Director, Sales Operations, Technical Pre-Sales

Adobe

Director, Sales Operations, Technical Pre-Sales

San Jose, CA
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    JOB LEVEL
    M60/P60
    EMPLOYEE ROLE
    People Manager

    Position Overview

    We are seeking a Director of Sales Operations, Technical Pre-Sales (TPS) to lead the strategic and operational engine for the Technical Pre-Sales organization.

    This role owns the end-to-end TPS operations, bringing together strategy, business operations, and sales operations into a single, coordinated function that translates go-to-market priorities into clear plans, disciplined execution, and measurable outcomes.

    As a player-coach leader, you will both define direction and directly drive critical workstreams-partnering closely with TPS leadership to ensure the organization operates with clarity, rigor, and impact.

    Scope of Role

    • Own TPS Strategy, Business Operations, and Sales Operations as a unified function
    • Lead a small, high-impact team (3 FTEs) across strategy, analytics, and operations
    • Serve as the primary strategic and operational partner to TPS leadership
    • Balance hands-on execution with leadership and prioritization

    Key Responsibilities

    Strategy & Planning

    • Translate enterprise GTM strategy into TPS priorities, “big bets,” and execution plans
    • Lead annual and in-year planning (capacity, coverage, and investment decisions)
    • Define and continuously refine TPS growth strategy tied to pipeline, win rates, and deal outcomes
    • Ensure alignment between TPS priorities and sales motions

    **2) Operating Model & Business Operations **

    • Own TPS business operations, including planning cycles, governance, and operating rhythms
    • Run core cadences (QBRs, pipeline reviews, capacity reviews, leadership forums)
    • Drive clarity on priorities, roles, and decision-making frameworks
    • Partner with Finance and HR on budget, workforce planning, and organizational design
    • Establish lightweight, scalable operating mechanisms

    3) Sales Operations (Pre-Sales Focus)

    • Help define and lead operationalization of pre-sales engagement and coverage models
    • Partner with Sales Ops to integrate technical breakthroughs into pipeline and forecasting
    • Drive awareness of technical deal progression, risk, and capacity constraints
    • Support territory planning and optimize pre-sales resource deployment

    **4) Performance Management & Insights **

    • Define important metric framework for TPS (productivity, technical win rates, cycle time, impact on revenue)
    • Build and maintain a focused, high-quality reporting and insights engine
    • Lead performance reviews that drive decisions and accountability
    • Personally deliver executive-level insights and recommendations (not just delegate)

    **5) Execution & Transformation **

    • Lead a small number of high-priority initiatives that improve TPS effectiveness and scale
    • Drive adoption of new processes, tools, and AI-enabled workflows
    • Ensure strong follow-through from strategy → execution → measurable outcomes
    • Create a closed-loop system from insight to action

    **6) Systems, Data & Process Excellence **

    • Partner with Sales Ops and technical teams to improve systems, workflows, and data quality
    • Standardize critical processes while avoiding unnecessary complexity
    • Leverage automation and AI to increase efficiency and insight generation

    Leadership Expectations

    • Operates as a player-coach-comfortable going deep into analysis and execution when needed
    • Prioritizes ruthlessly-focuses the team on the few things that matter most
    • Brings structure and clarity without over-engineering
    • Builds strong cross-functional relationships and drives alignment without formal authority

    Qualifications

    Required

    • 10-15 years in Strategy, Business Operations, Sales Operations, or GTM Operations
    • Experience supporting Sales and/or Technical Pre-Sales organizations
    • Proven ability to build operating models and personally drive execution
    • Strong analytical and financial modeling skills
    • Executive-level communication and partner management

    Preferred

    • Experience in SaaS / enterprise technology environments
    • Familiarity with pre-sales workflows (solution consulting, technical validation, POCs or comparable experience)
    • Experience in small, high-impact teams or early-stage org building

    What Success Looks Like

    • TPS operates with clear priorities and strong execution rigor
    • Leadership has simple, trusted awareness of performance, capacity, and pipeline
    • Strong alignment between Sales and TPS improves win rates and deal velocity
    • The team consistently delivers a small number of high-impact improvements
    • Systems and processes feel lightweight, effective, and scalable

    Why This Role Matters

    This role is the single point of accountability for how TPS runs-ensuring strategy, operations, and execution are tightly connected so the organization can move faster, operate with clarity, and deliver measurable business impact.

    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 $159,900 -- $325,900 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 $225,100 - $325,900 │ In New York, the pay range for this position is $225,100 - $325,900 │ In Illinois, the pay range for this position is $185,300 - $268,250

    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.

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    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.

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