Senior Staff Optical Engineer, Geo

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.

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

Learn more about benefits at Google.

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.

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.
• 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.