Senior Manager, Decision Science

The Decision Science Transformation team focuses on creating innovative mathematical models to inform business decision-making through data. The team is interested in all fields related to data science, with emphasis on statistics, operations research, econometrics, and machine learning.

The Decision Science Transformation team resides within the Disney Decision Science + Integration (DDSI) organization, which provides internal consulting services for clients across The Walt Disney Company. The DDSI team sits at the intersection of business strategy, advanced analytics, and technology integration to help our partners explore opportunities for analytics, shape business decisions, and drive value. Our work includes conceptualizing new solutions, solution design and development, implementation and integration with business processes, and ongoing business support.

The Senior Manager, Decision Science Transformation will lead a highly skilled team of experts across technical domains to conceptualize, design, and develop new data and decision science capabilities. This role will also involve creating and implementing an analytics-training strategy for the Company as part of broader efforts in the analytics community of practice.

What You'll Do:

• Manage direct reports, which may include managers as well as professional staff specializing in different technical disciplines. May also manage the work of further professional staff in a matrixed organization.
• Lead a portfolio of complex projects and initiatives, including responsibility for scope negotiation and work estimation, resource allocation, development and teaching of necessary skills, adaptation of plans to meet operational challenges, and representation of the team with senior leaders and partners (e.g., product teams, client teams, and vendors).
• Lead a team of researchers in conducting R&D on emerging science, technology, and tools to drive innovation and enhance decision-making capabilities.
• Oversee the creation and enhancement of analytics platform projects, including the development of advanced science models like natural language processing, causal inference, simulation, and data engineering capabilities.
• Develop and implement a training strategy for the Company on analytical topics like data visualization, probability and uncertainty, optimization, coding for automation, and machine learning by collaborating with internal partners in a community of practice.
• Lead a team of technical employees to develop analytical training for employees across a wide range of business functions. Specifically, this role will be responsible for all aspects of training including the development, delivery, certification exams, and course assessments.

Basic Qualifications & Skills:

• 10 or more years of related/relevant experience in decision science, data science, or a related field with a Bachelor's degree or 8 or more years of related/relevant experience in decision science, data science, or a related field with a Master' degree.
• Proven ability to manage and lead teams, including direct reports and matrixed professional staff.
• Ability to understand and support multiple large business domains, with demonstrated experience leading complex projects and initiatives, including scope negotiation, work estimation, and resource allocation.
• Experience managing client relationships and expectations.
• Competence in multiple analytical domains from statistics, optimization, machine learning, and/or econometrics. Distinction in breadth of knowledge enabling responsibility for large, complex, or varied output.
• Proficiency in mathematical computing with at least one programming language (e.g., Python, R, Java), and the ability to independently learn new technical methods and tools.
• Experience in conducting R&D on emerging science, technology, and tools to drive innovation.
• Proven track record in developing and enhancing analytics platforms, including advanced science models like natural language processing, causal inference, forecasting, optimization, and simulation.
• Passion for educating others in technical domains, with experience in creating and delivering training courses on analytical topics.
• Excellent collaboration skills with the ability to work with internal partners through a community of practice to expand analytical training and other offerings to new departments and domains.
• Strong communication skills, both written and spoken, with the ability to represent the team with senior leaders and partners.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

How to Stand Out:

• Proven knowledge of revenue management context, including demand forecasting, resource allocation, and pricing.
• Knowledge of decision theory and related areas such as decision analysis, multiple criteria decision making, and risk analysis, including expert elicitation methods.
• Familiarity with software development tools such as GitLab/GitHub, Docker, and cloud computing tools such as AWS.
• Experience developing and teaching course content in multiple analytical disciplines to business professionals and executives.
• Experience developing holistic training curricula for business professionals.
• Experience leading a team of content developers to develop training materials on technical topics.
• Experience using technology to enhance the learning experience of course participants.

Required Education:

• Master's or Ph.D. in a technical discipline (Statistics, Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Mathematics, Machine Learning, Econometrics, or related field) or equivalent experience.