Senior UX Engineer, Wear OS at Google

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Engineer, Wear OS

Company: Google

Location: Bucharest, Romania

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX Engineering / Product Design / Front-End Development

Date Posted: June 9, 2025

Experience Level: Senior (6+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🎨 Role Summary

Bridging the gap between UX design principles and production-ready front-end code for the Wear OS platform.
Focusing on creating high-quality, accessible, and innovative user experiences for wearable devices.
Collaborating closely with UX Designers, Researchers, and Engineering teams to translate design concepts into functional prototypes and final implementations.
Contributing to the technical direction and standards for UX implementation on Wear OS, with an emphasis on performance and responsiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role description strongly emphasizes the intersection of user experience and technical implementation, indicating a need for a candidate with a strong understanding of both design principles and front-end development, specifically within the Android and wearables ecosystem. The "Senior" level suggests a requirement for significant technical expertise and the ability to influence technical decisions related to UX implementation.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Develop high-fidelity interactive prototypes and production-level front-end code for Wear OS applications, ensuring adherence to design specifications and technical best practices.
Work closely with UX Designers to understand design intent, provide technical feasibility assessments, and iterate on design solutions based on technical constraints and user feedback.
Synthesize feedback from UX Researchers and integrate user insights into technical implementations to improve product usability and effectiveness.
Collaborate with Software Engineers to integrate front-end components with back-end systems, ensuring seamless data flow and optimal performance on resource-constrained wearable devices.
Mentor junior UX Engineers and contribute to the development of best practices, coding standards, and reusable components for Wear OS UX development.
Ensure all implemented user interfaces meet or exceed accessibility standards to provide an inclusive experience for all users on wearable devices.
Manage multiple concurrent projects, effectively prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced development environment.
Actively participate in code reviews, design critiques, and technical discussions to maintain high code quality and foster a collaborative team environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Based on the responsibilities listed, this role requires a highly skilled individual capable of both hands-on development and technical leadership. The emphasis on collaboration with designers and researchers highlights the need for strong communication skills and the ability to translate user needs into technical solutions. Mentoring responsibilities confirm the senior-level expectation for leadership and guidance within the team.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Linguistics, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience is required. A background that combines technical study with design principles or human-computer interaction is highly beneficial for this UX-focused engineering role.

Experience: A minimum of 6 years of experience in front-end development, technical UX design, or prototyping is essential. Demonstrated experience in creating technical solutions for Android, desktop, and mobile web experiences is required. Specific experience in Android UI prototyping or development is a key qualification, indicating a need for practical experience building interfaces on the Android platform.

Required Skills:

Strong proficiency in front-end development languages and frameworks relevant to Android UI development.
Proven experience in technical UX design, translating design concepts into functional and performant prototypes and code.
Extensive experience with prototyping tools and techniques for creating interactive user experiences on various platforms, including Android and wearables.
Demonstrated experience in Android UI development, including building complex layouts and interactive components.
Understanding of the technical constraints and performance considerations specific to wearable devices.

Preferred Skills:

Prior experience as a dedicated front-end developer, UX Engineer, creative technologist, or in a prototyping-focused design environment.
Experience with Jetpack support libraries, particularly Jetpack Compose, for modern Android UI development.
In-depth understanding and practical application of Material Design standards in UI implementation.
Experience working with motion frameworks, such as Lottie, to create engaging and performant animations in user interfaces.
Proficiency in programming with Java or Kotlin, the primary languages for native Android development.
Experience developing native Android applications with a focus on clean architecture, maintainability, and compatibility across different Android versions and devices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications clearly define the technical depth required for this role, emphasizing Android-specific development and modern UI frameworks like Jetpack Compose. The preference for experience with Material Design and motion frameworks highlights the importance of crafting visually appealing and performant user interfaces. The combination of technical skills and design-adjacent experience (technical UX design, prototyping) is crucial.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Present a portfolio showcasing examples of technical UX design work, interactive prototypes, and implemented front-end solutions for Android, mobile web, or ideally, wearable interfaces.
Include case studies that detail the technical challenges faced, the solutions implemented, and the impact of your work on the user experience, particularly highlighting performance and usability on target devices.
Demonstrate proficiency in translating design concepts into functional code, showcasing your ability to bridge the gap between design intent and technical execution.
If possible, include examples of contributions to open-source projects or personal projects related to Android UI development or wearable technology.

