Staff Hardware System Architect, Pixel Watch

Google; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 188,000 - 274,000; Full time

Job summary

Google's Watch Hardware Engineering team is seeking a System Architect to define and implement hardware architecture for wearable products enabling ambient and edge computing. You will guide system design and platform architecture to meet performance, power, and cost goals across critical user journeys.

You will collaborate with silicon vendors and partners, ensuring seamless subsystems and data paths, and drive technical consensus across engineering, software and product teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 6 years of experience working in a consumer electronics environment.
• 3 years of experience in technical leadership.

Responsibilities

• Architect the data processing paths and hardware-software interfaces for ambient and edge computing applications on wearable hardware.
• Define system and component-level specifications for performance, power, and thermals. Support critical user journeys, including on-device AI for audio and ecosystem interoperability across Google's platforms.
• Evaluate the critical trade-offs between power, cost, and form factor. Select chipsets and key components while influencing supplier road maps to deliver optimized solutions.
• Oversee system prototyping and integration. Drive the validation and optimization process to ensure all hardware meets established key performance indicators.
• Investigate emerging technologies, algorithms, and architectures to drive innovation for future wearable products.

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience

Job description

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 6 years of experience working in a consumer electronics environment.
• 3 years of experience in technical leadership.

Preferred qualifications

• 10 years of experience in computer architecture and System-on-Chip (SoC) design, for Android-based hardware systems.
• Experience in balancing complex design trade-offs across performance, power, cost, and form factor within hardware and software domains.
• Experience with machine learning models and AI accelerators, such as Neural Processing Units (NPUs).
• Experience in ambient and edge computing, including on-device AI processing, data processing, and memory management for low-power devices.
• Knowledge of consumer electronics, with a focus on wearable or mobile ecosystems.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive technical consensus across matrixed engineering, software, and product management teams.

About The Job

The Watch Hardware Engineering team is looking for a System Architect responsible for defining and implementing the hardware architecture for wearable products to enable ambient and edge computing applications.

In this role, you will provide thought leadership in architecting the system design and platform architecture for next generation wearable products. You will ensure all subsystems work together to meet performance, power, and cost goals for all critical user journeys. This role involves an understanding and analysis of the data processing paths and associated hardware, silicon, and software solutions. You will collaborate cross-functionally both internally and externally with silicon vendors and technology partners.

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: $188000 - $274000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits

Responsibilities

Learn more about benefits at Google .

• Architect the data processing paths and hardware-software interfaces for ambient and edge computing applications on wearable hardware.
• Define system and component-level specifications for performance, power, and thermals. Support critical user journeys, including on-device AI for audio and ecosystem interoperability across Google's platforms.
• Evaluate the critical trade-offs between power, cost, and form factor. Select chipsets and key components while influencing supplier road maps to deliver optimized solutions.
• Oversee system prototyping and integration. Drive the validation and optimization process to ensure all hardware meets established key performance indicators.
• Investigate emerging technologies, algorithms, and architectures to drive innovation for future wearable products.

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 .