Scaled Program Lead
Summary
A high-leverage, senior individual contributor role at Adobe's Unified Platform responsible for establishing system-wide program oversight, predictive delivery analytics, and scalable operating mechanisms across hundreds of concurrent programs and globally distributed teams.
About the role
The Opportunity
Adobe’s Unified Platform is operating at significant scale: hundreds of concurrent programs, thousands of interdependent work items, and globally distributed product, program, user experience, and technical groups. Individual Program Managers focus on execution within their portfolios. Meanwhile, the organization requires a system-wide program oversight capability to identify risks earlier, improve predictability, and evolve delivery continuously.
This high-leverage role of Scaled Program Management Lead was developed to meet that need. It builds on the core expectations of a Lead Program Manager—strong execution, cross‑functional leadership, and delivery accountability—while extending them across the platform. Rather than owning a bounded portfolio, this role establishes the mechanisms, data, and operating model required to manage world-class delivery at scale.
This is an individual contributor role for a highly experienced, “six-sigma-type” program leader. The candidate must understand how software is built and delivered. They will collaborate closely with development teams. They will then transform those insights into scalable systems and approaches for the wider organization.
At the scale of our platform, small improvements in focus, predictability, and flow translate into outsized impact. This role exists to institutionalize those improvements—to make data‑driven, scalable delivery part of how the platform operates every day, not a one‑off effort. This approach ensures that how we work evolves as fast as what we build.
What You’ll Do
Platform‑Scale Program Leadership
Operate horizontally to provide system‑level insight into delivery health, risks, dependencies, and bottlenecks across hundreds of active programs and development teams.
Establish and run scalable program management mechanisms that complement (not replace) portfolio Program Managers and engineering leadership.
Act as a trusted partner to platform and executive leadership by framing delivery trade‑offs, systemic risks, and opportunities using data‑backed insights.
Data‑Driven Risk & Opportunity Management
Leverage JIRA, GitHub, and related delivery systems to surface leading indicators of execution risk, capacity imbalance, and dependency friction.
Apply analytical thinking and AI‑assisted techniques to move from reactive status reporting to predictive insights (e.g., cycle time trends, backlog health, delivery confidence).
Identify recurring structural issues and translate them into actionable interventions, tooling improvements, or operating model changes.
Scaled Systems & Ways of Working
Invent and institutionalize scalable mechanisms that improve clarity, focus, and flow across teams without adding unnecessary process overhead.
Partner with existing Program Managers to standardize where it helps, while preserving flexibility for different product and engineering contexts.
Continuously evaluate and evolve program management practices based on real‑world outcomes and data, not theory.
Grounded Execution Perspective
Stay closely connected to on‑the‑ground execution alongside engineering groups to ensure insights and mechanisms reflect real delivery realities.
Translate hands‑on delivery experience into platform‑level patterns and recommendations.
Communicate complex technical and programmatic concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical partners.
What You Bring
8+ years of experience in software engineering, technical program management, or a closely related role, with direct exposure to large‑scale, multi‑team delivery.
Demonstrated experience operating across portfolios or platforms, identifying systemic delivery issues rather than isolated program risks.
Strong analytical orientation, with experience using data to drive decisions around prioritization, capacity, flow, and predictability.
Hands‑on experience with delivery tooling such as JIRA and GitHub, and comfort working with data pipelines, dashboards, and AI‑assisted analysis.
Deep understanding of what it takes to deliver software—from planning through execution and release—and credibility with partners.
Proven ability to influence without authority, drive alignment, and establish durable operating mechanisms in complex organizations.
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 [email protected] 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 $146,300 -- $277,400 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 $191,600 - $277,400
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.
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Adobe is the global leader in creative and digital experience software. Its products — including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat — are used by millions of creatives, marketers, and enterprises. Adobe also powers Experience Cloud, a suite of AI-driven marketing and analytics tools serving Fortune 100 companies.