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Staff Software Engineer (Level 5)
full-timeSan Jose$159k - $301k

Summary

Location

San Jose

Salary

$159k - $301k

Type

full-time

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About this role

Our Company

Changing the world through digital experiences is what Adobe’s all about. We give everyone—from emerging artists to global brands—everything they need to design and deliver exceptional digital experiences! We’re passionate about empowering people to create beautiful and powerful images, videos, and apps, and transform how companies interact with customers across every screen. 

We’re on a mission to hire the very best and are committed to creating exceptional employee experiences where everyone is respected and has access to equal opportunity. We realize that new ideas can come from everywhere in the organization, and we know the next big idea could be yours!


 

The Opportunity
We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Software Engineer to help drive the evolution
of Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO). In this backend role, you will play a key part in designing
and delivering the next generation of features that empower our customers to create exceptional experiences across billions of interactions a day! As part of the real-time journey orchestration team, you’ll build high throughput, enterprise-grade solutions with a strong focus on performance, reliability, and innovation.
 
Journey Optimizer is an application built on Adobe Experience Platform that enables real-time orchestration and delivery of personalized digital experiences across any channel. It empowers brands to engage customers in the moments that matter by combining unified customer profiles, intelligent decisioning, and dynamic content to deliver contextually relevant experiences at scale.
 
What You'll Do
  • Technical Ownership: Design, implement, and maintain core components of AJO, with a focus on backend systems.
  • Innovation & Impact: Collaborate with engineering leadership to shape and rapidly deliver on a technical vision for efficiently addressing the complex needs of our enterprise customers with easy-to-maintain solutions. Create differentiated value through effective application of AI.
  • Engineering Excellence: Champion software engineering standards, including code quality, testing, and continuous integration/deployment.
  • Design and Operate at Scale: Lead in the architecture and operation of large-scale, globally distributed systems. Ensure high availability and low latency in enterprise environments.
  • Mentorship & Collaboration: Mentor junior engineers, lead design reviews, and foster a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning across the team.
  • Customer Focus: Work closely with product managers and customer-facing teams to understand user needs and translate them into robust technical solutions.

What You Need To Succeed
  • Education: BS or MS in Computer Science or a related field.
  • Experience: 10+ years of experience building, testing and operating complex software systems, focused on the backend. Experience with AI/ML systems and enterprise software development is a strong plus.
  • Technical Expertise: Deep understanding of modern software development practices, distributed systems, and cloud-native architectures. Proficiency in Java, with expert knowledge of streaming architectures (e.g., Kafka), relational and NoSQL databases, caching frameworks, microservices, networking, security, and containerized environments (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
  • Problem Solving: Strong analytical skills and a data-driven attitude. Ability to break down complex problems and deliver elegant, maintainable solutions.
  • Operational Mentality: Demonstrated skill and enthusiasm for rigorous quality
  • practices, observability, and incident response in production environments. Sense of urgency in maintaining operational excellence.
  • Leadership Background: Experience and interest in technical leadership and project management.
  • Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to clearly articulate technical concepts and collaborate effectively with technical and non-technical partners.
  • Customer Empathy: A strong sense of ownership and a passion for building products that delight users.
  • Industry Exposure: Experience building enterprise B2B or B2C products in the
  • marketing automation, analytics, experimentation, decisioning, or personalization space is a plus.

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 $159,200 -- $301,600 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 $208,300 - $301,600

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.

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 applicable characteristics protected by law. Learn more.

 

Adobe aims to make Adobe.com 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 [email protected] or call (408) 536-3015.

Other facts

Tech stack
Java,AI,ML,Distributed Systems,Cloud-Native Architectures,Microservices,Networking,Security,Containerized Environments,Kafka,Relational Databases,NoSQL Databases,Caching Frameworks,Software Engineering Standards,Observability,Incident Response,Technical Leadership

About Adobe

Adobe is the global leader in digital media and digital marketing solutions. Our creative, marketing and document solutions empower everyone – from emerging artists to global brands – to bring digital creations to life and deliver immersive, compelling experiences to the right person at the right moment for the best results. In short, Adobe is everywhere, and we’re changing the world through digital experiences.

Team size: 10,001+ employees
LinkedIn: Visit
Industry: Software Development
Founding Year: 1982

What you'll do

  • Design, implement, and maintain core components of Adobe Journey Optimizer, focusing on backend systems. Collaborate with engineering leadership to deliver technical solutions that meet enterprise customer needs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Adobe pay for a Staff Software Engineer (Level 5)?

Adobe offers a competitive compensation package for the Staff Software Engineer (Level 5) role. The salary range is USD 159k - 302k per year. Apply through Clera to learn more about the full compensation details.

What does a Staff Software Engineer (Level 5) do at Adobe?

As a Staff Software Engineer (Level 5) at Adobe, you will: design, implement, and maintain core components of Adobe Journey Optimizer, focusing on backend systems. Collaborate with engineering leadership to deliver technical solutions that meet enterprise customer needs..

Why join Adobe as a Staff Software Engineer (Level 5)?

Adobe is a leading Software Development company. The Staff Software Engineer (Level 5) role offers competitive compensation.

Is the Staff Software Engineer (Level 5) position at Adobe remote?

The Staff Software Engineer (Level 5) position at Adobe is based in San Jose, California, United States. Contact the company through Clera for specific work arrangement details.

How do I apply for the Staff Software Engineer (Level 5) position at Adobe?

You can apply for the Staff Software Engineer (Level 5) position at Adobe directly through Clera. Click the "Apply Now" button above to start your application. Clera's AI-powered platform will help match your profile with this opportunity and guide you through the application process. You can also learn more about Adobe on their website.