Director, Business Operations

Adobe

Director, Business Operations

San Jose, CA
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    JOB LEVEL
    M60/P60
    EMPLOYEE ROLE
    People Manager

    THE OPPORTUNITY

    The Adobe.com & Customer Engagement Platform organization is a global team of 800+ employees at the heart of how Adobe connects with customers online. Spanning Adobe.com, digital acquisition and B2B demand generation, personalization and optimization, mobile app store strategy, SEO/AEO, Creative Cloud Desktop, and the full suite of Help, Learn, Community, and Support platforms, this organization drives the digital experience for Adobe's $14B+ product portfolio and serves tens of millions of customers worldwide.

    As Director of Business Operations, you will be the operational backbone of this organization, ensuring that a large, complex, and fast-moving team runs with the rigor and discipline required to deliver at scale. Reporting directly to the SVP, you will serve as a trusted partner and force-multiplier, translating strategy into operating rhythms, driving accountability across the leadership team, and ensuring that resources are deployed against the highest priorities.

    This is not a behind-the-scenes support role; it is a senior leadership position requiring executive presence, sharp business judgment, and a relentless commitment to operational excellence. The right person thrives in complexity, brings structure to ambiguity, and takes personal ownership of outcomes.

    WHAT YOU'LL DO

    Business Operations & Organizational Rhythm

    • Design and own the organization's operating cadence, including quarterly business reviews (QBRs), annual planning cycles, weekly leadership team syncs, and monthly business reviews.
    • Build and maintain systems, processes, and tools that enable the organization to operate at scale, from goal tracking and decision frameworks to cross-functional dependency management.
    • Own OKR development and accountability across the organization, establishing clear ownership, defining measurable outcomes, and ensuring consistent progress tracking against strategic objectives.
    • Own the operating forums and cadences for reviewing KPI performance, ensuring leadership alignment on business health, operational effectiveness, and progress against strategic goals.
    • Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks proactively; continuously improve how the team plans, prioritizes, and executes, both at headquarters and with local teams in the regions.

    Chief of Staff & Cross-Functional Integration

    • Act as a strategic advisor and trusted partner to the SVP, with deep context on organizational priorities, key relationships, and pending decisions.
    • Serve as the central integrator across the team and with key partner organizations, ensuring priorities are aligned, dependencies are managed, and execution remains on track enterprise-wide.
    • Partner closely with the SVP's Executive Communications partner to prepare high-quality materials for customer meetings, analyst interviews, board and executive staff presentations, all-hands events, team communications, and leadership forums. Develop and maintain a communications calendar, ensuring consistent and well-timed messaging across the organization.
    • Drive follow-through on key initiatives and commitments, owning the connective tissue between conversations and outcomes across the leadership team.
    • Represent the SVP in select meetings and cross-functional working groups; communicate direction and decisions clearly back to the team.
    • Manage sensitive organizational and strategic matters with discretion and sound judgment.

    Headcount, Budget & Resource Planning

    • Partner with Finance to own the organization's annual and quarterly headcount and budget planning processes, ensuring targets and tradeoffs are clearly understood and actively tracked.
    • Maintain a real-time view of headcount status, open roles, and budget pacing; partner with Employee Experience to proactively surface risks and recommendations to the SVP and leadership team.
    • Support organizational design discussions and lead the operational execution of restructures, ensuring transitions are handled with precision and execution is seamlessly coordinated.
    • Develop frameworks for resource allocation decisions, helping the SVP make well-informed investment choices across a complex portfolio.

    Team Leadership

    • Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team of 2-3 business operations and program management professionals.
    • Set clear goals, provide regular feedback, and invest actively in the growth and development of each team member.
    • Foster a team culture grounded in accountability, operational excellence, and genuine collaboration.

    WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO SUCCEED

    Experience & Background

    • 12+ years of experience in business operations, strategy, chief of staff, or management consulting roles, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership capacity.
    • Prior experience supporting a global large-scale product, engineering or technology organization is strongly preferred. Background in management consulting, investment banking, or an internal strategy/operations role at a technology company is a plus.
    • Proven track record of designing and running complex operating rhythms (including annual planning cycles, OKRs, and executive-level business reviews) with exceptional precision and follow-through.
    • Experience owning headcount and budget planning processes at scale, in close partnership with Finance.
    • Demonstrated ability to operate within large, global, matrixed organizations and drive alignment across diverse stakeholders.

    Skills & Capabilities

    • Exceptional operational rigor: follow-through, accuracy, and bringing structure and discipline to complex, fast-moving initiatives.
    • Strong financial acumen and comfort navigating complex headcount, forecasting, and budget models.
    • Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex data into clear, actionable insights and executive-level recommendations.
    • Ability to build trust quickly across all levels of an organization, from individual contributors to C-suite executives.
    • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; able to create crisp, executive-quality content quickly and under pressure.
    • Comfort operating with discretion on sensitive organizational and strategic matters.

    Leadership Qualities

    • Calm under pressure, with the judgment to prioritize ruthlessly when everything feels urgent.
    • A natural collaborator who builds bridges across functions.
    • Committed to building an inclusive team culture where diverse perspectives are valued.

    PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

    • Advanced degree (MBA, MS Engineering Management, or similar) preferred.
    • Prior experience at a large-scale SaaS, technology, or digital media company.
    • Experience operating as a Chief of Staff to a VP-level or above executive in a technology organization with a global remit.
    • Familiarity with digital marketing, eCommerce, or customer engagement platforms.

    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 positionis $153,200 -- $299,700 annually. Paywithin this range varies by work locationand 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 $207,000 - $299,700

    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.

    Internal Opportunities

    Creativity, 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 Workday profile - don’t forget to include your uniquely ‘Adobe’ experiences and volunteer work.

    2. Visit the Internal Mobility page 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 tips to help you prep for interviews.

    4. If you are applying for a role outside of your current country, ensure you review the International Resources for Relocating Employees on Inside Adobe, including the impacts to your Benefits, AIP, Equity & Payroll .

    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 Adobe Life blog and explore the meaningful benefits we offer.

    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 .