Staff Software Engineer Jobs at Google with Visa Sponsorship
Staff Software Engineer jobs at Google sit at the senior end of the individual contributor track, requiring deep systems expertise and a record of leading high-impact technical work. Google has a long-established immigration program and regularly sponsors H-1B visa, H-1B1 visa, and E-3 visas for qualified engineers at this level.
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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.
Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) is the industry standard for container orchestration and the core of Google Cloud’s modernization strategy. We are now embarking on a mission to reinvent GKE and Kubernetes as the premier substrate for the next generation of AI-ML workloads. The GKE AI Data organization is a critical, high-growth technical domain core to GKE’s business. The team is deeply involved in building storage solutions and data pipelines for the AI-ML workloads including training, inference, RL and agentic workflows.
In this role, you will solve complex storage problems through solutions working at the intersection of K8s (kubernetes), AI-ML and Storage. You will drive the agenda in close collaboration with leads across other storage organizations inside Google and in Open Source.
The Google Cloud AI Research team addresses AI challenges motivated by Google Cloud’s mission of bringing AI to tech, healthcare, finance, retail and many other industries. We work on a range of unique problems focused on research topics that maximize scientific and real-world impact, aiming to push the state-of-the-art in AI and share findings with the broader research community. We also collaborate with product teams to bring innovations to real-world impact that benefits our customers. Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
Responsibilities
- Guide the architectural direction for GKE AI Data ensuring a scalable, performant and efficient storage solution for AI-ML workloads running on K8s across block, file and object storage.
- Drive storage solutions for evolving AI/ML issues, including KV Caching, fast model loading, and re-envisioning storage for agentic workloads (e.g., fast suspend/resume and shared multi-agent storage).
- Partner with multiple storage teams in google cloud platform (GCP) to drive alignment and clarity around strategy and execution.
- Lead the broader Kubernetes ecosystem and Open Source Software (OSS) community, driving key upstream initiatives to establish industry standards for storage solutions.
- Imagine, architect, and lead the technical execution of industry-defining standards through both direct, technical work and by mentoring and guiding teams of engineers.
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
- 8 years of experience programming in C++.
- 5 years of experience with design and architecture; and testing/launching software products.
Preferred qualifications:
- Deep expertise in AI/ML infrastructure, specifically regarding storage and caching solutions.
- Demonstrated track record of significant technical contributions to the Kubernetes open-source project or related CNCF or PyTorch AI/ML projects.
- Demonstrated track record of influencing cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Research) to deliver complex technical outcomes.
Compensation
- Salary Range: $262000 - $364000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + equity + benefits
Benefits
In accordance with Washington state law, we are highlighting our comprehensive benefits package, which is available to all eligible US based employees. Benefits for this role include:
- Health, dental, vision, life, disability insurance
- Retirement Benefits: 401(k) with company match
- Paid Time Off: 20 days of vacation per year, accruing at a rate of 6.15 hours per pay period for the first five years of employment
- Sick Time: 40 hours/year (increased to 69 hours/year for Seattle) including 5 discretionary sick days per instance
- Maternity Leave (Short-Term Disability + Baby Bonding): 28-30 weeks
- Baby Bonding Leave: 18 weeks
- Holidays: 13 paid days per year
Note: By applying to this position you will have an opportunity to share your preferred working location from the following: Seattle, WA, USA; Kirkland, WA, USA; Sunnyvale, CA, USA.
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 Google's EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Staff Software Engineer Jobs at Google
Align your portfolio to Google's leveling rubric
Google evaluates Staff engineers on scope and impact, not just technical skill. Before applying, document projects where you drove cross-team technical decisions at scale. Interviewers assess whether your experience maps to L7 expectations, and your resume needs to reflect that framing clearly.
Target teams with active H-1B LCA filings
Search DOL's OFLC disclosure data for Google LCA filings under the Staff Software Engineer job title. Teams that have filed recently for this exact role are operationally ready to sponsor, which shortens the path from offer to petition considerably.
Clarify your visa pathway before the offer stage
If you're eligible for the E-3 or H-1B1 visa rather than the cap-subject H-1B, raise this early with your recruiter. Both pathways skip the lottery entirely, which Google's immigration team can move on faster and outside the April filing window.
Prepare your specialty occupation documentation in advance
Google's immigration counsel will need evidence that your Staff Software Engineer role requires a directly related bachelor's degree or higher. Gather transcripts, degree equivalency evaluations if your credential is from outside the U.S., and a detailed job description before your start date.
Use Migrate Mate to filter open Staff Software Engineer roles at Google by visa type
Migrate Mate lets you filter Google's current Staff Software Engineer openings by the visa types the company sponsors, so you can confirm which roles are live and which teams are actively hiring before you invest time in their interview process.
Plan around Google's H-1B transfer timeline if you're already in status
If you're transferring an existing H-1B to Google, your new petition can be filed under portability, letting you start work once USCIS issues a receipt notice. Confirm with Google's immigration team that this applies to your situation before setting a start date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google sponsor H-1B visas for Staff Software Engineers?
Yes, Google sponsors H-1B visas for Staff Software Engineers. It's one of the most active H-1B sponsors in the technology industry for this specific role. Sponsorship is handled through Google's in-house immigration team in coordination with outside counsel, and the process typically begins after a written offer is accepted. Cap-subject petitions follow the standard April filing window.
Which visa types does Google commonly sponsor for Staff Software Engineers?
Google sponsors H-1B, H-1B1 visa, and E-3 visas for Staff Software Engineers. The H-1B applies to most nationalities and is subject to the annual lottery. The H-1B1 is available to Chilean and Singaporean nationals, and the E-3 is exclusive to Australian citizens. Both the H-1B1 and E-3 bypass the lottery, which can simplify the timeline significantly for eligible candidates.
What qualifications and experience does Google expect for a Staff Software Engineer?
Google's Staff Software Engineer level, typically L7, requires a bachelor's degree or higher in computer science or a closely related field, plus substantial years of industry experience leading large-scale technical systems. Beyond technical depth, Google looks for demonstrated ability to define engineering direction across multiple teams and a track record of measurable, high-scope impact on products or infrastructure.
How do I apply for Staff Software Engineer jobs at Google?
Applications go through Google's careers portal at careers.google.com, but targeting the right team and role matters as much as applying. Migrate Mate lets you browse current Staff Software Engineer openings at Google filtered by visa sponsorship type, so you can identify live roles before going through the official application. The interview process typically includes a recruiter screen, technical phone screens, and an onsite loop covering systems design and coding.
How do I understand the H-1B petition timeline if I receive an offer from Google?
If you're not already in H-1B status, the standard path requires USCIS to select your petition in the annual lottery held each April for an October 1 start date. Google's immigration team files the petition and manages USCIS correspondence. Premium processing, which expedites USCIS adjudication to 15 business days, is available and commonly used to provide earlier certainty for both the employer and the incoming engineer.