Process Documentation:

For each project, clearly articulate your technical approach, the tools and technologies used, and the rationale behind your technical decisions, especially concerning performance optimization and platform-specific considerations for Android/Wear OS.
Showcase your collaboration process with designers and engineers, demonstrating how you contributed to the iterative design and development cycles.
Document your approach to ensuring accessibility in your implemented interfaces, highlighting specific techniques or tools used.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Engineer role, the portfolio should not only showcase the final visual output but critically demonstrate the technical problem-solving process, the code quality, and the ability to implement complex interactions and animations effectively on the target platform. Highlighting contributions to the technical architecture of the UI and collaboration with other disciplines is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: While specific salary data for this exact role at Google in Bucharest is not publicly available, based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX Engineer roles at major tech companies in Romania, a competitive annual salary range is estimated to be between 150,000 RON and 250,000 RON. This estimate is based on data from Glassdoor, Payscale, and local tech salary reports for senior engineering roles with specialized skills like Android development and UX integration in Bucharest. The final compensation will depend on the candidate's experience, skills, and negotiation.

Benefits:

Comprehensive health insurance plan covering medical, dental, and vision with options for dependents.
Generous paid time off policy, including vacation days, sick leave, and company holidays.
Retirement savings plan with company contributions.
Opportunities for professional development, including training programs, conferences, and access to learning resources relevant to UX engineering and Android development.
Potential for performance-based bonuses and stock options, aligning with company success.
Wellness programs and resources to support physical and mental health.
Potential for employee discounts on Google products and services.
Access to on-site amenities (specific to the Bucharest office) which may include cafes, gyms, and recreational areas.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically 40 hours per week. While the role is on-site, Google often offers some flexibility in start and end times, provided core team collaboration hours are met. The fast-paced environment may occasionally require work outside of standard hours during critical project phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on publicly available data for similar senior engineering roles in Bucharest and general compensation trends for large tech companies. It's important to note that specific compensation packages at companies like Google can vary significantly based on individual negotiation and the inclusion of stock options and bonuses, which are not included in this base salary estimate.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Google operates across numerous industries, with this role specifically focused on the consumer electronics and software platform sector through the Wear OS team. This involves working within a dynamic and highly competitive market focused on delivering innovative and user-friendly experiences on wearable devices.

Company Size: Google is a global technology leader with a very large employee base (10,000+ employees). Working within a large organization like Google means access to extensive resources, cutting-edge technology, and a global network of experts. It also implies working within established processes and potentially larger, more complex team structures.

Founded: Founded in 1998, Google has a long history of innovation in technology. The company culture is often described as data-driven, collaborative, and focused on solving complex problems at scale. The design culture within Google emphasizes user-centered design, accessibility, and creating consistent experiences across various platforms and devices, heavily influenced by Material Design principles.

Team Structure:

The UX team at Google is multi-disciplinary, including UX Designers, Researchers, Writers, Program Managers, and Engineers. This role sits within the engineering side of the UX team.
UX Engineers typically collaborate closely with UX Designers to implement designs and with Software Engineers for final product integration.
The team structure for Wear OS is likely organized around specific product features or components, with cross-functional pods working together.

Methodology:

Google's product development often follows an iterative approach, incorporating user research, prototyping, testing, and continuous feedback loops.
Design thinking principles are likely integrated into the product development process, emphasizing empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing.
Agile or a similar iterative development methodology is likely used for project management and execution.

Company Website: https://www.google.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Google's size and established history suggest a mature design and engineering culture with defined processes. The emphasis on a multi-disciplinary UX team indicates a collaborative environment where UX Engineers play a critical role in bridging design and development. The focus on Wear OS places this role within a specific product area requiring specialized knowledge of wearable interfaces and constraints.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This is a Senior-level UX Engineer role, indicating a position of significant technical responsibility and influence within the team. Senior UX Engineers are expected to not only execute complex technical tasks but also contribute to technical strategy, mentor junior team members, and drive best practices in UX implementation.

Reporting Structure: The role likely reports to an Engineering Manager or a Senior/Lead UX Engineer within the Wear OS team. Collaboration with UX Designers and Product Managers will be frequent and essential.

Design Impact: As a Senior UX Engineer on the Wear OS team, your work will have a direct impact on the user experience of potentially millions of users of wearable devices. You will play a critical role in translating design vision into tangible, high-quality interactions and interfaces that shape how users interact with their smartwatches and other Wear OS devices.

