XR Audio Systems Architect & Lead Engineer

Google; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 262,000 - 364,000; Full time

Job summary

Google's Audio System Engineering Lead role focuses on acoustics, hardware co-design, and audio tuning across Google's XR glasses and wearables portfolio.

You will own end-to-end audio quality, bridging physical acoustics, embedded DSP software, and ML-driven speech enhancement while leading multidisciplinary teams to solve complex challenges.

The position requires in-person interviews and offers substantial compensation including base salary, bonus, equity, and benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Acoustics, Mechanical Engineering (Acoustics focus), Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of industry experience in audio systems engineering, acoustics, physical acoustic design, audio system tuning, or digital signal processing for consumer electronics or wearable devices.

Responsibilities

• Partner with physical hardware teams to evaluate and select microphones, speakers, amplifiers and optimize microphone array placement/orientation and acoustic chambers under severe spatial constraints.
• Lead and guide the tuning engineering team to define KPIs and optimize playback (DEQ, MBDRC, speaker limiters) and capture (AEC, beamforming, neural wind noise reduction, VAD/AIT) signal processing blocks on resource-constrained embedded architectures.
• Take ultimate accountability for overall audio quality across all XR glasses form factors. Establish standardized quality metrics and audio tuning practices.
• Own and drive the long-term technical roadmap and strategy for XR audio systems. Decompose ambiguous, highly complex audio challenges into structured, multi-team projects.
• Evaluate, select, and manage key components and IP vendors. Drive the integration of advanced audio algorithms (e.g., Acoustic Echo Cancellation, spatial audio, noise suppression) utilizing both in-house research and external vendor technologies.

Skills

Audio systems experience

DSP for consumer electronics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Acoustics, Mechanical Engineering (Acoustics focus), Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience

Job description

Google's Audio System Engineering Lead role focuses on acoustics, hardware co-design, and audio tuning across Google's XR glasses and wearables portfolio.

You will own end-to-end audio quality, bridging physical acoustics, embedded DSP software, and ML-driven speech enhancement while leading multidisciplinary teams to solve complex challenges.

The position requires in-person interviews and offers substantial compensation including base salary, bonus, equity, and benefits.