Staff Software Developer, Embedded Systems/Firmware

Google LLC; Southwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 216,000 - 221,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Bonus target 20%

Benefits

Job summary

Google LLC is seeking a Staff Software Developer for Embedded Systems/Firmware in Canada. You will lead a team at the hardware-software frontier, define roadmaps, and drive end-to-end delivery on resource-constrained platforms.

The role emphasizes leadership, architecture influence, and cross-functional collaboration across Hardware, Product, and UX. The position requires strong C/C++ skills, embedded OS experience, and prior leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in software or related field.
• 8 years of software development experience.
• 3 years of experience with embedded operating systems.
• 3 years in a technical leadership role.
• 2 years in people management or team leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive project priorities, schedules and deliverables.
• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain software solutions.
• Lead embedded developers team bridging hardware and software for MCU/SoC platforms.
• Clarify technical direction and influence the Glasses platform architecture.

Skills

Technical leadership

People management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience

Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or related field

Tools

C/C++

Android platform development

MCU RTOS

Job description

Staff Software Developer, Embedded Systems/Firmware

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of experience in software development.
• 3 years of experience with embedded operating systems.
• 3 years of experience in a technical leadership role.
• 2 years of experience in a people management or team leadership role.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or related technical field.
• Proficiency in C or C++.
• Knowledge of Android platform development or Microcontroller Unit (MCU) Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) systems.
• Excellent problem-solving, attention to detail, and project management skills with the ability to drive results.
• Excellent communication and people management skills, with the ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams.

About the job

Google's software developers develop the next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information and one another. Our products need to handle information at massive scale, and extend well beyond web search. We're looking for software developers who bring fresh ideas from all areas, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, UI design and mobile; the list goes on and is growing every day. As a software developer, you will work on a specific project critical to Google’s needs with opportunities to switch teams and projects as you and our fast-paced business grow and evolve. We need our software developers to be versatile, display leadership qualities and be enthusiastic to take on new problems across the full-stack as we continue to push technology forward.

With your technical expertise you will manage project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables. You will design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and enhance software solutions.

As a Staff Software Developer for this team, you will sit at the intersection of hardware and software, defining how the next generation of wearable computing comes to life. Leading a team of embedded developers in Waterloo, you will solve technical issues on resource-constrained, multi-processor Android and MCU-based platforms.

You will 'reduce chaos' by clarifying technical direction and influencing the architecture of the Glasses platform. You will balance deep technical contributions with the growth and career development of your developers. The Google Augmented Reality team is a group of experts tasked with building the foundations for great immersive computing and building helpful, delightful user experiences. We're focused on making immersive computing accessible to billions of people through mobile devices, and our scope continues to grow and evolve.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Canada: $216000 - $221000 (CAD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google .

• Define multi-quarter technical roadmaps and partner with cross-functional leads (Hardware, Product, UX) to align software outcomes with broader XR organizational goals.
• Lead the bring-up of multiprocessor MCU and SoC-based hardware reference platforms, owning end-to-end delivery measured through system stability milestones.
• Lead development and maintenance of bootloaders, hardware abstraction layers (HALs), and drivers for core components like chargers, fuel gauges, touchpads, and environmental sensors.
• Manage a team of embedded developers, fostering a strong developing culture of psychological safety, technical excellence, and continuous growth.
• Make significant individual contributions by creating/reviewing designs, writing critical-path code, and executing data-driven optimizations to the platform.

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of the users we serve, creating a culture of belonging, and providing an equal employment opportunity regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), expecting or parents-to-be, criminal histories consistent with legal requirements, or any other basis protected by law. See also Google's EEO Policy , Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal , Belonging at Google , and How we hire .

Google is a global company and, in order to facilitate efficient collaboration and communication globally, English proficiency is a requirement for all roles unless stated otherwise in the job posting.

Equity is granted exclusively and discretionarily by Alphabet Inc. on the basis of an agreement concluded between you and Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is your sole contractual partner with respect to equity grants. GSU grants are not guaranteed, are discretionary, are subject to approval by the Alphabet Inc. board of directors or its delegate, the terms of the relevant Alphabet Inc. stock plan, and your grant agreement. They have no impact on statutory payments. Current or past grants do not confer an acquired right.