Manager, Animation

Disney is hiring a Manager, Animation for its ESPN Creative Studio team based in Bristol, CT. This role leads the Animation and Animation FX department, overseeing the people, tools, and post-production workflow that produce motion graphics and animation packages for ESPN’s broadcast and studio output. It suits an experienced animation professional who has moved into leadership and understands both the creative and operational sides of a broadcast animation pipeline.

About the Role

The Manager, Animation sits within ESPN Creative Studio’s Edit, Animation, Graphics Innovation and Creative Production division, working across sports broadcast packages, event animation, and studio graphics. Day to day, this person balances staff assignments, project schedules, and technology resources while staying ahead of production needs before they become bottlenecks. They work directly with internal leaders and outside vendors to keep the animation studio running at pace with ESPN’s broadcast calendar.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily planning and monitoring of all animation staff assignments, adjusting workloads in real time to keep broadcast deliverables on schedule.
• Directly manage, mentor, and coach supervisor and staff-level animators, identifying individual development areas and building team capability over time.
• Develop and align animation team workflows and strategies with broader ESPN Creative Studio production priorities and business goals.
• Partner with IT to guide improvements to animation software, hardware, and render infrastructure, including Deadline Render Manager systems.
• Identify and resolve technical, operational, and organizational challenges across the animation pipeline before they impact delivery.
• Engage with outside vendors and internal stakeholders to influence workflow decisions and ensure consistent creative output across projects.

What You Bring

• Minimum 10 years of experience in animation, motion graphics design, or television production, with a track record in team leadership.
• Strong working knowledge of industry-standard animation software, render management tools, and broadcast animation workflows.
• Experience supervising both in-person and remote creative teams across concurrent projects with tight deadlines.
• Familiarity with ESPN studio and event animation packages is a clear advantage.
• Deadline Render Manager experience and proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications are preferred.
• A degree in Animation, VFX, Graphic Design, or Film and TV Production is preferred, though a high school diploma is the minimum requirement.

Why This Role

ESPN Creative Studio produces animation and graphics for one of the most widely watched sports broadcast operations in the world, which means the work carries real visibility and scale. Disney offers a full benefits package alongside the base compensation, with a hiring range of $126,800 to $170,000 per year, plus potential bonus and long-term incentive units depending on experience and location. For an animation professional looking to step into senior leadership within a major broadcast animation studio, this is a role with genuine scope.

Apply now for the Manager, Animation position at Disney and bring your production workflow experience to ESPN Creative Studio in Bristol, CT.