Software Engineering Manager II, AI/ML GenAI, Google Cloud AI

Kirkland, WA, US Until 8/21/2026 8+ years exp First posted May 7, 2026 Last posted May 7, 2026
Job description

About the Job

Like Google's own ambitions, the work of a Software Engineer goes beyond just Search. Software Engineering Managers have not only the technical expertise to take on and provide technical leadership to major projects, but also manage a team of Engineers. You not only optimize your own code but make sure Engineers are able to optimize theirs. As a Software Engineering Manager you manage your project goals, contribute to product strategy and help develop your team. Teams work all across the company, in areas such as information retrieval, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking, security, data compression, user interface design; the list goes on and is growing every day. Operating with scale and speed, our exceptional software engineers are just getting started -- and as a manager, you guide the way.

With technical and leadership expertise, you manage engineers across multiple teams and locations, a large product budget and oversee the deployment of large-scale projects across multiple sites internationally.

The Google Cloud AI Research team addresses AI challenges motivated by Google Cloud’s mission of bringing AI to tech, healthcare, finance, retail and many other industries. We work on a range of unique problems focused on research topics that maximize scientific and real-world impact, aiming to push the state-of-the-art in AI and share findings with the broader research community. We also collaborate with product teams to bring innovations to real-world impact that benefits our customers.

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

US: $207000 - $301000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google.

Responsibilities

  • Set and communicate team priorities that support the broader organization's goals. Align strategy, processes, and decision-making across teams.
  • Set clear expectations with individuals based on their level and role and aligned to the broader organization's goals. Meet regularly with individuals to discuss performance and development and provide feedback and coaching.
  • Develop the mid-term technical vision and roadmap within the scope of your (often multiple) team(s). Evolve the roadmap to meet anticipated future requirements and infrastructure needs.
  • Design, guide and vet systems designs within the scope of the broader area, and write product or system development code to solve ambiguous problems.
  • Lead the design of GenAI solutions, optimize ML infrastructure, and guide the development of data preparation and model optimization strategies.

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
  • 8 years of experience with software development in one or more programming languages (e.g., Python, C, C++, Java, JavaScript).
  • 5 years of experience leading ML design and optimizing ML infrastructure (e.g., model deployment, model evaluation, data processing, debugging, fine tuning).
  • 3 years of experience in a technical leadership role.
  • 2 years of experience with state of the art GenAI techniques (e.g., LLMs, Multi-Modal, Large Vision Models) or with GenAI-related concepts (language modeling, computer vision).
  • 2 years of experience in a people management or team leadership role.

Preferred qualifications:

  • Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
  • 3 years of experience working in a complex, matrixed organization involving cross-functional, or cross-business projects.

Additional Information

In accordance with Washington state law, we are highlighting our comprehensive benefits package, which is available to all eligible US based employees. Benefits for this role include:
  • Health, dental, vision, life, disability insurance
  • Retirement Benefits: 401(k) with company match
  • Paid Time Off: 20 days of vacation per year, accruing at a rate of 6.15 hours per pay period for the first five years of employment
  • Sick Time: 40 hours/year (increased to 69 hours/year for Seattle) including 5 discretionary sick days per instance
  • Maternity Leave (Short-Term Disability + Baby Bonding): 28-30 weeks
  • Baby Bonding Leave: 18 weeks
  • Holidays: 13 paid days per year
In most instances, this position requires in-person interviews as part of the hiring process.
About this role

Summary

Lead AI/ML teams, design GenAI solutions, optimize infrastructure, manage projects.

Job title

Software Engineering Manager II, AI/ML GenAI, Google Cloud AI

Experience level

8+ years

Minimum experience

8+ years exp

Industry

software

Location requirements

Kirkland, WA, USA, on-site; remote not specified

Salary

$207k–$301k

Management role

Yes

Skills & keywords

Required skills

programming: Python, C, C++, Java, JavaScriptML designML infrastructureteam leadershipGenAI techniques

Preferred skills

PhD or Master’s in engineering or CScross-functional project experience

Specializations

AIML infrastructureGenAIlarge language modelsdistributed computing
Locations

Structured locations inferred from the posting.

Kirkland, WA, USA

On-site City