feedback & Iteration: Embracing a culture of constructive feedback, both giving and receiving, to refine designs and improve processes collaboratively.
• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share learnings, best practices, and design expertise within the team and across the organization to elevate the collective design capability.
• Proactive Communication: Keeping stakeholders informed of design progress, potential roadblocks, and key decisions to ensure transparency and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture likely emphasizes the unique challenges and rewards of designing for internal operations. Success hinges on strong interpersonal skills, a collaborative spirit, and a commitment to driving tangible business improvements through design.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Enterprise Systems: Navigating and designing for intricate, established internal systems and workflows that support critical business functions.
• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Managing diverse requirements and priorities from various internal departments (e.g., Business Ops, Finance, Marketing) to create a cohesive and effective solution.
• Driving Adoption of New Tools: Encouraging internal users to adopt new tools or workflows, which can sometimes face resistance to change.
• Measuring Internal Impact: Quantifying the direct impact of design improvements on operational efficiency, which may require close collaboration with business analysts.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Commerce Operations: Gaining specialized knowledge in subscription models, promotional offer management, and e-commerce business processes within a leading entertainment company.
• Mentorship Programs: Opportunities to be mentored by senior leaders within Disney's design and technology organizations, as well as to mentor junior designers.
• Industry Exposure: Working on projects that are pivotal to Disney's operational success and digital transformation, providing exposure to cutting-edge technologies and strategies.
• Professional Development: Potential support for attending industry conferences, workshops, or pursuing certifications relevant to design leadership, enterprise systems, or specific design disciplines.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities to tackle complex, high-impact challenges within the operational backbone of a major corporation. The growth potential is substantial, particularly for those looking to specialize in enterprise design or move into leadership roles within a dynamic tech-media environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process for Enterprise Tools: "Describe your process for designing a complex internal tool, such as a commerce management system. How do you approach understanding business requirements and user needs in this context?" (Focus on your UCD, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement methods).
• Leadership & Mentorship: "Tell me about a time you led a design project or mentored another designer. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight your leadership style, feedback techniques, and impact on team growth).
• Data-Driven Decision Making: "How do you use data to inform your design decisions? Can you provide an example where data significantly influenced your design direction or led to a measurable improvement?" (Prepare a case study with specific metrics).
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: "Describe a challenging collaboration with Product or Engineering. How did you navigate the situation, and what did you do to ensure a successful outcome?" (Focus on communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

• Disney's Impact: "What excites you about designing for The Walt Disney Company, specifically within our enterprise operations?" (Research Disney's mission, values, and recent initiatives in tech/streaming).
• Team Dynamics: "How do you contribute to a positive and productive team environment? How would you integrate with our cross-functional teams?" (Emphasize your collaborative nature and proactive communication).
• Operational Efficiency Focus: "How do you prioritize designing for efficiency versus user delight in an enterprise context?" (Show an understanding of the unique demands of internal tools).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative is Key: Structure your portfolio presentation as a story for each case study – the problem, your role, the journey, the solution, and the impact.
• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use numbers and data to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., "reduced process time by X%", "increased offer launch accuracy by Y%").
• Highlight Leadership: Clearly articulate your contributions as a lead designer – your strategic input, mentorship, and influence on the team's output.
• Showcase Process & Rationale: Be prepared to deeply explain your design decisions, the research that informed them, and the trade-offs you made.
• Engage Your Audience: Make it interactive. Ask clarifying questions, invite discussion, and tailor your presentation to the interviewer's background.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skills but also strategic thinking, leadership potential, and an understanding of operational business needs. Be ready to discuss your portfolio in detail and articulate your value as a leader within a complex organization.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Disney Careers portal. Ensure your resume and portfolio are up-to-date and tailored to the role.
• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 of your strongest case studies that highlight enterprise design, leadership, data-driven decision-making, and measurable impact on operational efficiency. Prioritize any experience with commerce, finance, or business operations tools.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to include keywords from the job description, such as "Product Design," "User-Centered Design," "Enterprise Workflows," "Commerce Concepts," "Leadership," "Mentorship," and specific design tools. Quantify achievements wherever possible.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, leadership philosophy, and how you use data. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, and mentorship. Rehearse your portfolio presentation.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with The Walt Disney Company's recent initiatives in streaming, technology, and enterprise operations. Understand their brand values and how your design approach aligns with their mission to create magical experiences and drive operational excellence.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with The Walt Disney Company before making application decisions.