Senior Software Engineer, Google XR, Gaming

Google; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 174,000 - 252,000; Full time

Job summary

Google's XR team is seeking a software engineer to design and implement 3D interactions and UI components for Android XR, bridging Kotlin/Java with a high-performance C++ graphics engine.

You will collaborate with UX, product managers, and other engineers to deliver scalable, polished experiences across XR devices, contributing to AI-powered features and immersive environments. This role emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration and high-quality software delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 5 years of software development experience in one or more programming languages.
• 3 years testing, maintaining, or launching software products; 1 year in design/architecture.
• Experience with 3D graphics, C++, and game engines.

Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, develop, and polish 3D interactions and UI components for Android XR.
• Develop scalable systems to choreograph animations and audiovisual behaviors across Android XR.
• Collaborate with UX designers, product managers, and engineers to define boundary between Android (Kotlin/Java) and high-performance C++ graphics engine (Impress).
• Optimize rendering and interaction runtimes for performant UI on mobile XR hardware.
• Advocate and build tools and workflows to accelerate iteration cycles and quality.

Skills

Software development

3D graphics

UI/UX collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Master's degree or PhD in CS

Tools

C++

Android XR

Impress engine

Job description

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

Applicants in San Francisco: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Note: By applying to this position you will have an opportunity to share your preferred working location from the following: San Francisco, CA, USA; New York, NY, USA.

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 5 years of experience with software development in one or more programming languages.
• 3 years of experience testing, maintaining, or launching software products, and 1 year of experience with software design and architecture.
• Experience with 3D graphics, C++, game engines.

Preferred qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or related technical field.
• 5 years of experience with data structures and algorithms.
• Experience developing in augmented reality or immersive environments.
• A solid understanding of user-centered and interaction design principles and best practices.

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.

In this role, you will demonstrate a deep passion for crafting polished products that spark delight, in a similar fashion to feature films or video games.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

Responsibilities

Learn more about benefits at Google.

• Design, prototype, develop, and polish the foundational 3D interactions and user interface components for Android XR, from initial concept to final, shippable product.
• Develop and implement scalable and stable systems to choreograph animations, motion, and audiovisual behaviors across the entire Android XR system, ensuring a cohesive and delightful user experience.
• Collaborate closely with UX designers, product managers, and other engineering teams to define and refine the boundary between Android (Kotlin/Java) and our high-performance C++ graphics engine (Impress).
• Optimize complex rendering and interaction runtimes to deliver beautiful, snappy, and responsive UI on mobile XR hardware, maintaining a high bar for performance and quality.
• Advocate and build new tools, workflows, and best practices that accelerate the team's end-to-end iteration cycle, enabling rapid experimentation and a higher quality final product.

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 .