Principal Architect
Location: San Jose, CA (Hybrid with min. 3 days in office)
Summary
Drives architectural evolution of Adobe’s Enterprise Customer Experience platform and applications through system and application design as well as technology innovation for Agentic AI solutions. This role will partner closely with engineering, product, and business leaders to define architecture strategy, influence product direction, and deliver highly scalable systems that support global-scale workloads, ensure data governance, and drive AI solutions.
This is a highly visible, leadership role requiring deep expertise in data management, distributed systems, and Agentic AI technologies, along with the ability to operate across organizational boundaries.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and drive end-to-end system architecture for large-scale data management, ensuring performance, security, and reliability
- Drive the development, integration and adoption of AI-native services (including Agentic Tools, Skills and Context-sensitive Agentic Loops).
- Partner with engineering and product leadership to translate business requirements into technical architecture
- Lead architectural reviews, guide design decisions, and ensure adherence to best practices
- Establish standards for scalability, observability, resiliency, and cost efficiency
- Influence cross-team alignment and provide thought leadership across the organization
- Mentor senior engineers and architects; elevate overall technical capability
- Represent architecture strategy in executive discussions and customer engagement
Basic Qualifications
- 20+ years of experience in software engineering with strong focus on end-to-end systems and application development
- Proven experience designing and operating large-scale, reliable distributed systems (high performance and high availability)
- Strong experience with microservices, APIs, and platform engineering
- Familiarity with Agentic AI solution design and development
- Demonstrated ability to influence org-wide teams and drive architecture at scale
- Excellent communication skills with ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with streaming data platforms and real-time processing frameworks (e.g., Kafka, Spark)
- Experience in developing Agentic AI systems and solutions
- Background in building developer platforms or cloud-enabled products
- Experience working in highly matrixed, enterprise-scale environments
- Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Computer Science or related field
Success Profile
- Strong systems thinker with ability to simplify complex problems
- High ownership and bias for execution
- Ability to operate at both hands-on technical depth and strategic leadership level
- Proven track record of building scalable, enterprise-grade systems and applications
About Adobe
Adobe empowers everyone to create through innovative platforms and tools that unleash creativity, productivity and personalized customer experiences. Adobe’s industry-leading offerings including Adobe Acrobat Studio, Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, Creative Cloud, Adobe Experience Platform, Adobe Experience Manager, and GenStudio enable people and businesses to turn ideas into impact, powered by AI and driven by human ingenuity.
Our 30,000+ employees worldwide are creating the future and raising the bar as we drive the next decade of growth. We’re on a mission to hire the very best and believe in creating a company culture where all employees are empowered to make an impact. At Adobe, we believe that great ideas can come from anywhere in the organization. The next big idea could be yours.
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.
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.
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 position is $190,200 - $360,500 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.

In California, the pay range for this position is $248,900 - $360,500

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
There is no deadline to apply to this job posting because Adobe accepts applications for this role on an ongoing basis. The posting will remain open based on hiring needs and position availability.
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.