Senior Manager, Performance Partner (PH)

Job ID 10139503 Location Burbank, California, United States / Bristol, Connecticut, United States / Glendale, California, United States / New York, New York, United States Business ESPN Date posted Jan. 09, 2026

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Job Summary:

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product and Technology is looking for a Senior Manager, Performance Partner to join our dynamic HR Team! This role sits at the intersection of HR and the business and will be focused on leading performance management in Disney Entertainment & ESPN Product & Technology.

DEEP&T is a global tech organization that provides the technological backbone and product development for Disney’s premium streaming services, including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and other industry leading products that showcase Disney’s unmatched content and characters across our brands and franchises.

The Senior Manager, Performance Partner serves as advisor and steward of performance management practices across the organization. This role provides subject matter expertise and strategic direction across the organization, as well as hands-on support and coaching to business leaders to ensure fair, consistent, and effective performance practices. The Performance Partner is fully accountable for developing and owning the end-to-end execution of performance management processes and tools across the organization, particularly in cases of underperformance. By fostering a culture of continuous leadership development and streamlining performance workflows, this role directly contributes to stronger business outcomes.

Responsibilities:

Performance Management:

Serve as HR’s primary owner for all formal performance management in partnership with business leaders, from coaching to initial drafting to final issuance.
Partner directly with business leaders to identify and manage complex performance issues, ensuring best practices for communicating and documenting performance concerns and strategies and expectations for improvement.
Coach leaders on how to provide effective, consistent feedback and have difficult performance conversations.
Inform and consult with HRBPs on all performance cases while retaining full accountability for the execution and outcome of the process.
Analyze data and related evidence to identify and highlight trends in performance issues across the organization to identify root causes. Partner with HRBPs, business leaders, Employee Relations, Learning and Development, Legal, Talent Acquisition, and other relevant stakeholders to address and remediate.
Collaborate with HR leadership to provide strategic recommendations for improving the overall performance and talent management infrastructure, as well as report on trends, progress, and recommendations to senior leadership and other key partners.
Create and maintain tracking and reporting systems that identify relevant performance management metrics through performance cases and reinforce accountability from the business.
Stay current on performance management, best practices and trends, sharing relevant information with partners and making recommendations on iterating performance processes as needed.

Training & Reporting:

Design and deliver trainings for leaders on performance management best practices to business leaders and partners.
Develop and deliver targeted trainings to various stakeholders based on trends and analytics.
Create and maintain a library of resources and tools (e.g., templates, guides, checklists) to support leaders.

What Success Looks Like

Operational Efficiency: Your expertise will reduce the time it takes the business to address and manage underperformance.
Elevated Leader Confidence: You will successfully empower our leaders through training, tools, coaching, and data, giving them the confidence, skills, and purpose they need to address performance issues timely, directly and effectively.
A Culture of Accountability: You will ensure a fair and consistent application of our performance processes across all departments, establishing a culture where clear expectations for high performance and open feedback are the norm, not the exception.
Improved Talent Quality: Your work will help us identify and address systemic issues in our various processes, leading to a noticeable improvement in the long-term success of our employees.

Qualifications:

7+ years of progressive experience in Human Resources, with a strong focus on employee relations and/or performance management.
Experience working with various levels of leaders, including senior executives, in an “influence without authority” capacity.
Strong business acumen with the ability to quickly digest and apply new information.
Demonstrated ability to influence and partner across a diverse organization to drive business results.
Solid attention to detail and problem-solving capabilities.
Independent work style, balancing collaboration with minimal direction.
Strategic, open, and operational thinker with a “roll-up your sleeves” attitude.
Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and recommend actionable solutions.

Preferred Qualifications:

TWDC HRBP and/or ER experience.
Direct experience with full, end-to-end accountability for performance cases in a centralized or Center of Excellence model.

Required Education:

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field

Preferred Education:

Masters degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, SHRM-SCP or SPHR.

The hiring range for this position in Glendale, CA is $168,200 to $205,400 per year and in New York, NY is $176,200 to $215,200 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

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About ESPN:

Working at ESPN is unlike anything else. That’s because we’re always finding new ways to interact with fans – however and wherever they connect with sports. Every day we’re doing things that no one has done, all in a dynamic culture where we defy odds and continuously outdo ourselves. When you have the latest technology, game-changing ideas and world-class talent on your team, every day is extraordinary.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Disney Streaming Technology LLC, which is part of a business we call ESPN.

Disney Streaming Technology LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

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Explore this Location Burbank, CA

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