Director, Engineering Operations (Chief of Staff to VP of Engineering, Adobe Express)

June 6, 2026

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JOB LEVELM60/P60EMPLOYEE ROLEIndividual ContributorThe OpportunityThis role exists to make sure Engineering actually delivers on what matters.The Director, Engineering Operations is a force multiplier to the VP of Engineering, Adobe Express—driving alignment across leaders, forcing decisions when things stall, and ensuring cross-cutting initiatives land.If priorities are unclear, you surface and resolve it. If decisions are lingering, you push them to closure. If execution drifts, you bring it back on track. This is not a coordination role. You will work directly with senior engineering leaders, challenge assumptions, and drive outcomes without formal authority.What You’ll DoDrive Cross-Org Execution<ul><li>Drive progress on the most critical, cross-cutting Engineering initiatives (platform migrations, reliability, AI/agentic systems, infra transformations, org-wide process changes).</li><li>Maintain a clear view of priorities, dependencies, and risks across pillars—and continuously pressure-test alignment.</li><li>Identify where work is misaligned to top priorities and force tradeoff conversations.</li></ul>Force Decisions & Closure<ul><li>Ensure leadership discussions result in decisions—not open threads.</li><li>Drive clear ownership, timelines, and follow-through on every major action.</li><li>Relentlessly close loops. Nothing should sit unresolved across staff or leadership forums.</li></ul>Leadership Cadence (Run It Like an Operating System)<ul><li>Own Engineering leadership cadence (staff, reviews, offsites) with a focus on signal, decisions, and outcomes.</li><li>Cut noise. Drive structured discussions with clear inputs and outputs.</li><li>Maintain high-quality artifacts: decision logs, action trackers, initiative views.</li></ul>Cross-Functional Alignment<ul><li>Work across Engineering, Product, Design, Data, and partner teams to ensure priorities are aligned and sequenced correctly.</li><li>Step into misaligned situations and drive resolution directly with leaders.</li><li>Represent the VP of Engineering, Adobe Express in forums where needed to maintain momentum.</li></ul>Execution Visibility & Insights<ul><li>Provide a real-time, honest view of initiative health, risks, and tradeoffs.</li><li>Synthesize complex technical and organizational inputs into clear, actionable insights.</li><li>Standardize how progress and risks are surfaced—no surprises.</li></ul>Targeted Deep Dives (When Things Go Sideways)<ul><li>Go deep enough to understand why something is off track (technical, organizational, or process).</li><li>Bring back clear options and drive teams to resolution.</li><li>Do not become the execution layer—drive accountability through leaders.</li></ul>What You’ll Need to Succeed<ul><li>8–12+ years in Strategy & Operations, Business Operations, Chief of Staff, or Program Leadership roles.</li><li>Background in consulting, business operations, or large-scale program delivery.</li><li>Strong experience working with Engineering organizations in complex, fast-moving environments.</li><li>Technical fluency: able to understand architecture discussions, engineering tradeoffs, and system constraints well enough to challenge and drive decisions (without being the architect).</li><li>Proven ability to influence senior engineering leaders and drive outcomes without authority.</li><li>Exceptional communication—clear, direct, and able to cut through ambiguity.</li><li>High judgment and low tolerance for drift or lack of accountability.</li></ul>Preferred<ul><li>Experience supporting VP/SVP-level Engineering leaders.</li><li>Experience in product/platform environments with significant scale and complexity.</li><li>Exposure to modern engineering systems (distributed systems, AI/ML workflows, platform architectures).</li></ul>What Success Looks Like<ul><li>The highest-priority Engineering initiatives move with urgency and clarity.</li><li>Leadership meetings consistently produce decisions and actions—not discussion.</li><li>Cross-team misalignment is surfaced and resolved quickly.</li><li>Action items are reliably driven to closure.</li></ul>Expected Pay Range:Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several  U.S. geographic markets, and we pay differently based on those defined markets. The U.S. pay range for this position is $190,200 -- $360,500 annually. Pay within this range varies by work location and may also depend on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the job location during the hiring process.