Senior UX Engineer, Search AI

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Engineer, Search AI

Company: Google

Location: San Francisco, CA; Mountain View, CA; New York, NY

Job Type: Full-time

Category: UX Engineering / Front-end Development with AI Focus

Date Posted: September 10, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive excellence in motion design and user experience within Google Search, leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies.

• Author production-grade front-end code across web and native mobile platforms to translate innovative AI interaction models into performant, user-centric features.

• Develop and maintain advanced tooling, pipelines, and frameworks that empower cross-functional teams and accelerate the design-to-implementation lifecycle.

• Provide technical leadership and strategic direction for ambiguous, zero-to-one interaction explorations, fostering collaboration across UX, Product, and Engineering.

• Integrate AI models, LLMs, and generative UI workflows into daily engineering practices to push the boundaries of modern Search experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is highly specialized, blending deep UX engineering expertise with a strong focus on AI integration, particularly within the Search domain. The emphasis on "motion excellence," "living Google3 code," and "open developer pipelines" suggests a need for candidates who understand complex, large-scale production environments and can contribute to foundational tooling and design systems. The "playground to advance modern Search" implies a significant opportunity for innovation and impact.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Author production-grade front-end code and reusable components in TypeScript, HTML5, modern CSS, and the Web Animations API for web platforms.

• Develop and maintain code for native mobile applications using iOS/SwiftUI and Android/Jetpack Compose.

• Build Live Experiments (LEs) and interactive sandboxes to rigorously test and validate user experience aspects such as feel, frame rates, and latency under real-world Large Language Model (LLM) streaming conditions.

• Develop, maintain, and enhance "mo.co.labs" tooling, pipelines, and frameworks designed to empower partner teams, elevate cross-functional craft, and significantly reduce the time from design conception to implementation.

• Systemize and integrate motion tokens, container transforms, and fluid transition frameworks into the Search Design System (SDS) to ensure scalable governance and consistency.

• Provide technical leadership for ambiguous, zero-to-one interaction explorations, acting as a key partner to UX designers, Software Engineers (SWEs), and Product Managers.

• Drive AI fluency in everyday workflows, experimenting across Web, iOS, and Android to translate bleeding-edge AI interaction models into performant, production-ready code.

• Collaborate closely with motion designers, UX leads, and Search Software Engineers to ensure seamless integration of AI-driven interactions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on direct code contribution (production-grade components, LEs) and enabling others through tooling and framework development. The specific mention of "mo.co.labs" and "Search Design System (SDS)" indicates a need for candidates familiar with large-scale design system architecture and internal developer productivity tools. The emphasis on "LLM streaming conditions" points to a need for experience with real-time data processing and performance optimization in AI-driven applications.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: Minimum of 6 years of experience in front-end development, technical UX design, or prototyping.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency in application development for at least one platform/area (e.g., web, iOS, Android, CompDes, or XR).

• Proven experience building or prototyping across both Web and Native Mobile platforms, specifically iOS/SwiftUI or Android/Jetpack Compose.

• Deep understanding and practical experience with UI animation mechanics, gesture dynamics, spring physics, cubic-bezier curves, and rendering performance optimization.

• Expertise in front-end development technologies including TypeScript, HTML5, modern CSS, and the Web Animations API.

• Experience in integrating AI models, Large Language Models (LLMs), prompt engineering, generative UI workflows, or agentic developer tools into daily engineering workflows.

• Ability to author production-grade code and contribute to large-scale codebases (e.g., Google3).

• Experience building and analyzing Live Experiments (LEs) to validate user experience metrics.

• Strong technical leadership capabilities for ambiguous, early-stage interaction explorations. Preferred Skills:

• 7 years of experience developing responsive, adaptive, and highly performant websites and applications.

• 6 years of experience specifically as a front-end developer, UX Engineer, creative technologist, or in a dedicated prototyping design environment.

• Experience architecting and implementing design token pipelines, developer harnesses, or comprehensive design system component libraries.

• Familiarity with motion design principles and their application in digital interfaces.

