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Senior Software Engineer, Core Virtualization Security

Google

Seattle, WA · $174k–$252k a year · Posted October 12, 2026

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Pay compared with the market

This listing pays about $213,000 a year. Across 1,475 open senior software engineer listings that state pay, the middle half runs $175,000 to $222,500 and the median is $202,500. That is inside the middle half of those listings, 5% above the median.

Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.

Senior Software Engineer salaries by state · Check your own pay

About the job

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corporate_fare Google place Seattle, WA, USA

Mid Experience driving progress, solving problems, and mentoring more junior team members; deeper expertise and applied knowledge within relevant area.

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info_outline X In most instances, this position requires in-person interviews as part of the hiring process.

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

Minimum qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.

5 years of experience with software development in one or more programming languages, and with data structures and algorithms.

3 years of experience testing, maintaining, or launching software products, and 1 year of experience with software design and architecture.

Experience in Linux kernel programming, device bring-up, BSP.

Experience with Kernel-Based Virtual Machine, Kernel Programming, Virtual Machines, Virtual Machine Monitor, Operating Systems, Security Analysis, Threat Modeling.

Preferred qualifications:

Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or related technical field.

1 year of experience in a technical leadership role.

Experience with systems engineering, familiarity with operating system principles and architecture.

Experience in system architectural security measures: threat modeling, risk mitigation, memory safety, privilege reduction, etc.

Understanding of virtual machines/hypervisors.

Strong programming skills (C/C++, Python, Rust).

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.

With your technical expertise you will manage project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables. You will design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and enhance software solutions.

The Core Virtualization Security Team is evolving node security architecture, with a focus on our Virtual Machine Manager:

End-to-end virtual machine monitor (VMM) hardening, from low level Kernel-based virtual machine (KVM) interfaces to lifecycle management.

Partnering with product teams to securely add new platform support, including the latest Intel, AMD and Arm chips.

Taking advantage of new software techniques and hardware capabilities to enhance security.

Rapid adoption of Rust across the codebase.

Developing novel solutions for architecture hardening as the overall virt stack evolves.

Google Cloud accelerates every organization’s ability to digitally transform its business and industry. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google’s cutting-edge technology, and tools that help developers build more sustainably. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems. Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $174000 - $252000 (USD) + 15% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google .

Responsibilities

Design and develop new architectural hardening and defensive measures that improve the security of the VMM and the virtualization node overall.

Provide technical leadership, participate in planning, and own outcomes for large initiatives.

Work with various other teams, PMs, TPMs etc. in Google Compute Engine (GCE) and Cloud to collaborate on large-scale security initiatives.

Triage and fix production issues, while also creating ways to reduce ongoing toil and improve quality over time.

Evolve the security of the core virtual machine monitor (VMM) layer and the virtualization node overall through low-level systems engineering and architectural improvements.

Information collected and processed as part of your Google Careers profile, and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Google's Applicant and Candidate 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,