Sr Design Manager, Spectrum Design System

The opportunity

Are you passionate about elevating design systems that empower creativity at scale? Spectrum Design is seeking a Senior Design Manager to guide a versatile team solving some of Adobe’s most ambitious design and Figma architecture challenges. Your expertise in design systems, ability to refine others’ craft, and strength in navigating multi-layered design and technical challenges will help shape Spectrum's next evolution.

At Spectrum, we're also exploring expanding the boundaries of composing systems through AI. Playing a pivotal role in connecting development and code, you will influence the way we incorporate Figma’s MCP, AI-assisted prototyping, and Adobe's own custom models. You’ll play a key role in defining how AI can accelerate creativity and shape the workflows of the future.

We believe design should be joyful, collaborative, and full of momentum! We're proud of the expertise we bring, but we're even more passionate about what we can build together and enjoying the journey of creation together!

About you

You’re a creative technical force with excellent aesthetic judgment and a deep dedication to collaboration. Your craft, approach, and how you foster camaraderie set the standard. Your work delights customers and inspires peers, and you thrive in environments where vision and execution go hand in hand.

What you’ll do

• As a key leader within the Spectrum design team, your work and voice will have a far-reaching impact. You will:
• Shape the strategy and structure of Spectrum’s Figma ecosystem, ensuring coherence, adaptability, and long-term sustainability.
• Chart and light the way into new frontiers with AI. Integrating prototyping, tokens, and design-to-code handoffs through intelligent automation.
• Collaborate across design, engineering, and product to translate emerging needs into scalable system improvements.
• Inspire visionary thinking by exploring what’s possible with Spectrum. Stretching the system thoughtfully to empower designers to elevate craft and create with confidence and speed.
• Uphold inclusive and accessible design as a non-negotiable foundation.
• Cultivate a team culture rooted in curiosity, mentorship, and shared ambition.

What you need to succeed

• Proven experience and a track record of solving creative problem sets.
• Ability to solve complex design challenges across products or platforms.
• Expert-level proficiency with Figma and Figma libraries.
• A collaborative and open-minded outlook, and a high degree of comfort working in a fast-paced environment.
• Creative and analytical skills to facilitate workshops and communicate insights that inspire design opportunities.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with engineering partners to bring designs to life.
• Mentoring and encouraging an inclusive, empowering environment for other designers to do innovative and impactful work.

Preferred Accessibility Design Skills:

• Experience designing accessible and inclusive interfaces for people with disabilities.
• Understanding of applying WCAG conformance criteria in design, specifically testing comps, wireframes, and prototypes for accessibility standards.
• Accessibility certifications CPACC, WAS, CPWA, or ADS from the IAAP preferred.

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 $133,100 -- $256,500 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.

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.