Senior Staff Software Engineering Architect, XR iOS

Google; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 262,000 - 364,000; Full time

Job summary

Google is seeking a senior software engineer to lead the XR strategy on iOS, driving long-term architecture for first-party XR experiences on iPhones and wearables. You will shape APIs and SDKs, partner with UX, PM, and XR teams, and mentor engineers to deliver scalable, native-like experiences.

The role requires strong background in iOS development and system design, with 8+ years of professional experience and a track record of building multi-layered mobile ecosystems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of software development experience.
• 7 years of iOS application development.
• 5 years of design and architecture; and testing/launching software products.

Responsibilities

• Define strategy and architecture for Google's XR offerings on iOS.
• Define long-term technical roadmap for first-party XR experiences on iPhone and wearables.
• Interface and advocate to enable new capabilities native to iOS.
• Maintain high code quality and testability across cross-platform XR APIs and SDKs.
• Collaborate with UX, PM, and XR teams to prototype and test XR experiences.

Skills

iOS development

SwiftUI

System architecture

Cross-platform APIs

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Xcode

Job description

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.

With your technical expertise you will manage project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables. You will design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and enhance software solutions.

In this role, you will architect the foundation and push the boundaries of what is possible on iOS. You will be leading the strategy for both our first-party XR apps and the underlying platform Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and Software Development Kits (SDKs) that set the standard for how iPhone users interact with the world through next-generation wearables.

You will guide the overarching technical strategy and architecture for both the iOS XR platform and Google's first-party XR apps, and will advocate directly to unlock new capabilities that were not previously possible.

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

Learn more about benefits at Google.

Responsibilities

• Guide the strategy and architecture for Google’s XR offerings on iOS, defining the long-term technical roadmap for first-party XR experiences on iPhones paired with next-generation wearables.
• Interface and advocate to enable new capabilities not previously possible in Google's XR offerings, ensuring that XR support for iOS feels deeply native to the platform.
• Maintain a high code quality and testability by designing, building, and launching critical cross-platform XR APIs and SDKs while conducting architectural design reviews.
• Partner closely with UX, PM, and XR Teams to define, prototype, and test experiences between Google’s XR offerings on iOS and other platforms.
• Provide technical mentorship and architectural oversight to elevate the engineering team and foster a culture of excellence.Demonstrate and drive adoption of emerging workflow improvements to enhance productivity and quality.

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of experience in software development.
• 7 years of experience with iOS application development.
• 5 years of experience with design and architecture; and testing/launching software products.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience in LLM integration, prompt engineering, and designing highly extensible APIs and SDKs.
• Proficiency in spatial interactions, 3D game engines, or performance optimization for resource-constrained hardware.
• Demonstrated ability to apply reactive UI frameworks (especially SwiftUI) to build scalable, high-performance system interfaces.
• Ability to influence internal VP-level leadership and external partners, translating complex technical architectures into clear alignment.
• Ability to drive the development of system-level features, resolve ambiguous platform issues, and provide technical mentorship to engineering.
• Track record of defining architectural goals and technical strategy for complex, multi-layered iOS ecosystems, encompassing both platform SDKs and consumer-facing applications.