Senior Software Engineer, Google Play at Google in Nairobi, Kenya

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    Senior Software Engineer, Google Play

    GoogleNairobi, Kenya

    Posted

    5 days ago

    Apply by

    1 Sept

    Full Time
    On Site
    Senior
    ICT & Telecommunications
    IT & Software

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    Job Description

    Google's software engineers develop next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information. In this role, you will work on a specific project critical to Google's needs, with opportunities to switch teams and projects as the business grows. Your work will ship on every Google-enabled Android device, delivering value for both Play's end users and the largest game developers in the world.

    Key Responsibilities

    • Write and test product or system development code.
    • Participate in, or lead design reviews with peers and stakeholders to decide amongst available technologies.
    • Review code developed by other developers and provide feedback to ensure best practices (e.g., style guidelines, checking code in, accuracy, testability, and efficiency).
    • Contribute to existing documentation or educational content and adapt content based on product/program updates and user feedback.
    • Triage product or system issues and debug/track/resolve by analyzing the sources of issues and the impact on hardware, network, or service operations and quality.

    Required Qualifications

    • Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
    • 5 years of experience with software development in one or more programming languages.
    • 3 years of experience testing, maintaining, or launching software products, and 1 year of experience with software design and architecture.
    • Experience with server-side programming.
    • Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or a related technical field.
    • 5 years of experience with data structures and algorithms.
    • 1 year of experience in a technical leadership role.
    • Experience developing accessible technologies.

    Job Details

    Job Function

    IT & Software

    Minimum Experience

    5 years

    Education Level

    Bachelor’s Degree

    Area of Study

    Computer Science

    Field of Study

    Computer Science

    Languages

    English

    Additional Information

    How to Apply: Interested and qualified? Go to Google on www.google.com to apply.

    Show Your Full-Stack Versatility and Leadership

    This role sits at the heart of Google Play, where your code will reach billions of Android devices. Hiring managers will probe not just your coding chops, but your ability to lead design reviews, mentor peers, and own features from concept to launch.

    1. Lead with your impact: On your CV, highlight projects where you led design or architecture decisions, not just tasks you completed. Quantify the scale: how many users, transactions, or systems did your work affect? For example, 'Redesigned payment service handling 10M daily transactions.'

    2. Master the full stack: Expect questions on server-side programming, data structures, and algorithms. Brush up on distributed systems and large-scale design, as Google's products handle massive data. Prepare to whiteboard a system that scales horizontally.

    3. Prepare for behavioral-depth: Google values leadership and collaboration. Have stories ready that show you influencing without authority, resolving technical disagreements, and mentoring junior engineers. Use the STAR method to structure your answers.

    4. Review code like a pro: Be ready to discuss how you give constructive code review feedback. Highlight your adherence to style guides, testing, and efficiency. Show you can spot bugs and performance bottlenecks in unfamiliar code.

    5. Showcase your debugging skills: Expect scenario-based questions on triaging production issues. Walk through how you analyze logs, trace root causes, and coordinate with teams to resolve outages. Emphasize your systematic approach and tools you use.

    6. Demonstrate accessibility awareness: Google is committed to accessible technologies. Mention any experience you have with accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) or building inclusive products. Show you think about all users, including those with disabilities.

    7. Align with Google's mission: Understand Google's products and the Play ecosystem. Be ready to discuss how your work impacts gamers and developers. Show genuine enthusiasm for the space and the technical challenges it presents.

    8. Ask sharp questions: Prepare thoughtful questions for your interviewers about the team's roadmap, technical challenges, and culture. This shows you're engaged and strategic. Avoid generic questions; focus on specifics like 'How does the team handle backward compatibility across Android versions?'

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    Tags

    software development
    programming
    design reviews
    code review
    debugging