Google

Senior System Power Architect, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Workloads

Google$159K — $230K *
US-AnywhereRemote in San Diego, CA
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in relevant engineering or science field or equivalent experience.
  • 4 years in SoC architecture or pre-silicon verification.
  • Experience with low-power design methodologies.
  • Familiarity with memory subsystems and data paths to DDR.

Responsibilities

  • Benchmark and model next-gen AR/VR use cases for architectural improvements.
  • Analyze spatial computing workloads for power impact evaluation.
  • Optimize low-power island utilization for efficient ambient tasks.
  • Enhance critical data paths for maximum bandwidth with minimal power use.
  • Collaborate with teams to translate insights into silicon requirements for new SoCs.

Benefits

  • Extensive health and wellness programs.
  • Generous retirement savings plan with company match.
  • Equity and performance bonuses.
  • Flexible work hours and remote work options.
  • Access to professional development resources.
Full Job Description
Minimum qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a specialized field (e.g., Optics, Sensors, Audio/DSP, etc.), or equivalent practical experience.
  • 4 years of experience in SoC architecture, power/performance modeling, or pre-silicon verification.
  • Experience with low-power design methodologies or power management techniques (e.g., power gating, DVFS, low-power states).
  • Experience with memory subsystems, interconnects, or data paths to DDR.

Preferred qualifications:
  • Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field (e.g., Optics, Sensors, Audio/DSP).
  • Experience specifically analyzing or architecting mobile/wearable SoCs for AR, VR, or computer vision applications.
  • Experience with architectural simulators or power estimation tools (e.g., Synopsys PrimePower, ANSYS PowerArtist, or proprietary modeling frameworks).
  • Practical knowledge of low-power islands (LPI) or always-on subsystem architectures.
  • Excellent communication skills to translate complex architectural trade-offs into clear product decisions for leadership.


About the job
As a Silicon Power and Performance Architect for Pixel AR/VR, you will drive the engaged and architectural analysis that defines the future of Google's consumer hardware. AR and VR use cases demand immersive, zero-latency experiences under incredibly tight thermal and power constraints. You will analyze how spatial computing workloads impact the broader Pixel system-on-chip (SoC) power envelope, identifying bottlenecks, evaluating competitor architectures, and proposing silicon-level optimizations to ensure Pixel remains a market leader.
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: $159000 - $230000 (USD) 15% bonus target equity benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google .

Responsibilities
  • Benchmark and model next-generation AR/VR use cases against industry competitors to identify architectural gaps and opportunities.
  • Analyze end-to-end workloads (spatial mapping, hand tracking, passthrough video) to quantify their impact on total Pixel power consumption.
  • Leverage low-power design techniques, specifically optimizing the utilization of low-power islands (LPIs) to keep ambient AR/VR tasks highly efficient.
  • Map and optimize critical data paths from the display/sensors through the SoC fabric and the path to DDR, ensuring maximum bandwidth with minimal power overhead.
  • Partner with software, product, and hardware teams to translate architectural insights into actionable silicon requirements for future Pixel SoCs.


About Google

Google is a multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products. These include online advertising technologies, search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. The company has grown tremendously since then and has become one of the most valuable companies in the world. Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Learn more about Google
Size
156,500 employees
Market Cap
$1,115.4 billion
Industry
Net Income
$40.2 billion
Founded
1998
5 Year Trend
+23.3%
Revenue
$182.5 billion
NASDAQ

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Google

More Consumer Technology Jobs

Find similar Senior System Power Architect, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Workloads jobs: