Senior Project Manager, Walt Disney Imagineering (4 years fixed-term) in London

About the Role & Team

The Senior Project Manager is responsible for delivering projects from concept through closeout, integrating creative, technical, engineering and construction disciplines while ensuring alignment to scope, schedule and budget. This role partners across all project stakeholders to successfully execute complex and high-value themed entertainment offerings.

Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative force that imagines, designs, and brings to life all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, and cruise ships worldwide. Working across a spectrum of disciplines that range from creative and conceptual to scientific and technical, Imagineers blend an innovative mixture of storytelling, art, science, and technology to create immersive experiences, memorable destinations, and innovative entertainment for families around the globe.

Walt Disney Imagineering – UK is looking to build a local team located in London to drive the development and execution of new projects for Disney Cruise Line. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of an organization supporting the efforts of building a team to deliver multiple projects. This role will be based in our London Hammersmith office, 4 days a week, with either a Monday or Friday working from home. This role is a project related fixed-term contract for 4 years. You’ll join a team grounded in our Disney values — acting with Integrity, welcoming everyone through Inclusion, embracing boundless Creativity, working together through Collaboration and caring deeply for our Community. These values shape how we work and how we support one another every day.

What You Will Do

• Manage tactical project delivery for our Cruise Ship Newbuild projects from Blue Sky through closeout.
• Interface with creative, technical, engineering, and construction teams to deliver integrated project outcomes.
• Lead development of project strategies, design documentation, and execution plans in partnership with marine and technical and operations leadership.
• Develop and manage scope, schedules, budgets, and estimates for large-scale projects or multiple mid-sized projects.
• Manage implementation of a change management program, develop change mitigations and determine validity of project changes.
• Responsible for development and updating of the project risk register including completeness, impact assessment, mitigation strategies and contingency requirements.
• Author and drive Capital Authorization requests and support financial planning processes.
• Lead project resource planning and staffing across multiple concurrent projects.
• Prepare and present project status reports for executive leadership, ensuring alignment with program objectives.
• Oversee procurement strategy, professional bid package preparation, and contract administration.
• Develop program books and coordinate pro-forma deliverables to align project commitments.
• Mentor and lead project teams, ensuring alignment of work with talent capabilities and project needs.
• Prepare or approve contract documents for bid packages.
• Negotiate contracts and changes.
• Manage contractor compliance with terms and conditions.
• Collaborate with suppliers and subcontractors to influence schedule plans, mitigations, and acceleration and support negotiation of change orders.
• Ensure project documentation and deliverables are tracked and completed with requisite quality.
• Contribute knowledge to team including training and apply lessons learned.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Significant experience in project management, construction, engineering, or themed entertainment.
• Proven experience managing large or complex capital projects with budgets in the $100M+ range or multiple mid-sized projects.
• Demonstratable leadership qualities, interpersonal skills and teamwork / partnering abilities.
• Strong design management skills, ability to coordinate with multiple stakeholders to deliver according to the vision.
• Ability to manage through conflict, complexity and to problem solve issues to resolution.
• Demonstrated experience in project development processes, including scope definition, scheduling, budgeting, and contract administration.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing project staff.
• Strong problem-solving skills with ability to manage through complexity and conflict.
• Knowledge of financial principles including budget development, forecasting, and cost control.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, including executive-level reporting.
• Proficiency with project management tools and Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities across multidisciplinary teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or a related field.
• Experience in themed entertainment, ride systems, or large-scale construction programs. Shipbuilding and/or cruise ship experience are highly desirable.
• Experience developing program books and managing pro-forma commitments.
• Experience with vendor selection, bid processes, and consultant management.

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave.
• Private medical insurance & dental care.
• Free Park Entry: You will have the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free.
• Disney Discounts: you are entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing.
• Excellent parental and guardian leave.
• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney DIVERSITY, Disney PRIDE, our new disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.