Senior Staff Software Engineer, GKE AI Data

Google Inc.; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 262,000 - 364,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision, life, and dis/

401(k) with company match

Paid Time Off: 20 days + 6.15 hrs/pay

Job summary

Google is seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer for GKE AI Data in the Seattle area to own storage and data pipelines for AI/ML workloads. You will work across Kubernetes, AI/ML infra, and cross-functional teams to drive scalable solutions and influence architectural decisions.

We prize deep domain expertise, a track record of leading complex projects, and the ability to mentor engineers while delivering high-impact results. This role offers extensive growth and industry-leading benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of experience programming in C++.
• 5 years of experience with design and architecture; testing/launching software products.

Responsibilities

• Guide the architectural direction for GKE AI Data ensuring scalable storage solutions.
• Drive storage solutions for AI/ML issues, including caching and fast model loading.
• Partner with storage teams in GCP and contribute to OSS initiatives.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration to deliver complex technical outcomes.
• Mentor and guide teams of engineers on strategy and execution.

Skills

Ownership & decision making

Problem solving (ambiguous)

Stakeholder influence

Domain expertise

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Kubernetes

PyTorch

Job description

Senior Staff Software Engineer, GKE AI Data

Google Seattle, WA, USA ; Kirkland, WA, USA ; +2 more ; +1 more

Advanced

Experience owning outcomes and decision making, solving ambiguous problems and influencing stakeholders;deep expertise in domain.

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: Seattle, WA, USA; Kirkland, WA, USA; Sunnyvale, CA, USA.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
  
• 8 years of experience programming in C++.
• 5 years of experience with design and architecture; and testing/launching software products.

Preferred qualifications:

• Deep expertise in AI/ML infrastructure, specifically regarding storage and caching solutions.
  
• Demonstrated track record of significant technical contributions to the Kubernetes open-source project or related CNCF or PyTorch AI/ML projects.
  
• Demonstrated track record of influencing cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Research) to deliver complex technical outcomes.

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.

Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) is the industry standard for container orchestration and the core of Google Cloud’s modernization strategy. We are now embarking on a mission to reinvent GKE and Kubernetes as the premier substrate for the next generation of AI-ML workloads. The GKE AI Data organization is a critical, high-growth technical domain core to GKE’s business. The team is deeply involved in building storage solutions and data pipelines for the AI-ML workloads including training, inference, RL and agentic workflows.

In this role, you will solve complex storage problems through solutions working at the intersection of K8s (kubernetes), AI-ML and Storage. You will drive the agenda in close collaboration with leads across other storage organizations inside Google and in Open Source.

The Google Cloud AI Research team addresses AI challenges motivated by Google Cloud’s mission of bringing AI to tech, healthcare, finance, retail and many other industries. We work on a range of unique problems focused on research topics that maximize scientific and real-world impact, aiming to push the state-of-the-art in AI and share findings with the broader research community. We also collaborate with product teams to bring innovations to real-world impact that benefits our customers. Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

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.

Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) is the industry standard for container orchestration and the core of Google Cloud’s modernization strategy. We are now embarking on a mission to reinvent GKE and Kubernetes as the premier substrate for the next generation of AI-ML workloads. The GKE AI Data organization is a critical, high-growth technical domain core to GKE’s business. The team is deeply involved in building storage solutions and data pipelines for the AI-ML workloads including training, inference, RL and agentic workflows.

In this role, you will solve complex storage problems through solutions working at the intersection of K8s (kubernetes), AI-ML and Storage. You will drive the agenda in close collaboration with leads across other storage organizations inside Google and in Open Source.

The Google Cloud AI Research team addresses AI challenges motivated by Google Cloud’s mission of bringing AI to tech, healthcare, finance, retail and many other industries. We work on a range of unique problems focused on research topics that maximize scientific and real-world impact, aiming to push the state-of-the-art in AI and share findings with the broader research community. We also collaborate with product teams to bring innovations to real-world impact that benefits our customers. Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $262000 - $364000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google .

• Guide the architectural direction for GKE AI Data ensuring a scalable, performant and efficient storage solution for AI-ML workloads running on K8s across block, file and object storage.
• Drive storage solutions for evolving AI/ML issues, including KV Caching, fast model loading, and re-envisioning storage for agentic workloads (e.g., fast suspend/resume and shared multi-agent storage).
• Partner with multiple storage teams in google cloud platform (GCP) to drive alignment and clarity around strategy and execution.
• Lead the broader Kubernetes ecosystem and Open Source Software (OSS) community, driving key upstream initiatives to establish industry standards for storage solutions.
• Imagine, architect, and lead the technical execution of industry-defining standards through both direct, technical work and by mentoring and guiding teams of engineers.

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.

To all recruitment agencies: Google does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Google employees, or any other organization location. Google is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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.