Staff Software Engineer, Embedded Systems/Firmware

Google; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 207,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Google is seeking a senior software engineer focused on hardware security in Sunnyvale, CA. You will drive the technical vision for secure firmware, cryptographic services, and trusted execution environments across data center silicon.

Collaboration with hardware and software teams is essential to advance next-generation roots of trust. The role demands strong experience in embedded systems, real-time OS, and C++, with leadership duties guiding cross-functional teams and major open standards

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of experience in software development.
• 5 years of experience testing, and launching software products.
• 5 years of experience working with embedded operating systems.
• 3 years of experience with software design and architecture.
• Experience with embedded systems, security standards, real-time operating systems, and C++.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the long-term technical vision for Google’s hardware security.
• Partner with hardware engineers to co-design system architectures and deploy software/firmware for security chips.
• Bridge bare-metal/RTOS systems with cryptographic services and certificate operations.
• Steer roadmaps and implementations for Open standards like OpenTitan, Caliptra, and TPM.
• Lead distributed teams on high-impact projects, advancing CI/CD and mentoring.

Skills

Embedded systems

Security standards

Real-time OS

C++

Rust

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience

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

Tools

OpenTitan

Caliptra

TPM

Job description

In most instances, this position requires in-person interviews as part of the hiring process.

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of experience in software development.
• 5 years of experience testing, and launching software products.
• 5 years of experience working with embedded operating systems.
• 3 years of experience with software design and architecture.
• Experience with embedded systems, security standards, real-time operating systems, and C++.

Preferred qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• 8 years of experience with data structures and algorithms.
• 3 years of experience in a technical leadership role leading project teams and setting technical direction.
• 3 years of experience working in a complex, matrixed organization involving cross-functional, or cross-business projects.
• Experience in Cryptographic Algorithms, Hardware Design, Rust.

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.

The Platforms Security team engineers the hardware and firmware roots of trust that defend Google’s fleet against sophisticated, nation-state threats. As part of our team, you will build the foundational layer, design and deploy authenticated Roots of Trust and trusted execution environments directly into data center silicon and hardware. You will push firmware, driver innovations, and real-time reliability platforms across millions of machines. You will also represent Google as a technical authority within premier open-source initiatives like OpenTitan, Caliptra, and OCP.

The AI and Infrastructure team is redefining what’s possible. We empower Google customers with breakthrough capabilities and insights by delivering AI and Infrastructure at unparalleled scale, efficiency, reliability and velocity. Our customers include Googlers, Google Cloud customers, and billions of Google users worldwide.

We're the driving team behind Google's groundbreaking innovations, empowering the development of our cutting-edge AI models, delivering unparalleled computing power to global services, and providing the essential platforms that enable developers to build the future. From software to hardware our teams are shaping the future of world-leading hyperscale computing, with key teams working on the development of our TPUs, Vertex AI for Google Cloud, Google Global Networking, Data Center operations, systems research, and much more.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $207000 - $300000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the long-term technical vision for Google’s hardware security. Lead transformative shifts across the fleet, including leading transitions to next-generation open-source Roots of Trust (Caliptra, OpenTitan) and establishing Post-Quantum Cryptography readiness.
• Partner with hardware engineers to co-design uncompromisable system architectures. Lead the design, implementation, and deployment of mission-critical software, firmware, and utilities targeting custom security chips, BIOS, and OS kernels.
• Serve as the authority bridging bare-metal/RTOS systems (Rust/C, I/O protocols like SPI, I2C, PMBus, USB) with fleet-wide cryptographic services, including Certificate Authority operations, remote attestation pipelines, and credential binding.
• Serve as Google's hardware security ambassador, steering roadmaps and leading implementations for major open standards like OpenTitan, Caliptra, and TPM.
• Lead distributed teams delivering complex, high-impact projects from concept to deployment while advancing CI/CD, automated HIL testing, and team mentorship.

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.