Description

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of experience in software development, with a focus on API design, protocol development, or large-scale distributed systems.
• 5 years of experience in designing and developing open source protocols.
• Experience in one or more programming languages like Python, Go, TypeScript, or Java.
• Experience in API specification languages such as OpenAPI, JSON Schema, or gRPC.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or related technical field.
• Experience contributing to or maintaining large open-source projects or industry standards (e.g., IETF, W3C).
• Experience building and maintaining developer tools, SDKs, or libraries used by external developers.
• Experience in the domains of e-commerce, payments (PCI-DSS), or identity (e.g., OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, WebAuthn, Verifiable Credentials).
• Experience leading the architecture of large-scale integration platforms, SDKs, or protocols.
• 
  
  Experience engaging technical audiences and driving technical consensus, with excellent technical writing and communication skills.
  
  

About the job
Google's software engineers develop the next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information and one another. Our products need to handle information at massive scale, and extend well beyond web search. We're looking for engineers who bring fresh ideas from all areas, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, UI design and mobile; the list goes on and is growing every day. As a software engineer, you will work on a specific project critical to Google's needs with opportunities to switch teams and projects as you and our fast-paced business grow and evolve. We need our engineers to be versatile, display leadership qualities and be enthusiastic to take on new problems across the full-stack as we continue to push technology forward.

With your technical expertise you will manage project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables. You will design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and enhance software solutions.

We are the core team behind the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard designed to redefine digital commerce. Backed by leading technology and commerce companies, UCP provides a common language for merchants, payment providers, identity systems, and AI agents to interact seamlessly and securely. We are building the foundational infrastructure for the future of agentic commerce.
Our mission is to build and foster open, interoperable, and secure digital commerce ecosystems through the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). We empower developers, merchants, and platforms to create seamless, intelligent, and secure commerce experiences, from AI-driven shopping agents to global payments by providing a universal standard for interaction.
People shop on Google more than a billion times a day - and the Commerce team is responsible for building the experiences that serve these users. The mission for Google Commerce is to be an essential part of the shopping journey for consumers - from inspiration to to a simple and secure checkout experience - and the best place for retailers/merchants to connect with consumers. We support and partner with the commerce ecosystem, from large retailers to small local merchants, to give them the tools, technology and scale to thrive in today's digital world.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $262,000-$365,000 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

• Lead design and evolution of the UCP core protocol, including new capabilities, extensions, and handler models for identity, payments, and future verticals like travel and services.
• Author and refine technical specifications, JSON schemas, OpenAPI/OpenRPC definitions, enhancement proposals and build implementation for Google surfaces.
• Design, build, and maintain high-quality Software Development Kits (SDKs), validation tools, reference implementations to accelerate protocol adoption and ensure compliance.
• Serve as a technical leader within UCP community, engaging with Domain Working Groups (DWGs), partners, and contributors to drive consensus, gather feedback, and guide technical implementations.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to contributors and team members, establishing best practices for API design, security, extensibility, and backwards compatibility. Review contributions to protocol specifications/tooling for architectural soundness, security and adherence to UCP principles.

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Requisition #: 107738639319868102

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