Senior Software Developer, Computer Vision, XR – Google – Waterloo, ON
Google’s XR team is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible at the intersection of artificial intelligence and extended reality. This Senior Software Developer, Computer Vision, XR role is open to candidates in Waterloo, ON (as well as San Jose, CA), and represents a rare chance to shape the next generation of smart glasses, headsets, and XR devices that augment how people experience the world around them.
In this position, you’ll be working deep in the technical stack — designing and deploying geometric sensing systems, contributing to 3D reconstruction, scene understanding, and passthrough features, and collaborating across teams to define the future roadmap for XR sensing capabilities. It’s the kind of role where your code reaches billions of users.
About the Role: Senior Software Developer, Computer Vision, XR
As a Senior Software Developer on the XR team, you’ll take ownership of computer vision systems that power sensing capabilities across a growing ecosystem of XR products. From bringing up sensing on new prototypes to scaling geometric sensing ML pipelines, your work will directly influence how users interact with augmented and extended reality environments. You’ll manage project priorities, own deliverables, and drive technical decisions from design through deployment.
This role requires strong collaboration skills — you’ll work closely with system owners, cross-functional teams, and technical leads to ensure that XR geometry sensing endpoints meet the needs of a wide range of products and use cases. Google values engineers who bring versatility, technical leadership, and the curiosity to tackle new challenges across the full stack as the technology evolves rapidly.
Benefits and Salary
For Canadian applicants, the base salary range is CAD $182,000–$187,000, plus bonus, equity, and a comprehensive benefits package. Compensation is determined by role, level, and work location. Google is well known for offering competitive total compensation that extends well beyond base salary — learn more about benefits directly through Google’s careers site.
Job Details
📌 Job Type: Full-Time
🏢 Company: Google
📍 Location: Waterloo, ON, Canada / San Jose, CA, USA
⏱️ Level: Mid
💰 Pay (Canada): CAD $182,000–$187,000 base + bonus + equity + benefits
💰 Pay (USA): USD $174,000–$252,000 base + bonus + equity + benefits
Responsibilities
Day to day, this role centres on building and scaling computer vision and geometric sensing systems for XR products. You’ll be involved from early prototyping through to production deployment, ensuring that sensing capabilities are robust, scalable, and ready to support a wide range of XR experiences.
- Develop and deploy geometric sensing capabilities across a range of XR products and use cases
- Bring up sensing capabilities on new devices and prototypes, contributing to the growth of the XR ecosystem
- Empower XR experiences by providing geometric sensing for features including 3D reconstruction, content placement, occlusion, scene understanding, and passthrough
- Collaborate with system owners to define roadmaps for XR geometric sensing endpoints
- Scale impact by developing systems and processes that ensure XR geometry can support geometric sensing ML across diverse products and use cases
- Manage project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables with technical leadership
- Design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and enhance software solutions end-to-end
Requirements / Skills
Google is looking for engineers with a strong foundation in computer vision and software development, combined with hands-on experience in ML infrastructure and augmented reality environments. Candidates who bring both technical depth and the ability to lead and collaborate across teams will be well positioned for this role.
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent practical experience
- 5 years of software development experience in C++ or Python
- 3 years of experience testing, maintaining, or launching software products, plus 1 year in software design and architecture
- 3 years of computer vision experience — including image classification, object detection, visual search, video generation, or signal processing — with demonstrated ability to design computer vision systems
- 3 years of ML infrastructure experience covering model deployment, evaluation, optimization, data processing, and debugging
- Augmented Reality (AR) experience is required
- Preferred: Master’s or PhD in Computer Science; 5 years in Geometric Sensing, XR, or Robotics; experience in a technical leadership role
How to Apply
To apply for this Senior Software Developer, Computer Vision, XR position at Google, use the official application link below. Make sure your resume is up to date and highlights your relevant experience in computer vision, ML infrastructure, and AR development before submitting.
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Job Summary & Tips for Applying
Quick Summary & What to Highlight: This Senior Software Developer, Computer Vision, XR role at Google in Waterloo is perfect for candidates who excel in computer vision systems design, C++ or Python development, and ML infrastructure. On your resume, emphasize any experience with geometric sensing, augmented reality, or XR platforms, attention to algorithmic detail, and your ability to work in a fast-paced, cross-functional engineering environment. If you’ve previously worked in AR/VR, robotics, or geometric sensing, make sure to highlight specific systems you built and the scale at which they operated.
Resume & Application Tips: Before applying, tailor your resume to match the job description. Include keywords like computer vision, geometric sensing, and ML model deployment that appear in the posting. Quantify your achievements where possible (e.g., “reduced model inference latency by 30%” or “deployed vision pipeline across 5 XR device prototypes”). Write a brief cover letter expressing your genuine interest in Google‘s XR mission and why you’re excited about contributing to this work in Waterloo. Double-check your application for accuracy and ensure your contact information is current.
Interview Preparation: If selected for an interview, research Google‘s XR initiatives, recent announcements about smart glasses and AI integration, and the company’s engineering culture beforehand. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to demonstrate your computer vision system design and ML infrastructure skills. Common questions may include technical deep-dives on 3D reconstruction algorithms, object detection pipelines, and AR sensing architectures, as well as behavioural questions about leading technical projects and cross-team collaboration. Dress appropriately for a software engineering interview, arrive (or connect) 10–15 minutes early, and bring copies of your resume. Prepare thoughtful questions about the XR product roadmap, team structure, and growth opportunities. After the interview, send a thank-you email within 24 hours reiterating your interest in the position.