Principal Hardware Robotics Engineer, Data Centers

Google; Town of Montana (WI); On-site; USD 275,000 - 382,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Bonus program

Benefits

Job summary

Google seeks a Principal Hardware Robotics Engineer for Data Centers in Sunnyvale. You will define the strategic and technical direction for PIE Robotics, and lead the development of data center robotics systems to enable scalable deployment, maintenance, and decommissioning.

You will guide both internal and external teams to deliver robotics automation solutions at scale. The role requires a PhD or equivalent, 15 years in robotics, and proven leadership in turning R&D into deployed, real-world

Qualifications

• PhD degree in Robotics or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 15 years of experience in robotics systems engineering or architecture, with experience in technical innovation.
• Experience in robotics industry, leading robotics applications development and turning R&D into deployed, real-world systems.
• Experience in robotic control, planning, kinematics, and mechatronic systems.

Responsibilities

• Define the strategic and technical direction for the PIE Robotics roadmap.
• Lead strategy and technical development of Data Center hardware robotics systems.
• Direct internal and external teams to deliver robotics automation solutions for scale up/down hardware deployment, repair operations, and decommissioning.
• Contribute to Google's ongoing innovations and scalable infrastructure across software and hardware.

Skills

Robotics leadership

Data Center hardware robotics

Robotics systems engineering

Robotics architecture

Embedded systems

RTOS

FPGA

ROS

Education

PhD in Robotics or related field

Tools

RTOS

FPGA

Robot Operating System (ROS)

Job description

Principal Hardware Robotics Engineer, Data Centers

Location: Sunnyvale, CA, USA

Level: Director+

US Salary: $275,000 - $382,000 (USD) + 30% bonus target + equity + benefits

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

Learn more about benefits at Google.

Minimum qualifications

• PhD degree in Robotics or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 15 years of experience in robotics systems engineering or architecture, and experience with technical innovation.
• Experience in the robotics industry, leading robotics applications development and turning Research and Development (R&D) into deployed, real-world systems.
• Experience in robotic control, planning, kinematics, and mechatronic systems.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with embedded systems (e.g., RTOS, microcontrollers, FPGA), sensor fusion, and actuator control.
• Experience implementing foundational vision-language-action (VLA) models, imitation learning, and reinforcement learning (RL) pipelines to teach robots dynamic object manipulation.
• Experience executing low-latency teleoperation infrastructure, haptic feedback integration, and human-in-the-loop systems for complex, remote hardware interventions and data collection.
• Familiarity with motion control systems and robotics programming languages (e.g. Robot Operating System) or similar frameworks.
• Practical understanding of recent advancements in the robotics field, specifically the application of general-purpose bipedal/wheeled humanoid platforms for flexible, human-centric data center tasks.

About the job

The AI and Infrastructure (AI2) team is redefining what's possible. We empower Google customers with breakthrough capabilities and insights by delivering AI and Infrastructure at unparalleled scale, efficiency, reliability, and velocity. Our customers include Googlers, Google Cloud customers, and billions of Google users worldwide. As Principal Engineer, you will define the strategic and technical direction for the PIE Robotics roadmap.

In this role, you will lead the strategy and technical development of Data Center hardware robotics systems. You will lead internally and externally, to deliver robotics automation solutions to enable our scale up and out hardware deployment, repair operations, and final decommission.

We're the driving force behind Google's groundbreaking innovations, empowering the development of our cutting-edge AI models, delivering unparalleled computing power to global services, and providing the essential platforms that enable developers to build the future. From software to hardware, our teams are shaping the future of world-leading hyperscale computing, with key teams working on the development of our TPUs, Vertex AI for Google Cloud, Google Global Networking, Data Center operations, systems research, and much more.

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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.

If you have a need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form.

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.

Locations

• Google Place: Sunnyvale, CA, USA
• Level: Director+