Environmental Sustainability Research And Development Manager at Walt Disney World Resort

About the Role & Team

The Environmental Sustainability Research and Development team is responsible for leading the exploration, research, development, and testing of innovative and emerging solutions focused on reducing the environmental impact of Disney Parks and Resorts operations in alignment with The Walt Disney Company’s environmental goals.

As the R&D Manager, you will be conducting extensive research on the technical viability and implementation strategies of emerging environmental solutions, and their relative credibility, with heavy emphasis on emissions reduction, zero waste to landfill and circular economy solutions. You will partner with numerous internal and external partners including corporate Environmental Sustainability and Policy teams, third-party consultants, and Non-Governmental Organizations, Parks and Experiences Operations and Line of Business partners, technology, and other global business support areas. You will also supervise the two Disney Experiences funding sources, the Emissions Efficiency Fund and the corporate R&D fund. In addition to leading the budgeting process, the R&D Manager will measure, consolidate and summarize energy consumption data for Disney Experiences.

In this role, you will report to the Environmental Sustainability Director.

What You Will Do

• Project planning which includes defining scope, goals, timelines, site walks, fieldwork, and results as well as identifying key partners and resources needed for the project
• Conduct literature reviews, lead and support development of technical assessments and reports detailing the viability of new environmental sustainability solutions
• Facilitate communications and logistics among project team members and partners by providing regular project updates, leading expectations, and addressing concerns. This includes the energy consumption measurement for Disney Experiences.
• Develop and lead project budgets across multiple lines of businesses which includes, forecasting and monitoring actual expenses against the budget throughout a project lifecycle.
• Conduct post-project evaluations to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement, with the aim of implementing efficiencies moving forward.
• Oversight of segment Emissions Efficiency Fund and R&D corporate funding.
• Lead a team of Project Managers, including recruiting, development, performance evaluations, defining scope of work and priorities.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Minimum three years of experience leading and managing a team or initiative.
• Experience with leading large scale projects and developing proof of concept testing.
• Technical assessment experience determining technology viability and application.
• Ability to identify industry sustainability trends.
• Proven track record prioritizing solutions based on a range of factors including technical assessments, financial viability, supply chain, impact to support teams, and lifecycle impact assessment
• Experience with developing and tracking measures of success and key performance indicators.
• Ability to engage, influence and encourage multi-disciplinary project teams to complete a project.
• Ability to articulate high level strategy into operational day to day function, connecting with employees at all levels across multiple business units.
• Ability to spend an average 5-20 hours per week doing field work, walking with partners onstage and backstage, performing studies, handling waste in a variety of different weather conditions, and an ability to lift up to 40 pounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience evaluating technical viability of advanced Environmental Sustainability technologies.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, sustainability, analytics, business, project management, or related field or 5+ years of related experience

Preferred Education

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in related field
• Project Management Professional (PMP)® Certification
• USGBC LEED Accreditation, LEED Green Associate

Additional Information

Benefits and Perks: Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life! This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities and special extras that only Disney can provide! Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits.

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