Staff Software Developer, Embedded Systems/Firmware

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

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Bonus target

Job summary

Google is seeking a Staff Software Developer to lead embedded teams in Waterloo, bridging hardware and software on resource-constrained Android/MCU platforms. You will guide architecture decisions, set priorities, and drive end-to-end delivery for complex wearables projects.

You will balance hands-on coding with team mentorship, roadmapping, and cross-functional collaboration to push immersive computing forward.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of software development experience.
• 3 years of embedded operating systems experience.
• 3 years of technical leadership experience.
• 2 years of people management or team leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Define multi-quarter technical roadmaps and align software outcomes with hardware, product, and UX goals.
• Lead bring-up of multiprocessor MCU/SoC hardware reference platforms with end-to-end delivery and milestones.
• Develop and maintain bootloaders, HALs, and drivers for core components like chargers and sensors.
• Manage a team of embedded developers, fostering psychological safety and continuous growth.
• Make significant individual contributions by designing, coding, and performing data-driven optimizations.

Skills

Software development

Embedded systems

Technical leadership

People management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience

Master’s degree or PhD in CS or related field

Job description

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Google utilizes AI tools to assist in assessing candidates in our hiring processes.

In most instances, this position requires in-person interviews as part of the hiring process.

Minimum qualifications:

• 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

Responsibilities

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 workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also Google's EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form .