Growth Opportunities:

Advancement to a Lead UX Engineer role, taking on more technical leadership and team guidance responsibilities within the Wear OS team or other product areas.
Potential to specialize further in specific areas of UX engineering, such as performance optimization for wearables, advanced animation techniques, or accessibility best practices.
Opportunities to transition into a management track, leading a team of UX Engineers.
Cross-functional growth opportunities by collaborating with other engineering teams or contributing to platform-level UX initiatives within Google.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" designation implies expectations for technical leadership and mentoring. Growth paths typically involve increased technical scope, team leadership, or specialization. Working on a platform like Wear OS offers significant potential for impact and visibility within the company.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: This role is listed as on-site in Bucharest. Google offices are generally designed to foster collaboration and innovation, often featuring open workspaces, meeting rooms, and dedicated areas for focused work.

Office Location(s): The primary location for this role is Bucharest, Romania. Google has an established office in Bucharest, which serves as a hub for various engineering and business functions in the region.

Design Workspace Context:

The office environment is likely designed to facilitate collaboration between design, engineering, and product teams, with shared spaces and meeting rooms equipped for presentations and whiteboarding.
Access to necessary hardware and software for Wear OS development, including development kits, testing devices, and specialized design and engineering tools.
Opportunities for informal interaction and knowledge sharing with other UX professionals and engineers working on various Google products.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time and on-site, implying a regular presence at the Bucharest office during standard business hours. Some flexibility may be offered, but core hours for team collaboration will be important. The on-site nature supports close collaboration with the local team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Bucharest suggests a strong emphasis on in-person collaboration within the local team. Google's office design typically supports a collaborative and creative work environment, providing the necessary infrastructure for design and development work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

The interview process for a Senior UX Engineer at Google typically involves multiple stages designed to assess both technical and behavioral skills, as well as cultural fit.
Initial screening by a recruiter, followed by technical phone screens focusing on coding skills and potentially design implementation questions.
On-site interviews (or virtual on-sites) consisting of several rounds, including technical interviews focused on data structures, algorithms, and system design, as well as rounds specifically assessing UX engineering skills, prototyping abilities, and collaboration experience.
A dedicated portfolio review session where you will present your work, explaining your technical approach, design rationale, and collaboration process. Be prepared to discuss the technical challenges and solutions in detail.
Interviews assessing behavioral and situational judgment, focusing on how you handle challenges, collaborate with others, and contribute to a team environment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate your portfolio to specifically highlight projects where you played a key role in implementing complex user interfaces, particularly on Android or wearable devices.
Structure your case studies to clearly articulate the problem, your technical contribution to the solution, the design principles applied, and the outcome or impact of your work.
Be prepared to walk through your code for selected projects, explaining your implementation choices, performance considerations, and how you ensured design fidelity.
Showcase your ability to collaborate with designers and engineers, demonstrating how you contributed to the iterative process and bridged technical and design requirements.

Challenge Preparation:

Be prepared for technical coding challenges that assess your problem-solving skills and proficiency in relevant programming languages (Java/Kotlin).
Anticipate potential design implementation challenges during the interview process, where you might be asked to sketch out or code a solution for a specific UI problem on a given platform.
Practice articulating your thought process clearly during technical and design challenges, explaining your approach and considering potential edge cases or constraints.

ATS Keywords: Front-End Development, UX Engineering, Technical UX Design, Prototyping, Android UI, Wear OS, Jetpack Compose, Material Design, Java, Kotlin, Native Android Development, User Interface, User Experience, Accessibility, Collaboration, Design Implementation, Performance Optimization, Mobile Development, Wearable Technology, Interaction Design, Visual Design, Agile, Iterative Development, Code Review, Mentoring, Problem Solving, Communication, Cross-functional Teams, Figma (or similar design tools), Version Control (Git), Data Structures, Algorithms, System Design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Senior UX Engineer at a company like Google is rigorous and multifaceted, assessing both deep technical expertise and strong collaboration and problem-solving skills within a design context. The portfolio review is a critical component, requiring candidates to effectively communicate their technical contributions to design outcomes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

While this is an engineering role, familiarity with design tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD is beneficial for collaborating with designers and understanding design specifications.
Experience with prototyping tools that facilitate creating interactive flows and animations will be valuable.

Collaboration & Handoff:

Proficiency with version control systems, particularly Git, is essential for code management and collaboration with engineering teams.
Experience with project management and collaboration platforms like JIRA, Asana, or Google's internal tools.
Familiarity with tools or processes for design handoff, ensuring accurate implementation of design specifications by engineers.

