Senior System Power Architect, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Workloads

Google; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 159,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Google is seeking a Silicon Power and Performance Architect for Pixel AR/VR to drive architectural analysis and optimizations under strict power and thermal constraints. You will assess how spatial computing workloads affect the Pixel SoC power envelope, identify bottlenecks, and propose silicon-level optimizations to maintain market leadership.

The Platforms and Devices team integrates Google’s computing platforms with first-party devices, researching technologies to enhance user interactions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience in EE/CS/Physics or related field.
• 4 years of experience in SoC architecture, power/performance modeling, or pre-silicon verification.
• Experience with low-power design methodologies or power management techniques (e.g., power gating, DVFS, low-power states).
• Experience with memory subsystems, interconnects, or data paths to DDR.

Responsibilities

• Benchmark and model AR/VR use cases against competitors to identify architectural gaps.
• Analyze end-to-end workloads to quantify impact on Pixel power consumption.
• Utilize low-power design techniques to optimize LPIs and ambient AR/VR tasks.
• Map data paths from display/sensors through SoC fabric to DDR for maximum bandwidth with minimal power.
• Collaborate with software, product, and hardware teams to translate insights into silicon requirements.

Skills

SoC architecture

Power/performance modeling

Low-power design methodologies

Memory subsystems

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or related field

Master’s degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or related field

Tools

Synopsys PrimePower

ANSYS PowerArtist

Proprietary modeling frameworks

Job description

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a specialized field (e.g., Optics, Sensors, Audio/DSP, etc.), or equivalent practical experience.
• 4 years of experience in SoC architecture, power/performance modeling, or pre-silicon verification.
• Experience with low-power design methodologies or power management techniques (e.g., power gating, DVFS, low-power states).
• Experience with memory subsystems, interconnects, or data paths to DDR.

Preferred qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field (e.g., Optics, Sensors, Audio/DSP).
• Experience specifically analyzing or architecting mobile/wearable SoCs for AR, VR, or computer vision applications.
• Experience with architectural simulators or power estimation tools (e.g., Synopsys PrimePower, ANSYS PowerArtist, or proprietary modeling frameworks).
• Practical knowledge of low-power islands (LPI) or always‑on subsystem architectures.
• Excellent communication skills to translate complex architectural trade‑offs into clear product decisions for leadership.

About the job

As a Silicon Power and Performance Architect for Pixel AR/VR, you will drive the engaged and architectural analysis that defines the future of Google's consumer hardware. AR and VR use cases demand immersive, zero‑latency experiences under incredibly tight thermal and power constraints. You will analyze how spatial computing workloads impact the broader Pixel system‑on‑chip (SoC) power envelope, identifying bottlenecks, evaluating competitor architectures, and proposing silicon‑level optimizations to ensure Pixel remains a market leader.

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: $159000 - $230000 (USD) + 15% bonus target + equity + benefits

Responsibilities

Learn more about benefits at Google .

• Benchmark and model next‑generation AR/VR use cases against industry competitors to identify architectural gaps and opportunities.
• Analyze end‑to‑end workloads (spatial mapping, hand tracking, passthrough video) to quantify their impact on total Pixel power consumption.
• Leverage low‑power design techniques, specifically optimizing the utilization of low‑power islands (LPIs) to keep ambient AR/VR tasks highly efficient.
• Map and optimize critical data paths from the display/sensors through the SoC fabric and the path to DDR, ensuring maximum bandwidth with minimal power overhead.
• Partner with software, product, and hardware teams to translate architectural insights into actionable silicon requirements for future Pixel SoCs.

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 .