Software Engineer, Specs Lenses, Level 5

Snapchat; Santa Clarita (CA); On-site; USD 178,000 - 313,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RSU equity

Medical coverage

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Snap Inc. is seeking a Software Engineer to join Lens Studio, focusing on designing, developing, and supporting AR features for Snapchat and Specs.

You will drive toolchains, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and uphold engineering quality, security, and performance in a fast-paced environment. The role requires 6+ years of post-Bachelor’s software development experience, deep C++ expertise, and scripting skills in Python/JavaScript/TypeScript.

Qualifications

• BS in CS or equivalent years' experience.
• MS/PhD in a technical field is a plus.
• Proven experience with modern C++ development and AR tooling.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and support features for Snapchat’s AR engine and Lens Studio.
• Build, integrate, and improve agentic development workflows and tooling.
• Contribute to technical roadmap, architecture decisions, and specs.
• Participate in code reviews and design reviews.
• Collaborate with product, design, and engineering teams.
• Improve code quality, reliability, performance, and productivity.

Skills

C++ proficiency

CS fundamentals

Python/JS/TS

Communication

AI-assisted tools

Agentic workflows

Testing & performance

Education

BS in computer science or equivalent

MS/PhD in technical field

Tools

CMake

Conan

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

Qt/ImGui

Unity/Unreal

JavaScript engines

Job description

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. The Company operates Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world, and Specs Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary dedicated to making computing more human, in addition to Bitmoji, Saturn, and other digital services. Specs Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Snap Inc. dedicated to making computing more human. The company develops Specs, advanced eyewear that seamlessly integrates digital experiences into the physical world. Specs feature see-through lenses that place digital objects directly into three-dimensional space, powered by Snap OS, a proprietary, context-aware operating system designed for natural interaction with your hands and voice. Specs Inc. also provides Lens Studio, a full suite of advanced developer tools that powers immersive augmented reality experiences across Specs, Snapchat, and other services. We’re looking for a Software Engineer to join Lens Studio at Snap Inc!

What you’ll do:

• Design, develop, and support features for Snapchat’s AR engine and Lens Studio, enabling AR experiences across Snapchat and Specs
• Build, integrate, and improve agentic development workflows and tooling
• Contribute to technical roadmap planning, architecture decisions, and technical specifications
• Participate in code reviews, design reviews, and technical discussions
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners across product, design, and engineering
• Contribute to improving code quality, reliability, performance, and developer productivity

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Strong computer science fundamentals and problem-solving skills
• Strong proficiency in C++ and experience with modern C++ development
• Experience with scripting languages such as Python, JavaScript, or TypeScript
• Great communication skills; ability to work in a team and lead by example
• Pragmatic engineering judgment, with the ability to balance iteration speed, reliability, maintainability, and security
• Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools such as Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, or similar
• Understanding of AI systems and agentic workflows
• Focus on engineering quality, including testing, maintainability, and performance

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS in a technical field such as computer science or equivalent years of experience
• 6+ years of post-Bachelor’s software development experience; or Master’s degree in a technical field + 3+ year of post-grad software development experience; or PhD in a relevant technical field

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience designing or integrating agentic systems, including tool use, context management, evaluation, reliability, or integration into developer workflows
• Experience with multi-agent systems, agent harness engineering, context engineering, or building tools and ecosystems for AI agents
• Experience integrating AI or agentic capabilities into production developer workflows or software systems
• Experience with a 3D engine such as Unity, Unreal Engine, or a comparable real-time rendering platform
• Experience with build systems and developer infrastructure such as CMake, Conan, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or similar
• Experience with Qt, ImGui, or similar frameworks for building cross-platform desktop software
• Experience with JavaScript engines, embedded runtimes, or frameworks used to execute and integrate user-provided code
• Experience working on large or complex codebases

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please don’t be shy and provide us some information.

"Default Together" Policy at Snap: At Snap Inc. we believe that being together in person helps us build our culture faster, reinforce our values, and serve our community, customers and partners better through dynamic collaboration. To reflect this, we practice a “default together” approach and expect our team members to work in an office 4+ days per week. At Snap, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to create innovative products that improve the way people live and communicate.

Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. EOE, including disability/vets.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law (by example, the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, where applicable).

Our Benefits:

• paid parental leave
• comprehensive medical coverage
• emotional and mental health support programs
• compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success!

Compensation

Compensation In the United States, work locations are assigned a pay zone which determines the salary range for the position. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. The starting pay may be negotiable within the salary range for the position. These pay zones may be modified in the future. Zone A (CA, WA, NYC): The base salary range for this position is $209,000-$313,000 annually. Zone B: The base salary range for this position is $199,000-$297,000 annually. Zone C: The base salary range for this position is $178,000-$266,000 annually. This position is eligible for equity in the form of RSUs.

Curious what it's like to work at Snap? Meet the people behind our products and discover how our values shape the way we create, innovate, and connect.

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