Staff Software Engineer, Pixel Graphics GPU Software

Mountain View, CA, US San Diego, CA, US Until 10/5/2026 8+ years exp First posted August 6, 2026 Last posted August 6, 2026
Job description

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.

As a member of Pixel's Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) driver team, you will share ownership of the kernel GPU driver and the user-space graphics driver stack. You will be involved in developing new features, devising performance improvements, bringing silicon up, debugging challenging problems, and in identifying future requirements for both software and hardware in Pixel products.

The Platforms and Devices team encompasses Google's various computing software platforms across environments, 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 interact with computing faster and more seamless, building experiences for our users around the world.

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.

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

Learn more about benefits at Google.

Responsibilities

  • Provide technical leadership on projects, advising Android, Pixel, and Silicon leadership on performance and feature opportunities in graphics hardware and software.
  • Influence, coach, and lead a distributed team of engineers.
  • Facilitate alignment and clarity across teams on goals, outcomes, and timelines.
  • Develop GPU graphics and compute technologies spanning the full GPU software and hardware stack.
  • Evaluate and bring up devices, collaborating with product and engineering teams to define the role and requirements of the GPU in future product designs.

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
  • 8 years of experience in low level systems programming languages (e.g., C++ or C).
  • 5 years of experience developing and maintaining device drivers that interface software with hardware.
  • 3 years of experience with software design, architecture, and technical leadership.
  • Experience with Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and mobile GPUs.

Preferred qualifications:

  • Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or a related technical field.
  • Experience specifically writing or contributing to graphics drivers.
  • Experience analyzing and optimizing GPU-accelerated applications, such as high-end games, image processing, or GPGPU applications.
  • Knowledge of Mobile GPU architectures and mobile-specific graphics optimization.
  • Proficiency in C++, GPU Programming, and familiarity with Rust.
About this role

Summary

Lead GPU driver development, optimize performance, and provide technical leadership for Pixel products.

Job title

Staff Software Engineer, Pixel Graphics GPU Software

Experience level

8+ years

Minimum experience

8+ years exp

Industry

software

Location requirements

On-site in Mountain View or San Diego, CA, USA; remote not specified

Salary

$207k–$300k

Management role

Yes

Skills & keywords

Required skills

C++Cdevice driversGPUsoftware design

Preferred skills

graphics driversGPU-accelerated applicationsmobile GPU architecturesRustGPU programming

Specializations

low level systems programmingdevice driversGPUgraphics hardwaresoftware architecture
Locations

Structured locations inferred from the posting.

Mountain View, CA, USA

On-site City

San Diego, CA, USA

On-site City