<h3>‌</h3>In California, the pay range for this position is $248,900 - $360,500At Adobe, for sales roles starting salaries are expressed as total target compensation (TTC = base + commission), and short-term incentives are in the form of sales commission plans. Non-sales roles starting salaries are expressed as base salary and short-term incentives are in the form of the Annual Incentive Plan (AIP).In addition, certain roles may be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of a new hire equity award.State-Specific Notices:California:Fair Chance OrdinancesAdobe will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with state and local laws and “fair chance” ordinances.Colorado:Application Window NoticeIf this role is open to hiring in Colorado (as listed on the job posting), the application window will remain open until at least the date and time stated above in Pacific Time, in compliance with Colorado pay transparency regulations. If this role does not have Colorado listed as a hiring location, no specific application window applies, and the posting may close at any time based on hiring needs.Massachusetts:Massachusetts Legal NoticeIt is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.Internal OpportunitiesCreativity, curiosity, and constant learning are celebrated aspects of your career growth journey. We’re glad that you’re pursuing a new opportunity at Adobe! Put your best foot forward:1. Update your Resume/CV and <a target="_blank" href="https://adobe.service-now.com/esc?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0017896">Workday profile </a>– don’t forget to include your uniquely ‘Adobe’ experiences and volunteer work.2. Visit the <a target="_blank" href="https://inside.corp.adobe.com/career-growth/career-opportunities.html">Internal Mobility page</a> on Inside Adobe to learn more about the process and set up a job alert for roles you’re interested in.3. Check out these <a target="_blank" href="https://inside.corp.adobe.com/content/dam/learning-and-development/documents/career/Interviewing-DosAndDonts.pdf">tips</a> to help you prep for interviews.4. If you are applying for a role outside of your current country, ensure you review the <a target="_blank" href="https://inside.corp.adobe.com/content/inside/en/immigration-relocation/relocation.html#International-Relocating-Employees">International Resources for Relocating Employees</a> on Inside Adobe, including the impacts to your <a target="_blank" href="https://inside.corp.adobe.com/content/dam/immigration-relocation/documents/relocation/international-transfer-employee-impact-summary.pdf">Benefits, AIP, Equity & Payroll</a>. Once you apply for a role via Workday, the Talent Team will reach out to you within 2 weeks. If you move into the official interview process with the hiring team, make sure you inform your manager so they can champion your career growth.At Adobe, you will be immersed in an exceptional work environment that is recognized around the world. You will also be surrounded by colleagues who are committed to helping each other grow through our unique Check-In approach where ongoing feedback flows freely. If you’re looking to make an impact, Adobe's the place for you. Discover what our employees are saying about their career experiences on the <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.adobe.com/en/topics/adobe-life">Adobe Life blog</a> and explore the meaningful <a target="_blank" href="https://benefits.adobe.com/">benefits</a> we offer.Let’s Adobe togetherAt Adobe, we believe in creating a company culture where all employees are empowered to make an impact. Learn more about Adobe life, including our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.adobe.com/adobe-for-all.html#::text=and%20culture.-,Our%20company%20values.,-As%20we%20look">values and culture</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.adobe.com/corporate-responsibility.html">focus on people, purpose and community</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.adobe.com/diversity.html">Adobe for All</a>, comprehensive <a target="_blank" href="https://benefits.adobe.com/">benefits programs</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.adobe.com/">stories we tell</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.adobe.com/en/topics/customer-stories">customers</a> we serve, and how you can help us advance our mission of empowering everyone to create.Adobe is proud to be an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf">Equal Employment Opportunity</a> employer. We do not discriminate based on gender, race or color, ethnicity or national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/cc/en/careers/pdfs/executed-eeo.pdf">Learn more.</a>Adobe aims to make our Careers website and recruiting process accessible to any and all users. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation to navigate our website or complete the application process, email <a target="_blank" href="mailto:accommodations@adobe.com">accommodations@adobe.com</a> or call +1 408-536-3015. AI Use Guidelines for Interviews: Our interviews are designed to reflect your own skills and thinking. The use of AI or recording tools during live interviews is not permitted unless explicitly invited by the interviewer or approved in advance as part of a reasonable accommodation. If these tools are used inappropriately or in a way that misrepresents your work, your application may not move forward in the process.At Adobe, we empower employees to innovate with AI — and we look for candidates eager to do the same. As part of the hiring experience, we provide clear guidance on where AI is encouraged during the process and where it’s restricted during live interviews. See how we think about <a target="_blank" href="https://careers.adobe.com/us/en/ai-and-your-hiring-experience">AI in the hiring experience</a>.

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