• Experience with advanced animation frameworks and performance tuning for complex UIs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The distinction between minimum and preferred qualifications suggests that candidates with a longer track record and specific experience in areas like design system architecture and advanced AI integration will be highly competitive. The emphasis on both web and native mobile development, along with AI/LLM integration, points towards a need for a full-stack UX engineering skillset with a modern, forward-looking perspective.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase examples of complex front-end development projects, demonstrating proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML5, and CSS, with a focus on performance and responsiveness.

• Include case studies of interactive prototypes that highlight innovative UX designs, particularly those involving animation, gesture interactions, or physics-based motion.

• Present examples of native mobile application development (iOS/SwiftUI or Android/Jetpack Compose) where UI/UX principles were applied effectively.

• Demonstrate experience with AI integration, such as prototypes or features that leverage LLMs, prompt engineering, or generative UI concepts.

• Highlight contributions to design systems, including examples of design tokens, component libraries, or architectural frameworks that promote scalability and consistency.

• Illustrate technical leadership in zero-to-one interaction explorations, potentially through concept development or early-stage prototyping. Process Documentation:

• Document your approach to building Live Experiments (LEs) and interactive sandboxes, explaining how you validate user feel, frame rates, and latency under dynamic conditions.

• Detail your experience in developing and maintaining internal tooling, pipelines, or frameworks that aim to improve developer productivity and shorten design-to-implementation timelines.

• Explain your methodology for systemizing design elements like motion tokens, container transforms, and fluid transition frameworks within a design system (e.g., SDS).

• Provide examples of how you collaborate with cross-functional teams (UX, Product, SWE) to bring complex interaction designs to life.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, the portfolio should not just be a collection of past work but a demonstration of a structured approach to problem-solving, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration. Candidates should be prepared to articulate the "why" and "how" behind their projects, focusing on process, impact, and scalability, especially concerning AI integration and design system contributions.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $159,000 - $230,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Bonus: Target bonus of 15% of base salary, tied to individual and company performance.

• Equity: Stock options or grants as part of the compensation package.

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with company matching.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, sick leave, and holidays.

• Parental Leave: Paid leave for new parents.

• Wellness Programs: Access to various wellness initiatives and resources.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, training, and conference attendance.

Working Hours: Typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected for project needs and deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is competitive for a Senior UX Engineer role at a major tech company like Google, especially in high cost-of-living areas like San Francisco, Mountain View, and New York. The bonus and equity components are significant additions to the base salary, reflecting the role's seniority and impact. The benefits package is comprehensive, aligning with industry standards for top-tier tech employers.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Internet Services and Software)

Company Size: Extremely Large (over 10,000 employees)

Founded: 1998

Team Structure:

• The role is within the Google Search organization, specifically on the "motion.code" team, which focuses on motion excellence in Search.

• This is a multi-disciplinary UX team that collaborates closely with Engineering and Product Management.

• You will work alongside motion designers, UX leads, and Search Software Engineers, indicating a highly collaborative and specialized environment.

• The team operates within the larger Google engineering ecosystem, likely leveraging internal tools and platforms like "Google3." Methodology:

• User-Centricity: The core philosophy is "Focus on the user and all else will follow," driving all product and design decisions.

• Data-Driven Innovation: Emphasis on using user insights, Live Experiments (LEs), and performance metrics to validate and iterate on product features.

• Agile Development: Fast-paced environment requiring adaptability, rapid prototyping, and efficient execution.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Close partnerships between UX, Product Management, and Engineering are crucial for success.

• AI Integration: A key methodology involves experimenting with and integrating cutting-edge AI and LLM technologies into user interfaces and workflows.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Google's culture is known for its emphasis on innovation, data-driven decision-making, and a strong engineering foundation. The "motion.code" team within Search suggests a highly specialized group focused on refining user interaction through sophisticated motion design and AI. The "Google3" mention refers to Google's internal monorepo, indicating a need for candidates comfortable with massive codebases and internal development practices.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor (IC) within UX Engineering. This role requires significant technical depth, leadership in ambiguous areas, and the ability to influence product direction. It sits above mid-level engineers and prepares individuals for Principal Engineer or Staff+ roles, or potentially management if desired.

Reporting Structure: You will report to a UX Engineering Manager or Lead within the Search organization. You will collaborate extensively with UX Leads, Product Managers, and Software Engineers, forming a core project team.

