Senior Optical Sensor Engineer, Sensor Roadmapping/Display Team Liason
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 24, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 19, 2026. Google scores B on the Alion truth index.
About the job
Want to help shape and enhance how millions of people experience the world through their screens? Join us!As a part of the team driving state-of-the-art optical sensing technology for Google’s premier consumer hardware, including Pixel, Nest, Fitbit, and XR, you will make technology seamlessly adapt to human environments. You will design and integrate ultra-precise ambient light and color-tone sensors into the Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit portfolios, enable intelligent display experiences like Autobrightness and Adaptive Tone.
In this role, you will engineer next-generation ambient light and color tone sensing solutions that directly power flagship display features like Autobrightness and Adaptive Tone. Your work will sit at the intersection of cutting-edge physics, hardware, and software, ensuring that every time a user looks at their screen whether in a dark bedroom or under direct sunlight, it looks absolutely flawless and feels completely natural.
In this role, you will define the visual and aesthetic standard for Google devices worldwide. You will solve complex optical sensing challenges, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and see your innovations scale immediately to millions of active users.
As a part of this team, you join as a visionary engineer to develop state-of-the-art optical sensing systems for the next-generation of Google consumer hardware.
If you are ready to push the boundaries of optical engineering and deliver jaw-dropping display experiences to the global Google ecosystem, we want you on our team!.
Help us build the future of intelligent sensing at Google.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
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with external optical sensor vendors to influence industry roadmaps and co-develop next-generation sensor solutions for Pixel, Nest, Fitbit, and XR hardware programs.
- Partner to analyze upcoming display technologies and proactively forecast the technical challenges they present to under-display optical sensing.
- Collaborate on the design, prototyping, and testing of next-generation optical sensing solutions.
- Align on sensor data quality requirements to ensure displays consistently meet premium user experience (UX) and performance standards.
- Coordinate on physical/architectural integration to ensure optical sensors are seamlessly incorporated into product designs while meeting performance goals.
Qualifications
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 working with optical sensor technology specifically in the Visible and Near-Infrared (VIS-NIR) spectrum.
- 2 years of experience with Consumer Electronics mass production processes (Final Assembly, Test, and Packout and Validation) and program lifecycle .
- Experience communicating cross functionally without authority, to influence technical direction (from low level engineer to leadership).
Preferred qualifications:
- Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field (e.g., Optics, Sensors, Audio/DSP).
- Optical sensor system integration experience in consumer electronics systems.
- Familiarity with field of Color Science, specifically White point Adaptation.
- Familiarity with Display panel architecture and current state-of-art.
- Ability to communicate in Chinese and English with stakeholders is preferred.
- Optical simulation capability using Ansys Zemax OpticStudio or similar.