Staff Software Engineer, Application Specific Integrated Circuits Firmware

Google

Sunnyvale, California, United StatesFull-time$207,000–$300,000Posted Oct 19, 2026

About the role

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
  • 8 years of experience in software development.
  • 5 years of experience working with embedded operating systems.
  • 3 years of experience with software design and architecture.
  • Experience in C, C++ and Embedded Systems.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related

technical field.

  • 8 years of experience with data structures/algorithms.
  • 3 years of experience working in a complex, matrixed organization involving

cross-functional, or cross-business projects.

  • Experience in embedded C/C++, embedded software development,

Hardware/Software code design at the chip-level, multi-threaded designs,

machine learning and video encoding/decoding.

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 part of this team, you will develop C++ code that controls and monitors

Google’s custom accelerators (ASICs), including TPUs (for machine learning) and

VCUs (for video encode/decode). You will also define the API that the rest of

the software stack uses to build planet-scale deployments of the systems that

use these ASICs. You will write code that directly handles interrupts, DMAs, and

many other hardware-centric features. You will have a direct role in the initial

debug and bring-up of new ASICs and among the first teams to use the new chips.

Additionally, our team owns simulation models that allow for early software

development pre-silicon, work closely with external vendors and many internal

teams including chip design, system software, ML supercomputer, compiler, and

system test.The AI and Infrastructure team is redefining what’s possible. We

empower Google customers with breakthrough capabilities and insights by

delivering AI and Infrastructure at unparalleled scale, efficiency, reliability

and velocity. Our customers include Googlers, Google Cloud customers, and

billions of Google users worldwide.

We're behind Google's groundbreaking innovations, empowering the development of

AI models, delivering unparalleled computing power to global services, and

providing the essential platforms that enable developers to build the future.

From software to hardware our teams are shaping the future of world-leading

hyperscale computing, with key teams working on the development of our TPUs,

Vertex AI for Google Cloud, Google Global Networking, Data Center operations,

systems research, and much more.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

[https://www.google.com/about/careers/applications/benefits/].

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Develop firmware responsible for handling features such as power-on and reset

of the ASICs, initializing low level hardware, security, and virtualizing the

ASIC to multiple processes and Virtual Machines (VMs).

  • Support trusted firmware, key management, and protect user data and privacy

(i.e. confidential compute) using advanced security technologies.

  • Develop tools to update and debug ASIC firmware, while enabling chip bring-up

and hardware debugging.

  • Collaborate closely with the hardware design and development teams on code

design hardware/software interface.

  • Build functional and cycle-level simulators that bit-accurately model the

custom accelerator ASICs, along with tools and infrastructure to help with

ASIC design verification, tapeout, and bring-up, and develop embedded CPU

simulators as part of the full system simulator.

Responsibilities

  • Develop firmware for ASIC power-on, reset, low-level hardware initialization, security, and virtualization.
  • Support trusted firmware, key management, and confidential computing to protect user data and privacy.
  • Develop tools for ASIC firmware updates, debugging, chip bring-up, and hardware debugging.
  • Collaborate with hardware teams to design hardware/software interfaces.
  • Build accurate ASIC and embedded CPU simulators and tools for design verification, tapeout, and bring-up.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
  • At least 8 years of software development experience.
  • At least 5 years of experience working with embedded operating systems.
  • At least 3 years of experience with software design and architecture.
  • Experience with C, C++, and embedded systems.
  • Preferred: Master's degree or PhD in a relevant technical field; experience with data structures and algorithms, cross-functional projects, embedded software, chip-level hardware/software design, multithreaded designs, machine learning, or video encoding and decoding.

Benefits

  • 20% target bonus
  • Equity
  • Benefits

Skills mentioned

CC++Embedded SystemsEmbedded Software DevelopmentFirmware DevelopmentSystem DesignConcurrencyMultithreadingDebuggingCybersecurity

About Google

A problem isn't truly solved until it's solved for all. Googlers build products that help create opportunities for everyone, whether down the street or across the globe. Bring your insight, imagination and a healthy disregard for the impossible. Bring everything that makes you unique. Together, we can build for everyone. Check out our career opportunities at goo.gle/3DLEokh

Software Development10,001+ employeesMountain View, CA

H-1B sponsorship history

Historical employer filing data was found for Google. The employer record includes 57,181 historical certified applications. This is employer-level history, not a guarantee that this role currently offers sponsorship.