Operations Impact: As a Senior UX Engineer on the Search AI team, your impact will be substantial. You will directly influence the user experience of Google Search, a product used by billions globally. Your work on AI integration, motion design, and performance optimization will shape how users interact with information, making the search experience more intuitive, engaging, and efficient. Contributions to tooling and design systems will have a ripple effect, improving productivity and quality across numerous teams.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI integration, generative UI, advanced animation, and performance optimization for large-scale systems.

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to lead complex technical projects, mentor junior engineers, and define technical strategy for new interaction paradigms.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain experience working across various product areas within Search and potentially other Google products.

• Design System Evolution: Contribute to the architecture and evolution of the Search Design System (SDS) and internal developer platforms.

• Pathways to Staff/Principal: Successful performance can lead to opportunities for Staff UX Engineer or Principal UX Engineer roles, signifying deep technical expertise and broad influence.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth within Google's established career ladder for individual contributors. The focus on emerging technologies like AI and generative UI provides opportunities to become a subject matter expert in a high-demand field. The ability to influence product direction and contribute to foundational systems is key to advancing to higher IC levels.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Primarily on-site within Google's modern office spaces, designed to foster collaboration and innovation. The role is explicitly listed as "On-site."

Office Location(s):

• San Francisco, CA

• Mountain View, CA

• New York, NY Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices are equipped with meeting rooms, common areas, and flexible workspaces to encourage team interaction and brainstorming.

• State-of-the-Art Technology: Access to high-performance computing resources, development tools, and internal Google infrastructure necessary for complex AI and front-end development.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Daily interaction with a diverse group of highly skilled professionals including UX designers, researchers, product managers, and software engineers.

• Innovation Hubs: Google offices often feature dedicated spaces for experimentation, prototyping, and showcasing new technologies.

Work Schedule: While the standard work week is typically 40 hours, the fast-paced nature of innovation in Search AI may require flexibility to meet project deadlines and experiment with new ideas. The on-site requirement emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration and immersion in the Google work environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement indicates that Google values in-person collaboration, spontaneous ideation, and direct team interaction for this specific role. Candidates should be prepared for a typical tech office environment with ample resources and opportunities for interaction with a diverse, high-caliber workforce.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Resume and portfolio review by recruiters and hiring managers to assess qualifications and alignment with the role.

• Technical Phone Screens (1-2): Interviews with UX Engineers or Software Engineers focusing on front-end development skills, AI integration concepts, animation principles, and problem-solving abilities. Expect coding challenges and conceptual discussions.

• On-site/Virtual Loop (5-7 interviews):

  • UX/Design Focus: Interviews with UX Designers and Leads to assess design thinking, collaboration style, and understanding of user experience principles.
  • Technical Deep Dives: Multiple interviews with Senior Engineers and technical leads focusing on specific areas like web development, native mobile development, AI/LLM integration, animation mechanics, and performance optimization. Expect live coding, system design, and behavioral questions.
  • Leadership/Ambiguity: Interviews assessing your ability to lead ambiguous projects, mentor others, and handle complex, undefined problems.
  • Googlyness/Culture Fit: Interviews to assess alignment with Google's values, such as collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and user focus.

• Hiring Committee Review: All interview feedback is compiled and reviewed by a hiring committee for a final decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that directly showcase the required skills: advanced front-end development (web/mobile), AI/LLM integration, complex animations/motion design, and potentially contributions to design systems or tooling.

• Focus on Impact and Process: For each project, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your specific role and contributions, the process you followed (including any unique methodologies), the technologies used, and the quantifiable results or impact achieved. Use metrics where possible (e.g., performance improvements, user engagement increases, efficiency gains from tooling).

• Demonstrate AI Fluency: If possible, include a project that explicitly shows your experience with LLMs, prompt engineering, or generative UI. Explain the challenges and innovative solutions.

• Showcase Animation/Motion Expertise: Provide examples that highlight your understanding of animation mechanics, physics, and performance optimization for smooth, engaging motion.

• Prepare to Discuss Code: Be ready to walk through code snippets or architectural diagrams for your projects, especially those involving TypeScript, SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, or Web Animations API.

• Storytelling: Frame your projects as compelling narratives that demonstrate your problem-solving skills, technical depth, and ability to collaborate effectively.

