Senior Manager - Applied Machine Learning Research

About the Role

Adobe Express empowers users of all scales to create compelling content effortlessly. The AI Foundations team develops a robust, scalable AI infrastructure that fuels creativity across design, imagery, motion, and personalization domains. Positioned centrally within this vision, the AI Foundations group pioneers innovations to enhance Adobe Express’s intelligence, speed, and adaptability.

We seek a Senior Manager to oversee and expand our Machine Learning team based in India. This role involves integrating cutting-edge research into our AI capabilities spanning Agentic AI, Imaging AI, Motion AI, and Personalization, while fostering the professional growth of team members who build these technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead machine learning initiatives focused on creating advanced models that enable Agentic and Generative AI functionalities for Adobe Express.
• Manage the complete ML workflow from ideation and prototype development through to evaluation and deployment.
• Contribute to core AI systems including orchestration, automation of layouts, image synthesis, and motion-based storytelling.
• Develop and implement evaluation frameworks combining automated metrics, large language model evaluators, and user feedback mechanisms.
• Serve as a technical lead within the broader Express AI Foundations leadership, guiding strategic technology investments.
• Collaborate with cross-regional ML teams within Express to synchronize innovation efforts and maintain alignment.
• Partner closely with engineering and product management teams to maintain strong product orientation.
• Engage with Adobe Research to translate innovative concepts into scalable production solutions.
• Lead and support a team of 5 to 6 machine learning engineers, providing guidance to nurture a culture of innovation and experimentation.
• Manage end-to-end recruitment processes to uphold a high hiring standard and cultivate an inclusive, high-performance culture.
• Create a supportive and collaborative work environment that encourages engineers to excel and develop towards senior-level roles.

Essential Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience managing ML Engineering or Applied Science teams, demonstrating success delivering complex platform or infrastructure projects.
• Proven ability to drive team execution including prioritizing competing projects, managing dependencies, and reliably shipping in an agile, fast-moving environment.
• Exceptional communication skills, able to convey technical trade-offs in business terms for diverse stakeholders and effectively influence without formal authority.
• Adept at handling ambiguity by defining scope, making decisions with incomplete information, and adapting plans as priorities change.
• Hands-on experience deploying machine learning models at production scale.
• Deep understanding of current machine learning research in multi-modal reasoning to guide technical decisions and elevate team expertise.
• Experience mentoring engineers with a strong record of fostering career growth and delivering actionable feedback.

Preferred Background

• Master’s or PhD degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Knowledge of model adaptation methodologies such as PEFT, SFT, or Reinforcement Learning.
• Familiarity with agent-based systems, intelligent assistants, or AI planning frameworks.
• Experience in multimedia, creative, or imaging technology domains.
• Publications in leading machine learning, computer vision, or AI conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, CVPR, ICML, SIGGRAPH).

Success Factors

• Passion for leading teams and nurturing talent.
• A visionary mindset towards creativity and continuous improvement of AI solutions.
• Up-to-date knowledge of cutting-edge AI research.
• Comfort working in a rapidly evolving, ambiguous environment.
• Collaborative approach focused on product impact, innovation in AI/ML, and engineering excellence.

About Adobe

Adobe creates tools and platforms that fuel creativity, productivity, and personalized customer experiences. Our portfolio includes Adobe Acrobat Studio, Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, Creative Cloud, and more, enabling users to transform ideas into impactful results powered by AI and human creativity.

With over 30,000 employees worldwide, Adobe is driving forward the next decade of growth by fostering a culture of innovation where each individual’s ideas are valued.

Diversity and Accessibility

Adobe is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusion and does not discriminate based on protected characteristics. We strive to make our career site and hiring processes accessible and provide accommodations upon request.

Interview Guidelines

Our interviews reflect your true skills and thinking. Use of AI or recording tools during live interviews is prohibited unless expressly authorized as an accommodation.