Staff Software Engineer, Retrieval Quality

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
  
• 8 years of experience in software development.
  
• 5 years of coding experience in one or more of the following languages: C, C++, Java, or Python.
• 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.

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 in a technical leadership role leading project teams and setting technical direction.
  
• 1 year relevant work experience, including experience with UNIX/Linux or Windows environments, distributed systems, machine learning, information retrieval and TCP/IP.
• Experience with Machine Learning or data analysis.
• Familiarity with the architecture of modern search engines or Large Language Model serving infrastructure.

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.

In this role, you will be a significant technical contributor and thought leader on the Information Retrieval Quality team. You will be at the forefront of enhancing the core infrastructure for Google Search and LLMs, working on some of our most complex and ambiguous technical challenges. You will drive the design and architecture of critical system components. You will be responsible for making key technical decisions, including navigating the intricate tradeoffs between retrieval quality, system performance, and efficiency. Your work will have a profound impact on the scalability, reliability, and innovation of Google's search and AI products, influencing the technical direction of the team.

The Core team builds the technical foundation behind Google’s flagship products. We are owners and advocates for the underlying design elements, developer platforms, product components, and infrastructure at Google. These are the essential building blocks for excellent, safe, and coherent experiences for our users and drive the pace of innovation for every developer. We look across Google’s products to build central solutions, break down technical barriers and strengthen existing systems. As the Core team, we have a mandate and a unique opportunity to impact important technical decisions across the company.

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. Learn more about benefits at Google.

Responsibilities

• Drive the architectural design and implementation of highly scalable and performant features within the information retrieval infrastructure.
• Define and own the technical roadmap and vision for major system components, addressing both immediate needs and long-term objectives.
• Conduct in-depth analysis and make well-reasoned decisions regarding the tradeoffs between retrieval quality, latency, throughput, and resource consumption.
• Provide solutions for complex, ambiguous, and open-ended technical problems.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers, sharing expertise and fostering best practices.