Senior Special Effects Designer

Disney is hiring a Senior Special Effects Designer at Walt Disney Imagineering in Lake Buena Vista, FL. This role sits within the Special Effects design team and is responsible for the full lifecycle of practical effects deliverables, from early concept and feasibility mockups through field installation and post-opening support on theme park attractions. It suits an experienced theme park special effects professional who has owned complex, multi-discipline FX scopes on large-scale entertainment projects.

About the Role

Walt Disney Imagineering develops theme park attractions, resort experiences, and cruise ship entertainment, and this position supports that pipeline as a senior individual contributor and de facto project lead for all special effects scope on one or more attractions. Day-to-day work spans concept development, vendor and production oversight, cross-discipline coordination, and hands-on field installation supervision. The next defined career step from this position is Principal Special Effects Designer.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead concept, design, and delivery of feasibility mockups for special effects systems across all phases of theme park attraction development.
• Prepare and own documentation that establishes FX scope, schedule, and budget from early project stages through closeout.
• Oversee all production activities for special effects equipment, ensuring work is completed on time and within approved budget.
• Coordinate with integrated technical disciplines including optics, mechanics, and materials processes to meet both internal and external show requirements.
• Supervise field installation of special effects systems and provide maintenance and operations training ahead of attraction opening.
• Travel to domestic and international project sites for durations ranging from one week to six weeks or more as production schedules require.

What You Bring

• Ten or more years of special effects experience within entertainment or theme park production environments.
• Demonstrated ability to design, produce, install, maintain, and troubleshoot special effects equipment at any scale required by the show.
• Thorough working knowledge of installed Disney theme park attractions from both a technical and aesthetic show perspective.
• Background in industrial design, manufacturing, or operations with experience in special effects and projection system design is preferred.
• Theatrical training or a background in theatrical effects production is a plus.
• Proven ability to manage budget, schedule, and staff while communicating effectively across all levels of a large-scale project team.

Why This Role

Walt Disney Imagineering operates at a scale that very few theme park special effects designers ever get access to, with a project slate that spans domestic parks, international resort development, and cruise ship entertainment. Nearly every attraction includes a genuinely novel technical challenge, which means the work rarely repeats itself and the effects portfolio you build here carries significant weight in the industry. Career progression within Imagineering is structured, with a defined path from Senior to Principal Special Effects Designer based on demonstrated competency and leadership.

Apply now for the Senior Special Effects Designer role at Disney and bring your theme park special effects career to one of the most technically complex production environments in the world.