Staff Software Engineer, AI/ML, Backend, Agents

Company: Google
Location: Cupertino
Posted on: January 9, 2026

Job Description:

Minimum qualifications: Bachelors degree or equivalent practical experience. 8 years of experience programming in C++. 5 years of experience testing, and launching software products. 5 years of experience building and developing large-scale infrastructure, distributed systems or networks, or experience with compute technologies, storage, or hardware architecture. 3 years of experience with software design and architecture. 3 years of experience with ML infrastructure (e.g., model deployment, model evaluation, data processing, debugging). Preferred qualifications: Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field. 8 years of experience with data structures and algorithms. 3 years of experience in a technical leadership role leading project teams and setting technical direction. 3 years of experience working in a matrixed organization involving cross-functional, or cross-business projects. About the job Googles 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. Were 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. Applied AI builds conversational agents deployed at a large scale that achieve very meaningful results in the real world. Some examples include the customer agent built for large call center environments, to fast food ordering handled by our Food Artificial Intelligence (AI) agent. In this role, you will be transforming how enterprises connect with customers through the power of AI. You also offer unique experiences for team members where you get to work directly with the model builders (Google DeepMind /Vertex), learn and work with brilliant AI leaders, and have access to Global customers via our existing Google Cloud relationships. Applied AI builds conversational agents deployed at a large scale that achieve very meaningful results in the real world. Some examples include the customer agent built for large call center environments, to fast food ordering handled by our Food AI agent. The team is transforming how enterprises connect with customers through the power of AI. We also offer unique experiences for team members where you get to work directly with the model builders (Google DeepMind / Vertex), learn and work with brilliant AI leaders, and have access to Global 1000 customers via our existing Google Cloud relationships. The opportunity in this space is tremendous. The US base salary range for this full-time position is $197,000-$291,000 bonus equity benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits. Responsibilities Write and test product or system development code. Collaborate with peers and stakeholders through design and code reviews to ensure best practices amongst available technologies (e.g., style guidelines, checking code in, accuracy, testability, and efficiency). Contribute to existing documentation or educational content and adapt content based on product/program updates and user feedback. Triage product or system issues and debug/track/resolve by analyzing the sources of issues and the impact on hardware, network, or service operations and quality. Design and implement solutions in one or more specialized Machine Learning (ML) areas, leverage ML infrastructure, and demonstrate expertise in a chosen field.

Keywords: Google, San Francisco , Staff Software Engineer, AI/ML, Backend, Agents, IT / Software / Systems , Cupertino, California