Spatial XR Hardware Lead Architect

Spatial XR Hardware Lead Architect

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corporate_fareGoogleplaceSan Jose, CA, USA

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

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Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or equivalent practical experience.

• 8 years of experience in hardware architecture for consumer electronics, including 6 years in system architecture for XR platforms.

• 8 years of experience working on shipped products with a focus on imaging or display optics and multi-camera perception suites.

• 5 years of experience in technical leadership.

Preferred qualifications:

• Masters degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field (e.g., Optics, Sensors, Audio/DSP).

• Experience as Lead System Architect for commercial HMDs, smart glasses, or spatial computing platforms.

• Experience architecting spatial computing pipelines (VIO/SLAM, eye-tracking, passthrough) and sensor constraints.

• Expertise in ISP/DSP acceleration, MIPI, temporal sync, and split-compute under tight thermal constraints.

• Proficiency in optical simulation (Zemax/Code V/LightTools), lens design, polarization, metrology, and display calibration.

• Proven ability to align Mechanical, Electrical, Thermal, Silicon, and Perception/Graphics engineering teams.

About the job

Be part of a team that pushes boundaries, developing custom silicon solutions that power the future of Googles direct-to-consumer products. Youll contribute to the innovation behind products loved by millions worldwide. Your expertise will shape the next generation of hardware experiences, delivering unparalleled performance, efficiency, and integration.

As the Immersive XR Hardware Lead Architect, you will serve as the principal technical authority driving the end-to-end hardware architecture for next-generation immersive XR devices. This individual contributor (IC) technical leadership role owns the core architectural definitions and system integration strategies across Google's immersive product portfolio.

You will specialize in the critical intersection of advanced optical systems and high-performance spatial perception pipelines, balancing trade-offs across visual immersion, tracking fidelity, latency, thermal envelopes, weight, cost, industrial design, and power efficiency.

For decades, the computing revolution has reshaped our world driven by

breakthroughs in compute, connectivity, mobile, and now, AI. Googles XR

team is at the forefront of the next major leap - the convergence of AI and

XR. This is more than just new devices - its about reimagining how we

interact with the world around us. Were building a future where

lightweight XR devices like smart glasses and headsets pair with helpful AI

to augment human intelligence, offering personalized, conversational, and

contextually aware experiences.

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

US: $236000 - $329000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google.

Responsibilities

• Architect end-to-end XR headsets, optimizing trade-offs across FOV, resolution, compute, power, and form factor.
• Integrate advanced optical engines and micro-displays (uOLED, MicroLED, Fast-LCD) to optimize visual quality, efficiency, and contrast.
• Architect IPD adjustment and eye relief mechanisms for fit and visual performance, and define sensor suites for 6DoF tracking, eye/hand tracking, depth estimation, and video pass-through.
• Optimize camera placement, illumination, and low-latency sensor pipelines to maximize tracking accuracy and minimize latency.
• Lead alignment across cross-functional teams (e.g., Mechanical, Electrical, Thermal, Silicon, Firmware, Perception, Graphics, Product, and UX); mentor engineers to maintain high standards of architectural precision.

Information collected and processed as part of your Google Careers profile, and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Googles Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy.

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 Googles EEO Policy, Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal, Belonging at Google, and How we hire.

If you have a need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form.

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.

To all recruitment agencies: Google does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Google employees, or any other organization location. Google is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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, are 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.