Principal Designer, Adobe Express (San Jose)

JOB LEVEL

M60/P60

EMPLOYEE ROLE

Individual Contributor

The opportunity

At Adobe Express, we’re redefining how people design, communicate, and bring ideas to life. From small business owners building brand materials, to educators creating classroom content, to marketers and knowledge workers designing newsletters and social posts, we help people move from idea to impact, fast.

We’re looking for a Principal Designer to lead the future of smart, intuitive, AI-powered creation tools in Express. You’ll shape the end-to-end vision for how people create across media types, delivering elegant workflows that feel fast, empowering, and magical. We believe in putting powerful tools into the hands of everyday creators. If you’re passionate about craft, excited by what’s possible with AI, and motivated by impact, we’d love to meet you!

What you’ll do

• You’ll partner closely with cross-functional teams to translate emerging technologies into real, scalable product experiences that inspire creativity and help users succeed. You will play a critical role in shaping product vision, exploring new workflows, and raising the quality bar across surfaces. You’ll influence and inspire teams through clarity, vision, and deep design expertise.

• Design intuitive workflows that blend AI-powered automation with human creativity and control

• Prototype future-forward experiences that help teams align around bold ideas and direction

• Collaborate with product, engineering, and research partners to bring concepts to life

• Advocate for design strategy and clarity with executive stakeholders

• Champion simplicity, usability, and polish across every touchpoint of the Express editor

• Mentor and inspire other designers, contributing to a collaborative and forward-thinking team culture

What you'll need to succeed

• 8+ years designing intuitive, high-impact products across web and mobile platforms

• Experience shaping and delivering large-scale, user-centered product experiences

• Deep interest in AI and how it transforms creativity, productivity, and user behavior

• Strong storytelling and communication skills to align and inspire cross-functional teams

• Comfort navigating ambiguity, influencing senior stakeholders, and driving product vision

• A strong eye for detail and dedication to craft, simplicity, and cohesion

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.

About Adobe Design

Adobe Design creates tools that amplify the world’s ability to create and communicate. We’re a global team of designers, researchers, prototypers, content strategists, program managers, and more who work across Adobe’s three product lines: Creative Cloud, Document Cloud, and Experience Cloud.

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 positionis $173,400 -- $317,000 annually. Paywithin this range varies by work locationand 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.

Internal Opportunities

Creativity, curiosity, and constant learning are celebrated aspects of your career growth journey. We’re glad that you’re pursuing a new opportunity at Adobe!

Put your best foot forward:

1. Update your Resume/CV and Workday profile – don’t forget to include your uniquely ‘Adobe’ experiences and volunteer work.

2. Visit the Internal Mobility page on Inside Adobe to learn more about the process and set up a job alert for roles you’re interested in.

3. Check out these tips to help you prep for interviews.

4. If you are applying for a role outside of your current country, ensure you review the International Resources for Relocating Employees on Inside Adobe, including the impacts to your Benefits, AIP, Equity & Payroll .

Once you apply for a role via Workday, the Talent Team will reach out to you within 2 weeks. If you move into the official interview process with the hiring team, make sure you inform your manager so they can champion your career growth.

At Adobe, you will be immersed in an exceptional work environment that is recognized around the world. You will also be surrounded by colleagues who are committed to helping each other grow through our unique Check-In approach where ongoing feedback flows freely. If you’re looking to make an impact, Adobe's the place for you. Discover what our employees are saying about their career experiences on the Adobe Life blog and explore the meaningful benefits we offer.

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 or call (408) 536-3015.

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