Senior Principal On-Device and Voice LLM Architecture Software Engineer, XR

Google; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 307,000 - 427,000; Full time

Job summary

Google is recruiting a Principal Software Engineer for the Android XR team to redefine user interaction with spatial computing through intelligent, voice-first interfaces. You will lead the architectural vision for on-device LLMs and ensure wearables and XR devices are fast, private, and capable.

You will bridge silicon capabilities with high-level AI services, influencing decisions across Google’s platforms and devices worldwide.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS or related field or equivalent practical experience.
• 15+ years of software development experience with focus on system architecture, ML, or mobile platforms.
• Experience leading large-scale technical projects from conception to launch with multiple stakeholders.
• Experience architecting systems for mobile or embedded devices.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end architecture for on-device LLM integration and voice processing in the Android XR ecosystem.
• Drive hardware-software co-design to optimize model performance for Edge-AI with latency, power and memory efficiency.
• Collaborate with Silicon, Android OS, and Google Research to define the long-term spatial intelligence roadmap.
• Mentor senior technical leads and staff engineers, fostering technical excellence across the organization.
• Represent Google in standards and partnerships related to on-device AI and XR.

Skills

Software development

System architecture

Machine learning

Mobile platforms

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

C++

Rust

TensorFlow

PyTorch

JAX

Job description

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 15 years of software development experience, with a focus on system architecture, machine learning, or mobile platforms.
• Experience leading large-scale technical projects from conception to launch, managing multiple stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience architecting systems for mobile or embedded devices.

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 15 years of software development experience, with a focus on system architecture, machine learning, or mobile platforms.
• Experience leading large-scale technical projects from conception to launch, managing multiple stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience architecting systems for mobile or embedded devices.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with C++, Rust, and modern machine learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX) at the systems level.
• Deep understanding of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and voice-based user interface design.
• Ability to navigate complex, ambiguous technical landscapes and drive clarity for massive engineering organizations.
• Expertise in low-level compilation, model quantization, and optimization techniques specifically for Edge-AI and NPU/DSP hardware.

About The Job

Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. As a Principal Software Engineer within the Android XR team, you will be at the core of redefining how users interact with spatial computing through intelligence and voice. The Android XR team is focused on building platforms and technologies that blend the digital and physical worlds seamlessly. In this role, you will lead the architectural vision for on-device Large Language Models (LLMs) and voice-first interfaces, ensuring that our next-generation wearables and XR devices are responsive, private, and exceptionally capable. You will bridge the gap between silicon capabilities and high-level AI services, driving strategic technical decisions that impact millions of users.

The Platforms and Devices team encompasses Google's various computing software platforms across environments (desktop, mobile, applications), as well as our first party devices and services that combine the best of Google AI, software, and hardware. Teams across this area research, design, and develop new technologies to make our user's interaction with computing faster and more seamless, building innovative experiences for our users around the world.

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

US: $307000 - $427000 (USD) + 30% bonus target + equity + benefits

Responsibilities

Learn more about benefits at Google .

• Lead the end-to-end technical architecture for on-device LLM integration and voice processing pipelines within the Android XR ecosystem.
• Drive hardware-software co-design efforts to optimize model performance for constrained Edge-AI environments, focusing on latency, power, and memory efficiency.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Silicon, Android OS, and Google Research teams to define the long-term roadmap for spatial intelligence.
• Mentor senior technical leads and staff engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovative problem-solving across the organization.
• Influence the broader industry by representing Google in technical standards and partnerships related to on-device AI and XR.

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 .