Principal Software Development Engineer in Test, Disney Media Player

The Walt Disney Company

Remote

Quick summary

Work type: Remote
Location: Morrisville, NC
Salary: $163,400–$219,100 / yr
Posted: 3 days ago
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $192k

This role $191k

$133k most similar roles pay here $251k

This role pays less than 57% of similar roles. Most pay $169,625–$214,850 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $191k versus about $192k for comparable roles.

Based on 239 similar postings.

Employer

About The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is a diversified global entertainment and media enterprise operating in segments including Disney Parks, Experiences and Products; Entertainment (ABC, Hulu, Disney+); and ESPN. Industry: Entertainment & Media

The Walt Disney Company currently has 186 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $148,300–$198,800 across 183 roles with salary data.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at The Walt Disney Company

At a glance

TL;DR · Principal Software Development Engineer in Test, Disney Media Player

Role Posting Log in to save

The Disney Media Player team is seeking a visionary Principal Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) to lead quality engineering across web, mobile, connected TV, and gaming console platforms. This role involves setting strategic direction for automation and test architectures, influencing organizational decisions on modern testing paradigms, and ensuring robust product delivery. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in quality engineering with expertise in designing test strategies for client-side applications and scaling test automation for distributed systems. Proficiency in JavaScript/Node.js, Python, and OO languages is essential, along with familiarity with streaming media concepts such as ABR and DRM. This position requires strong communication skills, stakeholder management abilities, and the capacity to mentor teams while driving innovation in automated testing processes across a large-scale, business-critical ecosystem.

Skills

Python JavaScript Node.js CI/CD Kubernetes AWS Terraform Docker Prometheus Grafana PostgreSQL AI/ML Agile Selenium JUnit Cypress Jenkins GitLab SonarQube

What you'll do

Define and drive the vision for test automation and quality engineering across multiple platforms.
Establish enterprise-wide standards for quality and operational excellence in collaboration with executives.
Lead architecture of scalable test automation solutions to improve defect prevention and team empowerment.
Make high-impact technical decisions on frameworks, toolsets, and integrations for effective testing.
Mentor SDETs, engineers, and leadership through regular training sessions and knowledge-sharing.
Champion research and adoption of emerging technologies to keep test practices ahead of industry standards.
Lead delivery of multiple concurrent testing initiatives in fast-paced Agile environments.

What we're looking for

Minimum 10 years experience in quality engineering or software development with leadership roles
Expertise in designing test strategies for client-side applications with hardware variability challenges
Proven track record of influencing enterprise strategy and leading transformation initiatives
Advanced proficiency in JavaScript/Node, Python, and modern object-oriented languages
Experience building or managing cross-platform test automation (smart TVs, mobile, web)
Strong communication, stakeholder management, and mentoring skills
Familiarity with streaming media concepts such as ABR, DRM, codec behavior