Staff Software Engineer, Pixel System Debug Architecture

Google Inc.; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 207,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Google Mountain View, CA, USA is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to own end-to-end debug architecture and system observability for next-generation devices. You’ll bridge hardware, firmware, OS, and cloud analytics to build triage pipelines, trace infrastructure, and robust recovery mechanisms.

You will partner with Silicon, Hardware, Firmware, OS, Security, Privacy, Product, and Cloud teams to ensure debug hooks and crash resilience are designed from day one.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 8+ years of software development experience.
• 3+ years in design/architecture of software systems.
• Experience integrating generative AI tools or LLM interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Architect and lead cross-functional debug/trace strategy across software layers.
• Design distributed tracing, crash collection, and state synchronization.
• Define post-mortem crash dumping, watchdog handling, and reboot flows.
• Enforce PII handling policies and data governance for debug artifacts.
• Drive automated log parsers and observability dashboards for RCA.

Skills

Outcomes ownership

Ambiguity solving

Stakeholder influence

Generative AI/LLM integration

Debug architecture

System observability

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience

Job description

Staff Software Engineer, Pixel System Debug Architecture

Google Mountain View, CA, USA

Advanced

Experience owning outcomes and decision making, solving ambiguous problems and influencing stakeholders;deep expertise in domain.

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

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of experience in software development.
• 5 years of experience with software debugging/troubleshooting.
• 3 years of experience with software design and architecture.
• Experience integrating generative AI tools or Large Language Model (LLM) interfaces into workflows.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• 8 years of experience in embedded software engineering, system software architecture, or platform debug roles.
• 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 delivering system debug, tracing, or telemetry architectures for high-volume consumer hardware products.

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.

In this role, you will drive the end-to-end debug architecture, system observability, and privacy-first diagnostics strategy across next-generation devices. You will serve as the technical authority for full-stack system debuggability across standalone (device-only) and distributed (device + companion phone split-compute) operating modes. You will bridge hardware, firmware, operating systems, inter-device communication, and cloud analytics to build robust triage pipelines, resilient reboot/recovery mechanisms, and high-fidelity trace infrastructure while defining stringent PII protection and data governance policies. You will partner closely with Silicon, Hardware, Firmware, OS, Security, Privacy, Product, and Cloud teams to ensure debug hooks, trace points, and crash resilience are designed into products from day one.

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.

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.

In this role, you will drive the end-to-end debug architecture, system observability, and privacy-first diagnostics strategy across next-generation devices. You will serve as the technical authority for full-stack system debuggability across standalone (device-only) and distributed (device + companion phone split-compute) operating modes. You will bridge hardware, firmware, operating systems, inter-device communication, and cloud analytics to build robust triage pipelines, resilient reboot/recovery mechanisms, and high-fidelity trace infrastructure while defining stringent PII protection and data governance policies. You will partner closely with Silicon, Hardware, Firmware, OS, Security, Privacy, Product, and Cloud teams to ensure debug hooks, trace points, and crash resilience are designed into products from day one.

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.

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

Learn more about benefits at Google .

• Architect and lead the cross-functional debug and tracing strategy across all software layers, spanning low-level firmware/real-time operating system (RTOS), host OS (Android/Linux), connectivity stacks, and application layers.
• Design distributed tracing, crash collection, and state synchronization mechanisms.
• Define robust post-mortem crash dumping, watchdog handling, and clean reboot/recovery flows for single-device and multi-device failure scenarios.
• Define and enforce comprehensive PII handling policies, data sanitation, redaction, and compliance frameworks for debug artifacts collected from internal test and production devices.
• Drive requirements for automated log parsers, post-mortem analysis tools, and fleet-wide observability dashboards to accelerate root cause analysis (RCA).

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of the users we serve, creating a culture of belonging, and providing an equal employment opportunity regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), expecting or parents-to-be, criminal histories consistent with legal requirements, or any other basis protected by law. See also Google's EEO Policy , Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal , Belonging at Google , and How we hire .

Google is a global company and, in order to facilitate efficient collaboration and communication globally, English proficiency is a requirement for all roles unless stated otherwise in the job posting.

Equity is granted exclusively and discretionarily by Alphabet Inc. on the basis of an agreement concluded between you and Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is your sole contractual partner with respect to equity grants. GSU grants are not guaranteed, are discretionary, is subject to approval by the Alphabet Inc. board of directors or its delegate, the terms of the relevant Alphabet Inc. stock plan, and your grant agreement. They have no impact on statutory payments. Current or past grants do not confer an acquired right.