The Opportunity
Adobe Firefly Applied Science & Machine Learning (ASML) is looking for a Manager, Applied Science – Generative AI Foundations to lead a team building core systems that support training and development of foundation models for generative AI, spanning image, video, and multimodal generation. This role is designed for a technical lead manager who combines strong software engineering and systems experience with applied ML understanding and people leadership. You will lead a team responsible for foundational training frameworks, tooling, and codebases that enable large-scale experimentation, reliable execution, and rapid iteration across multiple generative AI efforts at Adobe. The focus of this role is on foundational capabilities and engineering systems that support many models and teams, rather than ownership of a single model or research area. You will work closely with applied researchers, ML engineers, and product partners to turn evolving research and product needs into scalable, maintainable, and production-ready systems. Success in this role requires strong engineering judgment, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to guide both system design and applied ML workflows, while scaling impact through effective team leadership and execution.
What You’ll Do
- Lead and grow a team of applied scientists and engineers working on core generative AI training systems
- Own and evolve key parts of the training and experimentation codebase, focusing on reliability, scalability, and developer productivity
- Partner closely with applied research and engineering teams to support the full lifecycle from experimentation to production
- Drive technical design and architecture decisions for large-scale training systems, pipelines, and supporting infrastructure
- Remain hands-on enough to review designs, guide implementation choices, and unblock complex technical issues
- Establish best practices for system robustness, testing, observability, and reproducibility
- Drive execution against milestones while adapting to changing research and product priorities
- Build a strong team culture focused on ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement
What You Need to Succeed
- Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, AI/ML, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- At least 2+ years of experience leading or managing technical teams in large-scale systems engineering or AI/ML domains
- Strong hands-on software engineering experience building and operating large-scale distributed systems, or experience working on model training systems and ML infrastructure
- Experience working with complex codebases, production services, or internal platforms used by multiple teams
- Ability to operate as a technical leader, making sound design tradeoffs and unblocking complex engineering problems
- Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across research, engineering, and product organizations
- Comfort working in fast-moving, ambiguous environments typical of generative AI development
About Adobe
Adobe empowers everyone to create through innovative platforms and tools that unleash creativity, productivity and personalized customer experiences. Adobe’s industry-leading offerings including Adobe Acrobat Studio, Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, Creative Cloud, Adobe Experience Platform, Adobe Experience Manager, and GenStudio enable people and businesses to turn ideas into impact, powered by AI and driven by human ingenuity.
Our 30,000+ employees worldwide are creating the future and raising the bar as we drive the next decade of growth. We’re on a mission to hire the very best and believe in creating a company culture where all employees are empowered to make an impact. At Adobe, we believe that great ideas can come from anywhere in the organization. The next big idea could be yours.
** Let’s Adobe together**
At Adobe, we believe in creating a company culture where all employees are empowered to make an impact. Learn more about Adobe life, including our values and culture, focus on people, purpose and community, Adobe for All, comprehensive benefits programs, the stories we tell, the customers we serve, and how you can help us advance our mission of empowering everyone to create.
Adobe is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity 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. Learn more.
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 accommodations@adobe.com 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 AI in the hiring experience.
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 $149,300 -- $324,450 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.
In California, the pay range for this position is $224,100 - $324,450
At 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 Ordinances
Adobe 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 Notice
If 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 Notice
It 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.