Staff Software Engineer, Google Play at Google

Staff Software Engineer, Google Play at Google

SEO Title: Staff Software Engineer, Google Play at Google – Nairobi

Meta Description: Google is hiring a Staff Software Engineer, Google Play in Nairobi. Candidates should have 8+ years of software development experience and strong technical leadership skills.

SEO Slug: staff-software-engineer-google-play-google-nairobi

Job Details

Job Title: Staff Software Engineer, Google Play

Company: Google

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Job Type: Full Time

Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, PhD/Fellowship

Experience: 8+ years

Category: ICT / Computer / Software Engineering

Salary: Not specified

Deadline: Not specified

Job Overview

Google is seeking a Staff Software Engineer, Google Play to provide senior technical leadership within its Google Play engineering organization in Nairobi.

The successful candidate will contribute to the design, development, testing and launch of complex software products operating at massive scale. The role involves shaping technical architecture, providing engineering direction, mentoring other engineers and collaborating with teams across Nairobi, the United States, United Kingdom and India.

The position also involves integrating advances in artificial intelligence, including Gemini, into Google Play products to improve product experiences.

About Google

Google is a global technology company whose products and services span internet technologies, advertising, cloud computing, software, hardware and mobile platforms.

Google Play provides apps, games and other digital content to Android users while supporting developers and partners across the Android ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

- Provide technical leadership across several Google Play Games products.

- Help shape architecture and technical direction in collaboration with engineering management and cross-functional teams.

- Participate in the complete product development lifecycle, from understanding requirements and product strategy to system design, coding, testing and product launches.

- Develop complex software products and features designed to operate across a fleet of more than 3 billion devices.

- Explore and integrate new advances in Gemini and AI into Google Play products.

- Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance to support their professional development.

- Collaborate with engineering teams and stakeholders across different countries and business functions.

- Contribute to major engineering initiatives and projects with significant business impact.

- Provide technical leadership for the broader Google Play engineering organization in Nairobi.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants should have:

- A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.

- At least 8 years of software development experience.

- At least 5 years of experience testing and launching software products.

- At least 3 years of experience in software design and architecture.

Preferred Qualifications

The following qualifications and experience are advantageous:

- Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science or a related technical field.

- At least 8 years of experience working with data structures and algorithms.

- At least 3 years of experience in a technical leadership position involving project teams and technical direction.

- Experience working in a matrixed organization involving cross-functional or cross-business projects.

- Experience with Google's Java Android stack.

- Experience with Google's Java server environment.

- Experience with GMSCore.

- Experience with Android native development.

Key Skills

The role requires strong capability in areas such as:

- Software engineering

- System design and architecture

- Data structures and algorithms

- Software testing

- Product development

- Technical leadership

- Distributed systems

- Large-scale software development

- Android development

- Java

- Cloud-based systems

- AI and emerging technologies

- Technical mentoring

- Cross-functional collaboration

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a highly experienced software engineer capable of providing technical direction across complex, long-term engineering projects.

Candidates should be comfortable working across the software development lifecycle, from product requirements and architecture through implementation, testing and deployment. Strong leadership, collaboration and mentoring abilities are important because the position involves guiding engineers and influencing technical decisions.

The role also places emphasis on AI fluency, and applicants should be prepared to discuss their knowledge and practical use of AI tools during the hiring process.

Work Environment

The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and involves collaboration with Google Play engineering teams in Nairobi and international teams in the United States, United Kingdom and India.

The role is part of Google's Product Development Center in Nairobi and contributes to the development of Google Play and Play Games products.

Salary and Benefits

Google has not specified the salary for this position in the provided vacancy information. Applicants should confirm compensation, benefits and other employment terms directly through Google's recruitment process.

How to Prepare Your CV

Applicants should tailor their CV to highlight:

- 8+ years of software development experience.

- Software architecture and system design experience.

- Experience testing and launching large-scale software products.

- Technical leadership and project direction.

- Java and Android development experience, where applicable.

- Data structures and algorithms expertise.

- Experience working with distributed or large-scale systems.

- AI and modern software development tools.

- Mentoring and engineering team leadership.

- Major software products or platforms you have helped design, build or launch.

Use measurable achievements where possible, such as scale of systems supported, products launched, performance improvements or engineering teams led.

Application Details

Interested and qualified candidates are required to apply through Google's official recruitment process. The source listing directs applicants to Google to apply.

Application Deadline: Not specified. Candidates are encouraged to confirm the closing date through the official recruitment listing before applying.

Job Summary

Google is hiring a Staff Software Engineer, Google Play in Nairobi. The position requires at least 8 years of software development experience, 5 years of testing and launching software products, and 3 years of software design and architecture experience.

The successful candidate will provide technical leadership across Google Play Games products, contribute to large-scale software development, mentor engineers and help integrate AI advances such as Gemini into Google Play products.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the position available at Google?

Google is hiring a Staff Software Engineer for Google Play.

2. Where is the job located?

The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

3. What experience is required?

Applicants need at least 8 years of software development experience, 5 years of experience testing and launching software products, and 3 years of software design and architecture experience.

4. Is a Master’s degree required?

No. A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience is the minimum requirement. A Master’s degree or PhD is preferred.

5. Is Android experience required?

Android-related experience is listed among the preferred qualifications, including Google's Java Android stack, GMSCore and Android native development.

6. Does the role involve AI?

Yes. The position includes integrating advances in Gemini into Google Play products, and AI fluency is an expectation during the hiring process.

7. What is the salary?

The salary is not specified in the provided vacancy information.

8. What is the application deadline?

No deadline is specified in the provided listing.

Important Job Scam Warning

Job seekers should be cautious of anyone requesting money in exchange for interviews, recruitment, certificates, assessments, shortlisting or employment. Google does not require applicants to pay recruitment fees as part of the normal application process.

Always verify recruitment information through Google's official channels before submitting sensitive personal information or making any payment.

For more job description visit: jobopenings.co.ke