Challenge Preparation:

• Front-End Coding: Practice common front-end challenges, focusing on JavaScript/TypeScript, DOM manipulation, CSS, and performance optimization. Be prepared for algorithm and data structure questions adapted to a front-end context.

• System Design: Prepare for system design questions related to building scalable front-end architectures, design systems, or interactive tools. Consider how you would design an AI-powered UI component or a framework for rapid prototyping.

• Animation & Physics: Review concepts related to animation curves, spring physics, gesture handling, and how to implement them efficiently in code.

• AI/LLM Integration: Understand basic concepts of LLMs, prompt engineering, and how they can be integrated into user interfaces. Be ready to discuss potential use cases and challenges.

• Behavioral Questions: Prepare STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) responses for common behavioral questions related to teamwork, leadership, handling ambiguity, and overcoming challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is rigorous and multi-faceted, typical of Google. Success hinges on demonstrating not only technical proficiency but also strong problem-solving skills, collaborative ability, and alignment with Google's culture. A well-prepared, targeted portfolio is crucial for passing the initial screening and providing concrete evidence during interviews.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Web Development: TypeScript, HTML5, modern CSS, Web Animations API, JavaScript frameworks (implied, though not explicitly named).

• Native Mobile Development: iOS/SwiftUI, Android/Jetpack Compose.

• AI/ML Integration: Large Language Models (LLMs), prompt engineering tools, generative UI frameworks.

• Internal Google Tools: Google3 (monorepo), Live Experiments (LEs), internal build and deployment systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Live Experiments (LEs): For real-time validation of user experience, frame rates, and latency.

• Performance Monitoring Tools: To track rendering performance and optimize user interactions.

• Analytics Platforms: (Likely internal Google tools) for tracking user behavior and feature adoption.

CRM & Automation:

• Design Systems: Search Design System (SDS), design token pipelines, component libraries.

• Developer Tooling: Internal frameworks and pipelines to accelerate design-to-implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is a blend of industry-standard front-end and mobile development tools with Google's proprietary internal systems. Proficiency in modern web and native development is essential, as is a demonstrated ability to work with and integrate AI technologies. Experience with large-scale codebases and internal tooling is a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User Focus: A fundamental principle at Google, ensuring all decisions prioritize the end-user experience. This means building intuitive, efficient, and delightful interactions.

• Innovation & Experimentation: Encouragement to explore new ideas, experiment with cutting-edge technologies like AI, and push the boundaries of what's possible in Search.

• Technical Excellence: High standards for code quality, performance, and scalability, especially within large systems like Google Search.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Strong emphasis on working effectively with cross-functional teams (UX, PM, SWE) to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Reliance on metrics, user feedback, and experimentation to guide product development and validate hypotheses.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Building tools and systems that not only solve immediate problems but also enable scalability and efficiency for broader teams.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: This role is deeply embedded within a multi-disciplinary team, requiring constant collaboration with designers, product managers, and software engineers. Open communication and shared ownership are key.

• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: Senior engineers are expected to mentor junior team members and contribute to a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing across the team and broader organization.

• Feedback Loops: A culture of constructive feedback is essential for iterating on designs, code, and processes, ensuring continuous improvement.

• Agile & Iterative: The team likely operates in an agile manner, embracing iterative development, rapid prototyping, and continuous refinement based on testing and feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture at Google, and specifically within this specialized team, values both individual technical contribution and collaborative team success. The emphasis on user focus and data-driven decisions is paramount, while the integration of AI and advanced animation requires a forward-thinking and experimental mindset.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Integrating Cutting-Edge AI: Navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, LLMs, and generative UI to create meaningful and performant user experiences within Search. This involves technical hurdles, ethical considerations, and user adoption challenges.

• Balancing Innovation with Scale: Developing innovative interaction models while ensuring they are scalable, performant, and maintainable within Google's massive Search infrastructure.

• Bridging Design and Engineering: Effectively translating complex design intent and AI capabilities into production-ready code, especially for nuanced motion and interaction behaviors.

• Ambiguous 0-to-1 Explorations: Leading technical efforts on entirely new interaction paradigms where requirements are not yet defined, requiring strong problem-solving and strategic thinking.

