Adobe Inc.

Engineering Manager, Express AI Foundations

Adobe Inc. • $200K — $289K *
San Jose, CA 95123In-Person
Enterprise Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 3-5 years of engineering management experience leading complex infrastructure projects.
  • Strong technical background in distributed systems or AI/ML infrastructure.
  • Experience managing team execution with sound prioritization and dependency management.
  • Excellent structured communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Comfortable making decisions in ambiguous environments and adapting plans as needed.
  • Familiarity with modern AI/ML concepts, including LLM orchestration and inference infrastructure.
  • Proven ability to coach engineers and support their career development.

Responsibilities

  • Oversee completion of AI infrastructure projects from planning to production.
  • Participate in system design reviews and assist team with complex issues.
  • Set and enforce engineering quality standards in multiple domains.
  • Prioritize technical debt against feature development with team accountability.
  • Develop a clear technical roadmap that balances immediate needs with future architecture.
  • Transform product requirements into scoped engineering tasks with clear dependencies.
  • Communicate team progress and challenges to both technical and senior stakeholders.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to make a significant impact on Adobe's AI infrastructure.
  • Support for professional growth and career advancement.
  • Access to an inclusive and collaborative work culture.
  • Engagement with cutting-edge AI/ML technologies.
  • Participation in shaping the technical direction of innovative projects.
Full Job Description
The opportunity

We are looking for an Engineering Manager to lead and grow a team of engineers building the AI infrastructure for Adobe Express. This role sits at the intersection of technical leadership and people management - you will own the delivery of the AI stack spanning Agentic AI, Imaging AI, Motion AI, and Personalization AI, while developing the engineers who build it. You will partner closely with product, research, and cross-functional engineering teams to shape the technical direction of one of Adobe's most strategic platforms.

This is an early-level people management role (M30), well suited to someone with a strong engineering foundation who has been leading & managing teams for 3-5 years and is looking to deepen their impact through the growth of others and the delivery of high-consequence systems at scale.

What you'll do

Technical direction and delivery

  • Own end-to-end delivery of AI infrastructure workstreams - including LLM orchestration, inference services, data pipelines, and evaluation frameworks - from planning through production.


  • Maintain strong enough technical depth to participate in system design reviews, challenge architectural decisions, and unblock your team on complex problems.


  • Work with your team to set and meet engineering quality standards: observability, fault tolerance, latency guarantees, security, and responsible AI practices - including bias awareness and data privacy for AI systems.


  • Make deliberate, explicit calls on technical debt versus feature velocity, and hold the team accountable to those decisions.


  • Develop and communicate a coherent technical roadmap for your area, balancing immediate delivery with sustainable long-term architecture.


Cross-functional partnership

  • Partner with product management & engineering leadership to decompose high-level product requirements into concrete technical requirements - breaking ambiguous asks into scoped workstreams with clear dependencies, effort estimates, and sequencing.


  • Drive prioritization across competing demands - balancing new feature work, infrastructure investment, and reliability improvements with a clear, defensible rationale the team and stakeholders can align on.


  • Collaborate with AI research, data science, and platform teams to integrate in-house and third-party models and APIs into production-quality serving systems.


  • Represent your team's work and direction to senior stakeholders - communicating progress, risks, and technical trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.


Team leadership and people development

  • Manage and grow a team of 6-10 engineers across varying seniority levels, providing regular coaching, feedback, and career development support.


  • Drive a strong hiring bar - own the full recruiting lifecycle for your team, from sourcing through offer, and help build an inclusive, high-performing culture.


  • Foster a collaborative, psychologically safe environment where engineers can do their best work and grow into senior and staff roles.


What you'll bring

  • 3-5 years of engineering management experience, with a track record of delivering complex infrastructure or platform projects through a team.


  • A strong technical foundation in distributed systems, AI/ML infrastructure, or large-scale service development - enough to earn credibility with senior engineers and make sound architectural trade-offs.


  • Experience owning team execution end-to-end - including structured prioritization across competing workstreams, dependency management, and shipping reliably in an agile, fast-moving environment. Can articulate trade-off decisions clearly, not just make them.


  • Clear, structured communication skills - able to translate technical trade-offs into business terms for PMs and non-technical stakeholders, and to influence direction without authority across teams.


