Principal Service Engineer, Adobe Firefly

Adobe Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 261,800 - 379,100; Full time

Job summary

Adobe Inc. is seeking a Principal Service Engineer to lead the technical direction of their Generative AI Services. In this role, you will guide a team in developing scalable AI systems for Adobe products including Firefly and Photoshop. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in production-scale system operations and leading complex engineering initiatives. The position is located in San Jose, California, offering a competitive salary range between $261,800 and $379,100 annually, based on experience and location.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in building and operating production-scale systems.
• 3+ years of experience leading large-scale, GPU-intensive GenAI workloads.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams on complex engineering initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and scaling of GenAI services and APIs.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership in architecture and design.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with Product Managers and engineering leaders.

Skills

Building and operating production-scale systems

Leading large-scale GPU-intensive GenAI workloads

Communication and leadership

Model serving and orchestration

Hands-on with Kubernetes and MLOps platforms

Education

MS or PhD in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Kubernetes

MLOps platforms

Job description

Adobe Firefly's Generative AI Services team is seeking a Principal Service Engineer to serve as the technical lead for our GenAI Services domain. In this high-impact role, you will lead a team of talented engineers in building scalable, high-performance generative AI systems powering features across Adobe products such as Firefly, Photoshop, Illustrator, Express, Stock, Premiere, and our GenAI Enterprise solutions.

You will design and develop APIs and systems that integrate both Adobe's proprietary and third-party generative models. As a hands-on technical leader, you will champion technical excellence and operational rigor while productizing and scaling a rapidly growing portfolio of GenAI services. You will address Adobe's most complex engineering challenges, define technical direction, and mentor a growing organization of ML and services engineers.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the development and scaling of core GenAI services and APIs that integrate diverse generative models into Adobe's flagship products.
• Design and architect inference infrastructure for enterprise-scale model customization, serving, and ecosystem integration.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership, guiding engineers through architecture, design, implementation, and best practices.
• Evaluate and incorporate emerging MLOps technologies to improve engineering velocity, scalability, and performance.
• Drive cross-functional alignment by partnering with Product Managers, TPMs, and engineering leaders to define and deliver the roadmap.
• Lead design reviews and establish technical standards to ensure high reliability, maintainability, and scalability across systems.
• Design and lead the development of DevOps processes and tooling necessary for scaling infrastructure and services.
• Foster a culture of innovation, technical excellence, and continuous improvement across the organization.

What You\'ll Need to Succeed

• MS or PhD in Computer Science or a related field or equivalent industry experience.
• 10+ years of experience building and operating production-scale systems.
• 3+ years of experience leading large-scale, GPU-intensive GenAI workloads (training, inference, and/or optimization).
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams on complex, high-stakes engineering initiatives.
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills, with a strong ability to drive alignment in matrixed environments.
• Deep experience in model serving, orchestration, and GPU resource management in large-scale deployments.
• Hands-on expertise with Kubernetes, distributed systems, and MLOps platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• In-depth understanding of generative model architectures, including diffusion models, transformers, and GANs

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 include Adobe Acrobat Studio, Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, Creative Cloud, Adobe Experience Platform, Adobe Experience Manager, and GenStudio.

Our 30,000+ employees worldwide are creating the future and driving growth. Adobe is committed to a culture where all employees can make an impact. The next big idea could be yours.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Accessibility

Adobe is 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. Adobe is committed to accessibility in its recruiting process. If you require accommodations to navigate our website or complete the application, please contact us at [e-mail].

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 tools are used improperly, your application may not move forward in the process.

We provide guidance on where AI is encouraged during the process and where it is restricted during live interviews. See how we think about AI in the hiring experience.

Expected Pay Range

The U.S. pay range for this position is $206,400 – $379,100 annually. Pay within this range varies by work location and may depend on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Specific salary range details are provided by the recruiter. In California the pay range is $261,800 – $379,100; in Washington the pay range is $242,600 – $351,225.

Non-sales roles start with base salary and may include an annual incentive plan. Some roles may be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of a new hire equity award.

State-Specific Notices

California: Fair Chance Ordinances apply to employment.

Colorado: If this role is open to hiring in Colorado, the application window will remain open until the stated date in Pacific Time, in compliance with pay transparency regulations.

Massachusetts: Massachusetts legal notices apply regarding certain employment protections.