• Performance Optimization: Ensuring that AI-driven features and complex animations deliver a seamless, low-latency experience across diverse devices and network conditions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI & Generative UI Specialization: Deep dive into the latest advancements in AI, LLMs, and their application in user interfaces, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Advanced Animation & Motion Design: Hone skills in creating sophisticated, performant animations and interactive motion, contributing to the "motion excellence" of Google Search.

• Design System Architecture: Gain experience in architecting and evolving large-scale design systems (SDS), influencing product consistency and developer efficiency.

• Technical Leadership: Develop leadership skills by guiding technical direction, mentoring junior engineers, and influencing product strategy for new features.

• Industry Exposure: Potential opportunities to attend conferences, publish research, or contribute to open-source projects (though less common for internal tooling).

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant technical challenges that are also rich learning opportunities. The candidate will be at the forefront of integrating AI into user experiences, requiring continuous learning and adaptation. The growth potential lies in becoming a recognized expert in a highly sought-after and rapidly developing field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to integrate a new, rapidly evolving technology (like LLMs) into a user experience. What were the biggest technical challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on process, problem-solving, and adaptation).

• "How would you approach designing and prototyping a novel AI-driven search interaction that aims to be more conversational and predictive? Walk us through your thought process and potential technical considerations." (Demonstrate design thinking, AI fluency, and technical feasibility).

• "Imagine you've identified a performance bottleneck in a complex animation or an LLM streaming response. How would you diagnose and resolve it, considering both front-end code and potential back-end dependencies?" (Showcase debugging skills, performance optimization knowledge, and systems thinking). Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you stay updated on the latest trends in UX engineering, AI, and front-end development, and how do you apply that knowledge to your work?" (Assess continuous learning and proactivity).

• "Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with designers and engineers who had different priorities or perspectives. How did you ensure a successful outcome for the user and the product?" (Evaluate collaboration and conflict resolution skills).

• "What does 'Googlyness' mean to you, and how do your personal values align with Google's culture, particularly regarding innovation and user focus?" (Assess cultural fit and self-awareness). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": For each project, clearly articulate the problem and the user need it addressed.

• Detail Your Role and Contribution: Be specific about what you did, especially in areas like coding, prototyping, AI integration, or system design.

• Explain Your Process and Decisions: Walk through your technical approach, design choices, and any challenges encountered. Use diagrams or flowcharts if helpful.

• Highlight Technical Depth: Be prepared to discuss specific code implementations, animation mechanics, or AI model interactions.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics to demonstrate the success of your work (e.g., performance improvements, user engagement, efficiency gains).

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that showcase experience with web/mobile, AI, and animation, aligning with the Senior UX Engineer, Search AI requirements.

Challenge Preparation:

• Live Coding: Practice coding exercises in TypeScript, focusing on algorithms, data structures, and efficient DOM manipulation or UI component implementation.

• System Design: Prepare to design scalable front-end architectures, design systems, or interactive tools, considering performance, maintainability, and integration with AI.

• Behavioral Questions: Use the STAR method to structure answers about past experiences related to leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and handling ambiguity.

• Conceptual AI/UX Questions: Be ready to discuss how AI can enhance user experiences, potential pitfalls, and your approach to designing for AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of strong technical skills, innovative thinking, collaborative spirit, and a deep understanding of user experience principles, particularly in the context of AI and large-scale systems. The portfolio is your primary tool for showcasing tangible evidence of these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Engineer, Search AI position:

• Submit your application through the Google Careers portal link provided.

• Curate Your Operations Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best showcase your expertise in front-end development (web/mobile), AI/LLM integration, complex UI animation, and any contributions to design systems or developer tooling. Ensure each project clearly outlines the problem, your role, the process, technologies used, and quantifiable results.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords and experiences directly relevant to this role, such as "UX Engineer," "Front-end Development," "TypeScript," "SwiftUI," "Jetpack Compose," "UI Animation," "LLM Integration," "Prompt Engineering," "Generative UI," and "Technical Leadership." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on clear storytelling, technical depth, and demonstrating your problem-solving approach. Be ready to discuss your code and design decisions in detail.

• Research Google's Approach to AI in Search: Understand Google's stated mission and recent developments in using AI to enhance search experiences. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest and understanding during interviews.

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