Operating Participants Business Development Manager (PH)

Job ID 10129617 Location Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States / Anaheim, California, United States Business Disney Experiences Date posted Aug. 28, 2025

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Job Summary:

The Operating Participants Department (OPD), located in Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort (WDW) and Anaheim at the Disneyland Resort (DLR) is responsible for strategy, tenanting and oversight of third parties that operate on our resort properties as tenants, including retailers, restaurants, hotels, and service providers. OPD is made up of two teams – Account Management, responsible for managing compliance with negotiated contracts; and Business Development, which is tasked with developing and implementing leasing strategies and procuring relevant Operating Participants across the Resorts. From a strategic perspective, the Operating Participants team endeavors to leverage third-party brand strength and operational expertise to expand the diversity of complementary offerings at our Resorts, driving length of stay, capturing broader guest demographics on property and generating incremental guest visits from local residents.

As an OP Business Development Manager, you will be tasked with supporting the tenanting strategy for new and existing projects, researching industry trends, and providing lease negotiation support across a variety of portfolios.

This is a 12-month temporary assignment with no guarantee of permanent placement.

General Responsibilities

Assist Business Development projects to deliver against strategic goals and initiatives set by the Director of Business Development.
Develop partnerships with Finance, Operations, Merchandise and Food & Beverage, and Legal to facilitate proposal development and work closely with these stakeholders throughout the leasing process.
Identify, recommend and implement improvement initiatives to increase the effectiveness of Operating Participants tenanting strategy, lease development and negotiations.
Work with Account Management team to ensure seamless transition from business development completion to handover and tenant opening.

Industry Trends and Operating Participant Portfolio

Monitor industry activity for shopping, dining and entertainment development, restaurant, and retail trends and develop perspective on their applicability to Disney and its properties.
Continually seek out and develop relationships with restaurant, retail and entertainment concepts that could be potential Operating Participants for any of our global properties.
Develop and maintain a relationship with the Real Estate Business Development contact at the Operating Participant company/organization.

Development of Positioning Strategy and Tenant Targets

For new projects, assist with the development of the project positioning, tenant category needs, and target tenant list.
For existing developments, work in conjunction with the OP Account Management and the Operations team to understand performance of current tenants and categories and any consumer insights that can be drawn to formulate tenanting strategy for available locations.
Perform due diligence to determine which Operating Participants/Tenant prospects meet our operational, financial, and reputational criteria and filter, as necessary. Develop targeted tenant list.

Lease Negotiation Support

Support negotiation efforts of Business Development team as requested including:
- Deal terms for the specific projects based on financial targets, including rent rates and any capital and tenant allowance budget needed to accomplish tenanting strategy
- Participating in meetings with key stakeholders and leadership to gain buy off on deal terms, as appropriate, to meet Disney objectives and timelines.
- Working with the Legal team to develop and negotiate Letters of Intent and Lease Agreements or Operating Participant Agreements
- Developing deal timelines to achieve target opening dates for the development and as set by the Regional Director of Business Development.
- Simultaneously manage multiple projects, target tenants, and tenant negotiations in an effective and seamless manner

Basic Qualifications

5+ years experience in commercial real estate development required
Strong track record in fact-based negotiations or equivalent contract experience (120+ pages)
Proven ability to establish relationships, trust and credibility internally and externally
Ability to analyze deal terms to create a financial model of the agreement and understand practical implications of executing each of the terms: develop formal negotiation plans with talking points for each negotiation session; work interactively with legal resources and business unit stakeholders throughout the negotiation process and document final agreement with a package of a signed contract, financial model and preliminary execution plan to communicate with business unit stakeholders
Proven leadership experience and ability to motivate and inspire cast members
Strong communication, facilitation and conflict management skills and strong business acumen

Required Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics or Marketing, or other related field or equivalent work experience.

The hiring range for this position in California is $89,700 to $120,200 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 Disney Experiences:

Disney Experiences brings the magic of Disney stories and franchises to life through theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, unique vacation experiences, products and more around the world. Disney shines in the travel industry with six resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line; a popular vacation ownership program; and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Plus, Disney's global consumer products operations include the world's leading licensing business; the world's largest children's publishing brands; one of the world's largest licensors of games across all platforms; and Disney store locations around the world and on the web.

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 Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., which is part of a business we call Disney Experiences.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. 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 Lake Buena Vista, FL

Lake Buena Vista is home to the Disney Springs retail, dining and entertainment complex, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course and several resort hotels are located with the City limits.