Director of Engineering – Machine Learning & AI Products

The Opportunity We are looking for a Director of Engineering to guide the development of AI-native, production-ready machine learning products for external clients. This leader will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of sophisticated AI systems—from product conception and rollout to production, customer engagement, and continuous operational success. This role requires a rare blend of hands‑on technical depth, product judgment, and senior‑level people leadership. You will lead a highly experienced ML engineering organization and work closely with Product, Development, and Go‑to‑Market partners to bring differentiated AI solutions to market. Key Responsibilities Technical & Product Leadership • Own the end‑to‑end delivery of AI/ML solutions deployed in production, moving beyond proofs‑of‑concept to scalable, reliable, customer‑facing systems. • Lead deep technical discussions on system build, model integration, performance, reliability, and operational readiness. • Collaborate directly with Product Management to build product vision, challenge assumptions, and ensure differentiation beyond general‑purpose LLM capabilities. • Drive architectural decisions that balance innovation, scalability, cost, and long‑term maintainability. • Act as a senior technical voice with customers, handling partner concerns, roadmap discussions, and production issue resolution. Team & Organizational Leadership • Establish, grow, and manage a high-caliber ML engineering organization, scaling the team from about 4 to over 20 engineers as time progresses. • Manage and mentor senior engineers and leaders with 16+ years of experience, encouraging accountability, ownership, and continuous growth. • Establish a flat, hands‑on, hybrid operating model where leaders stay close to the work while empowering teams to implement initiatives independently. • Conduct performance management, career development, and succession planning aligned to director‑level expectations. Execution & Operations • Ensure excellence in production operations, including monitoring, incident response, model performance, and customer‑reported issues. • Drive strong engineering rigor across testing, release readiness, and post‑launch support. • Build scalable processes that support rapid iteration while maintaining enterprise‑grade reliability. Required Qualifications • Over 15 years of experience in software engineering, with extensive expertise in machine learning or systems driven by artificial intelligence. • Demonstrated history of delivering and managing AI/ML products in production, beyond just experimentation or research. • Strong business and commercial exposure, with direct ownership or leadership of a customer-facing, revenue-impacting AI/ML product. • Strong experience with ML system build, production architecture, and real‑world operational challenges. • Demonstrated success leading senior technical teams, including performance evaluations, mentoring, and org scaling. • Ability to engage deeply with product partners and debate technical and product tradeoffs in fast paced environments. • Experience working directly with external customers and understanding customer‑facing production realities. Preferred Background • Proven track record of building AI/ML products in startup or startup-like contexts that prioritize rapid market introduction. • Background in external, customer‑facing platforms or products, particularly AI‑first offerings. • Familiarity with domains such as marketing technology, sales technology, or customer experience platforms. Leadership Attributes We Value • Hands‑on, credible technical leadership with the ability to go deep when needed. • Strong product intuition paired with engineering rigor. • Comfort operating in ambiguity while building structure for scale. • Ability to earn trust quickly with senior engineers, product leaders, and customers. 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 $206,400 -- $384,675 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 $265,700 - $384,675 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 posti