Software Engineering Manager, Container Optimized Operating System

Company: Google
Location: Sunnyvale
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

Minimum qualifications: Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent practical experience. 8 years of experience in software development. 3 years of experience with developing large-scale infrastructure, distributed systems or networks, or experience with compute technologies, storage or hardware architecture. 2 years of experience in a people management or team leadership role. Experience with container runtime environments, such as Google Kubernetes Engine/Cloud Run or similar. Experience with hardware and operating systems (e.g., Linux), and networking protocols. Preferred qualifications: Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or related technical field. 3 years of experience working in a structured organization. About the job Like Google's own ambitions, the work of a Software Engineer goes beyond just Search. Software Engineering Managers have not only the technical expertise to take on and provide technical leadership to major projects, but also manage a team of Engineers. You not only optimize your own code but make sure Engineers are able to optimize theirs. As a Software Engineering Manager you manage your project goals, contribute to product strategy and help develop your team. Teams work all across the company, in areas such as information retrieval, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking, security, data compression, user interface design; the list goes on and is growing every day. Operating with scale and speed, our exceptional software engineers are just getting started and as a manager, you guide the way. With technical and leadership expertise, you manage engineers across multiple teams and locations, a large product budget and oversee the deployment of large-scale projects across multiple sites internationally. In this role, you will own and evolve the Cloud Optimized OS (COS) ecosystem. You will be setting the long-term goal for our container-optimized stack and ensuring it remains the gold standard for security, efficiency, and reliability. You will lead a high-performing engineering team, bridging the gap between deep kernel/operating system (OS) work and the high-level needs of cloud orchestrators. 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. The US base salary range for this full-time position is $207,000-$300,000 bonus equity benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits. Learn more about benefits at Google . Responsibilities Establish and implement a long-term technical goal for the COS space, ensuring our stack stays ahead of industry shifts in containerization and cloud security. Identify systemic bottlenecks in the development lifecycle. Implement automation frameworks that reduce manual toil and accelerate our ship cycles. Guide a team of engineers, providing the coaching and the mentorship needed to foster their professional growth. Orchestrate project roadmaps and resource allocation, expertly balancing immediate tactical fixes with ambitious, long-term innovation. Act as a primary partner for core infrastructure teams like GKE, Cloud SQL, and Networking to co-engineer seamless integrations and shared standards.

Keywords: Google, Fairfield , Software Engineering Manager, Container Optimized Operating System, IT / Software / Systems , Sunnyvale, California