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Senior Staff Optical Engineer, Geo

Google

Mountain View, CAJob$236–329K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$236–329K/yr
Location
Mountain View, CA
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

Google’s Geo Hardware team develops devices that capture detailed imagery for mapping and other uses. The Senior Staff Optical Engineer leads optical engineering across camera systems and manufacturing, guiding optical designs from planning through integration. The role combines technical leadership, product delivery, and research, with expertise spanning optical design, materials, manufacturing, and metrology.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Optical Systems EngineeringLens and Optical SystemsOptical MaterialsOptical CoatingsOptical DesignOptical SimulationsOpto-MechanicsOptical PackagingOptoelectronicsOptical FabricationOptical MetrologyOptical CharacterizationTechnical LeadershipCommunicationTroubleshootingOrganizational SkillsOptical EngineeringOpto-Mechanical AlignmentSensor-Lens Integration

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Listed Field or Equivalent8 Years Optical Engineering Experience5 Years Technical Leadership ExperienceMaster's or PhD in Listed Field or EquivalentEnglish Proficiency

Full job description

Senior Staff Optical Engineer, Geo

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corporate_fare Google place Mountain View, CA, USA

Advanced

Experience owning outcomes and decision making, solving ambiguous problems and influencing stakeholders; deep expertise in domain.

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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.

  • 8 years of experience working in an optical engineering technical environment.

  • 5 years of experience in technical leadership.

Preferred qualifications:

  • Master's Degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a specialized field (e.g. Optics), or equivalent practical experience.

  • Consummate knowledge of lens and optical systems across physics, materials, and techniques.

  • Understanding of the industry, technologies, and technical partners capable of executing across design and manufacturing stages.

  • Ability to transform theoretical advances into real-world opportunities aligned with Geo's specific strategic goals.

  • Solid communication and troubleshooting skills across teammates, vendors, and stakeholders to iteratively improve systems, processes, and relationships.

  • Organizational capacity to maintain a portfolio of metrology and design capabilities for ongoing product experimentation and engagement.

About the job

Geo Hardware creates the devices that provide the most detailed imagery of our planet to drive a variety of direct and intermediate value to mapping and other partner and consumer value. A massive focus of this effort is our imagery, and the most consequential part of that imagery (apart from ensuring that we properly record where it is taken) is the quality of the pixels. The optical path is crucial for this effort, and our requirements are unique. This makes mastery of several optical disciplines (theoretical and physical foundations, optical materials and coatings, design and simulations, opto-mechanics and packaging, sources detectors and opto-electronics, fabrication/manufacturing, and metrology/characterization) important for this role.

As a Senior Staff Optical Engineer, you will require strong communication in order to effectively function in this role, in addition to strong technical execution and leadership.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $236000 - $329000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more aboutbenefits at Google (https://www.google.com/about/careers/applications/benefits/) .

Responsibilities

  • Serve as process lead for optical and optical systems engineering in Geo Hardware, managing optical engineers across manufacturing and unit camera systems.

  • Drive early opto-mechanical alignment with mechanical and manufacturing teams, guiding optical designs seamlessly from initial planning through lens manufacturing and sensor-lens integration.

  • Optimize equipment and metrology resources to sustain active projects, define upcoming requirements, de-risk new concepts through experimentation, and share GeoHW’s unique capabilities across Google.

  • Own state-of-the-art optical system designs, balancing real-world limitations, Geo’s operational needs, and external partner capabilities during joint development.

  • Balance product delivery (ISDT) and research (TAG) agendas, executing end-to-end delivery for nebulous system goals while leading resource-aligned exploration of new materials, tools, and techniques for TAG’s roadmap.

Information collected and processed as part of your Google Careers profile, and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Google'sApplicant and Candidate Privacy Policy (./privacy-policy) .

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of the users we serve, creating a culture of belonging, and providing an equal employment opportunity regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), expecting or parents-to-be, criminal histories consistent with legal requirements, or any other basis protected by law. See alsoGoogle's EEO Policy (https://www.google.com/about/careers/applications/eeo/) ,Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal (https://careers.google.com/jobs/dist/legal/EEOC\_KnowYourRights\_10\_20.pdf) ,Belonging at Google (https://about.google/belonging/) , andHow we hire (https://careers.google.com/how-we-hire/) .

If you have a need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing ourAccommodations for Applicants form (https://goo.gl/forms/aBt6Pu71i1kzpLHe2) .

Google is a global company and, in order to facilitate efficient collaboration and communication globally, English proficiency is a requirement for all roles unless stated otherwise in the job posting.

To all recruitment agencies: Google does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Google employees, or any other organization location. Google is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Equity is granted exclusively and discretionarily by Alphabet Inc. on the basis of an agreement concluded between you and Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is your sole contractual partner with respect to equity grants. GSU grants are not guaranteed, are discretionary, are subject to approval by the Alphabet Inc. board of directors or its delegate, the terms of the relevant Alphabet Inc. stock plan, and your grant agreement. They have no impact on statutory payments. Current or past grants do not confer an acquired right.

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also https://careers.google.com/eeo/ and https://careers.google.com/jobs/dist/legal/OFCCP_EEO_Post.pdf If you have a need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form: https://goo.gl/forms/aBt6Pu71i1kzpLHe2.

How this job compares

Set against the 1,086 open Hardware Engineering jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 7, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$236–329K/yr
  • California median$172–245K/yr227 salary ranges
  • US median$146–243K/yr767 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $283K, is 35% above the California median midpoint ($209K) — in the top quarter of Hardware Engineering salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 360 open Hardware Engineering jobs in California and 1,086 across the US. Under 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 8 years of experience; Hardware Engineering postings that state a minimum ask for 7 years at the median (673 postings).
Education
360 of the 1,086 open Hardware Engineering jobs (33%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 7, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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