Senior Software Engineer, Embedded Systems, Firmware, Android XR

Google; United States; On-site; USD 174,000 - 252,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid Time Off: 20 days per year

Sick Time: 40 hours/year

Maternity Leave: 28-30 weeks

Baby Bonding Leave: 18 weeks

Holidays: 13 paid days

Job summary

Google is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for Embedded Systems and Firmware in the XR space. The role is based in San Jose, CA, or Kirkland, WA, with in-person interviews typical.

You will work on Glasses Framework, connecting lightweight runtimes with host devices and Android OS frameworks. The ideal candidate has strong C++ expertise, embedded OS experience, and a background in consumer product development for Android platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 5 years of experience with software development in C++.
• 3 years of experience testing, maintaining, or launching software products, and 1 year of experience with software design and architecture.
• 3 years of experience working with embedded operating systems.
• Experience with consumer product development and Android Platform/OS/Internals.

Responsibilities

• Architect, guide, and vet XR framework designs and write product or framework development code.
• Write robust, reliable software for environments from bare-metal to cloud.
• Communicate, design, and implement decisions through architecture/design docs and code.
• Mentor and train engineers on architecture, design techniques, and best practices.
• Review code and drive improvements in efficiency and processes.

Skills

C++

Embedded systems

Android Platform/OS/Internals

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience

Master's degree or PhD in CS or related field

Job description

Senior Software Engineer, Embedded Systems, Firmware, Android XR

San Jose, CA, USA; Kirkland, WA, USA

Mid

Experience driving progress, solving problems, and mentoring more junior team members; deeper expertise and applied knowledge within relevant area.

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

In accordance with Washington state law, we are highlighting our comprehensive benefits package, which is available to all eligible US based employees. Benefits for this role include:

• Health, dental, vision, life, disability insurance
• Retirement Benefits: 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off: 20 days of vacation per year, accruing at a rate of 6.15 hours per pay period for the first five years of employment
• Sick Time: 40 hours/year (increased to 69 hours/year for Seattle) including 5 discretionary sick days per instance
• Maternity Leave (Short-Term Disability + Baby Bonding): 28-30 weeks
• Baby Bonding Leave: 18 weeks
• Holidays: 13 paid days per year

Note: By applying to this position you will have an opportunity to share your preferred working location from the following: San Jose, CA, USA; Kirkland, WA, USA.

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 5 years of experience with software development in C++.
• 3 years of experience testing, maintaining, or launching software products, and 1 year of experience with software design and architecture.
• 3 years of experience working with embedded operating systems.
• Experience with consumer product development and Android Platform/OS/Internals.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or related technical field.
• 5 years of experience with data structures and algorithms.
• 1 year of experience in a technical leadership role.
• Experience developing accessible technologies.

About the job

Google's software engineers 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 engineers 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 engineer, 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 engineers 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.

As a Senior Software Engineer on the Glasses Framework team, you will direct the technical design, implementation, and evolution of core platform software layers powering next-generation smart glasses. You will solve complex, low-power, and latency-critical engineering problems across a split-compute architecture—connecting lightweight glasses runtimes with host companion devices and Android OS frameworks.

You will operate with technical initiative, setting the direction for critical framework components (such as microXR split compute, input routing and dispatch, immersive audio pipelines, uXR rendering, or LED), while mentoring early-career engineers and partnering closely with cross-functional BSP, Silicon, Product, and OEM engineering teams.

For decades, the computing revolution has reshaped our world driven by breakthroughs in compute, connectivity, mobile, and now, AI. Google's XR team is at the forefront of the next major leap – the convergence of AI and XR. This is more than just new devices – it's about reimagining how we interact with the world around us. We're building a future where lightweight XR devices like smart glasses and headsets pair with helpful AI to augment human intelligence, offering personalized, conversational, and contextually aware experiences.

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

US: $174000 - $252000 (USD) + 15% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google.

Responsibilities

• Architect, guide, and vet XR framework designs within the scope of the broader area, and write product or framework development code to solve ambiguous problems.
• Write robust, reliable, efficient, and testable software designed to run in environments that span bare-metal to cloud.
• Communicate, design, and implement decisions effectively through architecture/design documents and code.
• Mentor and train other team members on architecture and design techniques, coding standards, debugging complex system interactions, and engineering best practices and processes.
• Review code developed by other developers and provide feedback to ensure best practices. Contribute to the overall efficiency and productivity of the engineering team through code, process enhancements, and software development workflow improvements.

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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.

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