Sr Design Manager, Spectrum Design System

The opportunity

Are you passionate about elevating design systems that empower creativity at scale? Adobe Design is seeking a Senior Design Manager to join our design system team, Spectrum, one of the most well-respected design systems in the world. You will guide a versatile team of designers bringing the design system to native platforms across mobile and desktop: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows etc.

Spectrum is more than just a design language: it’s a set of adaptable resources for making experiences feel contextual, cohesive, and performant. It’s based on real-world situations. It places people’s needs first. It delivers what is needed, when it’s needed. It’s constantly adapting. And most importantly: it belongs to everyone.

Our team bridges design and technology, providing Adobe with resources, tools, and services that enable design consistency across a range of products. 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. 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.

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 of Spectrum for native mobile (iOS and Android) and native desktop, ensuring coherence, adaptability, and long-term sustainability
• Collaborate across design, engineering, and product to translate emerging needs into scalable system improvements
• Co-own delivery roadmaps and collaborate with the framework engineering managers to enable teams to drive both design and engineering forward, bridging the gap between both fields
• Partner with product teams across Adobe to guide our designs, foster community contribution, integrating feedback, and enable successful adoption of Spectrum
• 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

• Prior experience in managing a multi-platform design systems team and a track record of for solving complex design problems at scale
• Proven experience and a track record of solving creative design challenges across products or platforms
• 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
• Mentoring and encouraging an inclusive, empowering environment for other designers to do innovative and impactful work
• Familiarity with some of the various engineering platforms and ecosystems (e.g. Android, SwiftUI, AppKit/UIKit, etc.)
• Familiarity with programming languages (Swift, Kotlin, etc.) and coding practices (git, npm etc.)

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 $141,700 -- $272,500 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.