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

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

Job summary

Google’s Android XR team seeks a Senior Principal On-Device and Voice LLM Architecture Software Engineer to lead on-device LLMs and voice-first interfaces for wearables and XR devices.

You will bridge silicon and AI services, drive latency, power, and memory optimizations; collaborate with Silicon, Android OS, and Google Research to shape a long-term spatial intelligence roadmap; mentor senior engineers and influence industry standards.

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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Leadership

System architecture

Mobile/embedded systems

AI/ML fundamentals

Speech NLP ASR basics

Cross-functional collaboration

Ambiguity navigation

Edge-AI optimization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS or related field

Tools

C++

Rust

TensorFlow

PyTorch

JAX

Job description

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

• 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

• 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 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.