Research & Testing:

Understanding of how to interpret user research findings and integrate them into technical implementation decisions.
Experience with debugging tools and performance analysis tools for identifying and resolving issues in implemented interfaces on Android/Wear OS.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools and technology stack for a UX Engineer bridge the gap between design and engineering. Proficiency in core Android development tools (Java/Kotlin, Android Studio) is assumed, while familiarity with design and collaboration tools is crucial for effective cross-functional teamwork.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

User-Centeredness: A strong emphasis on understanding user needs and behaviors to inform technical implementation decisions and create intuitive experiences on Wear OS.
Accessibility: Commitment to building inclusive interfaces that are usable by individuals with diverse abilities, adhering to or exceeding accessibility standards.
Performance: Prioritizing the performance and responsiveness of user interfaces, especially critical on resource-constrained wearable devices.
Innovation: Encouraging creative problem-solving and exploring new technical approaches to enhance the user experience on Wear OS.

Collaboration Style:

Highly collaborative environment with close interaction between UX Designers, Researchers, Product Managers, and Engineers.
Emphasis on constructive feedback and open communication during design reviews and code reviews.
Team-oriented approach to problem-solving and iterative development.

📝 Enhancement Note: Google's design culture is deeply rooted in user-centered principles and accessibility. For a UX Engineer, this translates to a need for strong empathy for users and a technical approach that prioritizes usability and inclusivity, especially within the unique context of wearable devices.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Developing high-quality, performant, and battery-efficient user interfaces for the unique constraints of wearable devices, balancing rich interactions with technical limitations.
Translating complex design concepts into technical implementations while maintaining design fidelity and ensuring a seamless user experience across a variety of Wear OS devices.
Staying up-to-date with the rapidly evolving Android and Wear OS development ecosystem, including new Jetpack libraries and UI frameworks.
Collaborating effectively across multiple teams and disciplines to deliver integrated product experiences on Wear OS.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Opportunities to deepen expertise in Android and Wear OS development through internal training programs and access to cutting-edge research and development within Google.
Participation in internal knowledge-sharing sessions, tech talks, and design reviews to learn from other experts within the company.
Potential for attending industry conferences and workshops related to Android development, UX engineering, and wearable technology.
Opportunities for mentorship from experienced engineers and designers within the Google UX and engineering organizations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges inherent in developing for wearable devices (performance, battery life, screen size) require a skilled and adaptable UX Engineer. Working at Google provides significant resources and opportunities for continuous learning and professional development within this specialized domain.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

Be prepared to discuss your approach to translating design specifications into technical implementations, including how you handle discrepancies or technical challenges.
Illustrate how you collaborate with UX Designers throughout the development process, from initial concepts to final implementation.
Discuss your experience with ensuring accessibility in your implemented interfaces and the methods you use to test for accessibility compliance.

Company Culture Questions:

Research Google's mission, values, and recent product launches, particularly related to Wear OS. Be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with Google's focus on user-centered innovation.
Reflect on your experience working in collaborative, cross-functional teams and be ready to provide examples of how you've effectively communicated and collaborated with designers, researchers, and engineers.
Consider how you approach problem-solving in a fast-paced, data-driven environment and be prepared to discuss situations where you've had to adapt to changing requirements or technical challenges.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Select 2-3 projects for in-depth presentation that best showcase your technical UX engineering skills, particularly those involving Android or wearable interfaces.
For each project, clearly outline the problem you were solving, your specific technical contributions, the tools and technologies used, and the impact of your work on the user experience and product performance.
Be prepared to discuss the technical decisions you made, explaining the trade-offs and rationale behind your choices.
Practice presenting your work concisely and engagingly, focusing on the technical challenges you overcame and the value you added through your UX engineering efforts.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong technical foundation in Android development, practical experience in technical UX implementation, and the ability to collaborate effectively within a multi-disciplinary team. Highlighting projects relevant to wearable technology or challenging UI implementations will be particularly impactful.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link. Ensure your resume and cover letter are tailored to highlight your relevant experience in UX engineering, Android development, and working on user interfaces.
Customize your portfolio to showcase projects that demonstrate your ability to bridge design and engineering, with a focus on technical implementation, performance, and user experience on Android or wearable devices. Include detailed case studies explaining your technical process and contributions.
Optimize your resume with relevant ATS keywords from the list provided and throughout the job description, ensuring your skills and experience are easily identifiable by applicant tracking systems.
Prepare for the interview process by practicing technical coding questions, reviewing your portfolio projects in detail, and preparing to discuss your collaboration style and approach to solving complex technical and design challenges.
Research Google's Wear OS products, recent updates, and the competitive landscape to demonstrate your understanding of the platform and the challenges involved in developing for wearable devices.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and design industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Senior UX Engineer, Wear OS