Associate Application Developer - Adobe Experience - Co-op 2026

Introduction

A career in IBM Consulting is rooted in long-term relationships and close collaboration with clients across the globe.

You'll work with visionaries across multiple industries to improve the hybrid cloud and AI journey for the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Your ability to accelerate impact and make meaningful change for your clients is enabled by our strategic partner ecosystem and our robust technology platforms across the IBM portfolio, including Software and Red Hat.

Curiosity and a constant quest for knowledge serve as the foundation for success in IBM Consulting. In your role, you'll be encouraged to challenge the norm, investigate ideas outside of your role, and come up with creative solutions that result in ground-breaking impact for a wide network of clients. Our culture of evolution and empathy centers on long-term career growth and development opportunities in an environment that embraces your unique skills and experience.

Your role and responsibilities

During your co-op, you can enhance your knowledge and gain professional experience by working on client projects. You will primarily execute tasks, implement required configurations, under supervision. This role provides an exceptional opportunity to build a compelling portfolio, acquire new skills, gain insights into diverse industries, and embrace novel challenges for your future career.

This opportunity focuses on Adobe Experience technologies.

As an Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Developer co-op, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing AEM-based digital experience solutions that empower clients to deliver personalized, scalable, and engaging web experiences. You will work closely with architects, senior developers, and front-end teams to translate business and technical requirements into performant, maintainable AEM components and solutions.

Work you could be doing in this role:

• Develop and customize AEM Sites, Assets, and Forms using modern AEM architecture and coding standards.
• Build reusable AEM components, templates, client libraries, and OSGi services using Java, Sling Models, HTL, and JCR APIs.
• Collaborate with front-end teams to integrate responsive HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into AEM components.
• Implement AEM workflows, metadata schemas, and custom servlets to support business automation and content governance.
• Assist in AEM environment setup (author, publish, dispatcher) and configuration for content replication, permissions, and caching.
• Support AEM cloud migration projects, understanding AEM as a Cloud Service structure and deployment models.
• Integrate AEM with external platforms (CRM, analytics, personalization tools) using RESTful APIs and GraphQL.
• Conduct unit testing, debugging, and performance tuning to ensure high-quality, scalable code delivery.
• Participate in code reviews, follow IBM and Adobe best practices, and contribute to documentation and reusable libraries.
• Collaborate with QA, DevOps, and Architects to ensure smooth CI/CD pipelines and deployment processes.
• Stay updated on Adobe and open-source trends; continuously improve your AEM and full-stack development capabilities.

As an Adobe Experience Platform Specialist co-op, you will help deliver digital marketing, customer experience, and data-driven journey solutions using Adobe Experience Platform and related Adobe technologies (e.g. RT-CDP, Journey Optimizer, Customer Journey Analytics). You will support the design, implementation, integration, and maintenance of Adobe-based solutions under guidance and supervision. You will work with internal teams and client stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical configurations, integrations, and implementations.

Work you could be doing in this role:

• Assist in gathering and analyzing requirements from clients / business units around customer data usage, personalization needs, journey mapping, and content management.
• Support implementation of Adobe Experience Platform modules: data ingestion / connectors, schema/data modeling, audience building, profile management.
• Collaborate on integration between AEP and other systems (e.g. CRMs, analytics tools, content management systems).
• Set up / configure activation channels Adobe Target, Adobe Journey Optimizer, or AEM as needed for personalization, content delivery, or campaign execution.
• Aid in defining and executing testing / QA of Adobe components, data integrity, and performance.
• Work under supervision to build and maintain components, scripts, or small pieces of custom code where necessary (e.g. JavaScript, APIs).
• Assist with data governance, privacy, consent, and regulatory compliance (GDPR, CCPA etc.), ensuring the Adobe solutions meet these requirements.
• Participate in workshops, design sessions, internal / client meetings and provide progress updates.
• Contribute to the preparation of solution documentation: architecture diagrams, configuration guides, best practices.
• Seek to continuously learn Adobe's evolving toolset; stay updated on Adobe Experience Platform features and roadmap

At IBM, we prioritize continuous learning, skill development, and personal growth within a culture of coaching and mentorship. As a co-op, you'll experience this culture and could advance to our full-time Associates program, after graduation, based on results and performance.

Required education

High School Diploma/GED

Preferred education

Bachelor's Degree

Required technical and professional expertise

• Currently pursuing a university degree with a track-record of academic success
• Strong interpersonal skills that enhance collaboration and relationship building, while also managing dynamic workloads in an agile environment
• Have initiative and passion to actively seek new knowledge and improve skills while embracing a growth mindset to assimilate diverse viewpoints
• Demonstrate leadership experience and ability to communicate effectively through active listening; while also be willing to adapt and have a readiness to take ownership of tasks and challenges
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Federal security clearance, if needed

• Ability to work in-office, on-site in State College, PA during the academic year.
• Ability to work up to 20 hours per week during work terms when classes are in session (e.g., fall and spring semesters) and ability to work up to 40 hours per week during work terms during academic breaks (e.g., summer).
• Ability to travel or relocate as needed during academic breaks (e.g., summer)

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Proficiency in Java, OSGi, Sling, HTL, and JCR APIs. Experience developing and deploying AEM components and templates.
• Working knowledge of HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and frameworks such as React or Vue.js is a plus.
• Experience using Git, Maven, and CI/CD tools such as Jenkins or Azure DevOps.
• Understanding of data schemas / modeling; hands-on with data ingestion / ETL; basic programming / scripting (JavaScript, REST APIs). Experience working with Adobe Experience Platform, or Adobe Target / Analytics / Journey Optimizer is a plus.
• Ability to configure Adobe modules; basic integration experience; familiarity with content management / content delivery (e.g. AEM) is a plus.

These positions are anticipated to begin in January 2026 with an initial work term through May 2026. Work term extensions based on performance and continued business need. We have positions open in State College, PA.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Consulting is IBM's consulting and global professional services business, with market leading capabilities in business and technology transformation. With deep expertise in many industries, we offer strategy, experience, technology, and operations services to many of the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Our people are focused on accelerating our clients' businesses through the power of collaboration. We believe in the power of technology responsibly used to help people, partners and the planet.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you'll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you'll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM's greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we're also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it's time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

Supplemental 1 employees may be eligible for up to 8 paid holidays, minimum of 56 hours paid sick time and the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan. IBM offers paid family medical leave and disability benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law.
This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 15 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.
We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.