  • Comfort navigating ambiguity: defining scope, making decisions with incomplete information, and adapting plans quickly as systems and priorities evolve.


  • Working fluency in modern AI/ML concepts - LLM orchestration, inference infrastructure, prompt engineering, AI output evaluation, and data pipelines - sufficient to guide technical decisions, set a quality bar, and grow team capability.


  • Demonstrated ability to grow engineers: coaching, setting expectations, giving actionable feedback, and supporting career progression at multiple levels.


Preferred qualifications

  • Masters degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related field.


  • Background as a hands-on engineer in data infrastructure, ML platform, or large-scale backend systems before moving into management.


  • Experience hiring and ramping engineers across a range of seniority levels, including senior and staff engineers.


  • Exposure to Generative AI development - LLMs, diffusion models, or multimodal systems - either as an individual contributor or as a manager overseeing such work.


  • Familiarity with MLOps practices: feature stores, model registries, evaluation pipelines, and deployment workflows.


  • Actively tracks emerging AI/ML trends and has a considered view on what's applicable versus overhyped - and can bring that perspective into team planning conversations.


  • Awareness of security, data privacy, and responsible AI concerns specific to AI-backed systems - including bias, safety, and handling of user data in model pipelines.

About Adobe Inc.

The Omniture product suite provides an integrated set of services: advanced web analytics and segmentation (SiteCatalyst, Discover and Data Warehouse), search marketing (SearchCenter), optimization (Advanced Testing and Targeting -- Offermatica and TouchClarity), and the marketing integration platform (Genesis). They also have an iPhone application that allows customers to sign into their Omniture account and view statistics from anywhere.

Adobe Inc. Careers

Join Adobe Inc., a global leader in digital media and digital marketing solutions, and be part of a team that thrives on innovation and creativity. Adobe offers unparalleled job opportunities that propel your career forward in an environment that fosters growth and leadership. Work You’ll Do At Adobe, you will be immersed in an atmosphere of innovative solutions and exceptional leadership, contributing to projects that drastically change the landscape of digital content. Our team at Adobe is dedicated to empowering creatives and enterprises alike through cutting-edge technology and expertise. Transform the World with Your Creativity Adobe’s mission is to change the world through digital experiences. We are looking for professionals who are passionate about creativity, technology, and driving significant market evolution. Join a diverse team that values individuality and the fresh perspectives each member brings. Lead in a Culture of Innovation Adobe Inc. is synonymous with fostering a culture of innovation where your ideas can pave the way for groundbreaking digital solutions. Our leadership is committed to nurturing a dynamic and inclusive workplace that promotes career growth and development. Collaborate with the Best Work alongside a global team of talented professionals who are leaders in their fields. At Adobe, you will enhance your skills through collaboration and be inspired by the creativity and dedication of your teammates. Our networking opportunities within the company are designed to foster connections that lead to lasting professional relationships. Explore Career Opportunities Adobe Inc. offers a range of career paths from software engineering to marketing, customer experience to IT. Explore job opportunities and internships that align with your skills and passions. Adobe is committed to hiring the best talent and providing them with the training, benefits, and support needed to succeed. Innovate and Grow Drive innovation as part of the Adobe team and see firsthand how your work contributes to the company’s success and your personal growth. Engage in projects that push the boundaries of technology and creativity. Future-Proof Your Career Adobe is dedicated to the development of its employees at all stages of their careers. We offer comprehensive training programs, including leadership development and diversity training, to ensure you are equipped for the future. Our benefits package is designed to support the well-being and financial security of our team members and their families. Stay Connected Join Our Team Search open positions that match your skills and interests. We look for driven, curious, creative, and solution-oriented team players. Start your journey with Adobe today by exploring our exciting career and internship opportunities. Keep Up to Date Stay ahead with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. READ CAREERS BLOG Job Alert Emails Customize your subscription to receive job alerts, the latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Discover the rewarding and exciting opportunities that await at Adobe Inc.
Learn more about Adobe Inc.
Size
25,988 employees
Market Cap
$154.8 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
$5.2 billion
Founded
1982
5 Year Trend
+21.9%
Revenue
$12.8 billion
NASDAQ
ADBE
* Ladders Estimates

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