AR Engineer, Level 4

Location: Los Angeles, Canada

Department: Spectacles

Employment Type: Full time

About Snap Inc

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.

About the Role

Snap Inc is a camera company that believes the lens presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. We empower people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together through Snapchat, Lens Studio, and Spectacles—our AR glasses powered by Snap OS. The Spectacles team is at the forefront of AR innovation, pushing boundaries to bring people closer in the real world with standalone, see-through glasses that transform playing, learning, and working. Join our collaborative crew of Software Engineers, Designers, and Product experts in a creative culture that values diverse voices and bold ideas to craft AR experiences that redefine human connection. As an AR Engineer, Level 4, on the Spectacles team, you'll advance the holistic look, feel, and flow of user-facing software, ensuring a unified experience across Snap OS. You'll design performant real-time 3D interactions optimized for AR hardware, leveraging Snapchat's camera technology to create intuitive, spatial experiences. From building multi-modal systems for natural inputs to optimizing custom 3D engines, your work will enable immersive shared-space AR that feels magical and seamless. You'll interface with native OS APIs, architect inter-app communication, and collaborate cross-functionally to innovate features that harness AR's potential. With strong C++ skills and 3D expertise, you'll thrive in our dynamic environment, contributing to Spectacles' fifth-generation advancements. We're seeking passionate creators who embody Snap's playful spirit, working 4+ days a week in-office under our 'Default Together' policy to accelerate our mission. Snap is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, innovation, and fair chance hiring.

What You'll Do

• Advance and build the holistic look, feel, and flow of interactions and interfaces for user-facing software on Spectacles
• Contribute towards the consistent and unified user experience across the entire Snap OS software platform
• Create and empower spatial experiences through human-centered and multi-modal interactive systems for natural AR interactions
• Design and implement performant real-time 3D interaction algorithms optimized for resource-constrained AR hardware
• Develop and optimize core systems and features within custom 3D engines and frameworks for immersive AR experiences
• Interface with native OS and platform services and APIs to extend AR application capabilities and deliver seamless integrations
• Architect and integrate inter-application communication and shared state for concurrent shared-space AR experiences
• Collaborate with Design and Product teams to innovate camera-driven AR features that enhance real-world connections
• Push the boundaries of AR innovation in Spectacles to enable playful, learning, and working experiences in augmented reality
• Optimize AR interactions leveraging Snapchat's camera technology for intuitive, real-time spatial computing

Minimum Qualifications

• 3+ years of post-Bachelor’s software development experience; or Master’s degree in a technical field + 2+ years of post-grad software development experience; or PhD in a relevant technical field
• Hands-on experience building real-time 3D interactive applications and/or features/systems for real-time 3D engines
• Proficiency in C++ with experience writing performance-critical code for real-time 3D applications or engines
• Experience working with 3D engines/frameworks (such as Unity, Unreal, Godot, or custom engines) and understanding of their internal architectures
• Strong 3D math and software engineering fundamentals with data structures and algorithms
• Practical C++ experience with developing real-time 3D engine features and applications
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills working with engineering, design, and product disciplines

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with gameplay engineering, including real-time physics, animation systems, or input handling
• Networking experience, including multiplayer synchronization, client-server architectures, or real-time networked applications
• Experience working with custom 3D engines and/or modifying existing engine source code
• Experience writing or interfacing with native services and platform APIs (e.g., iOS, Android NDK, or proprietary OS APIs)
• Track record of writing performant real-time 3D interaction algorithms
• Familiarity with shaders and technical art

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• C++ proficiency for performance-critical real-time 3D code
• 3D math expertise (vectors, matrices, quaternions)
• Data structures and algorithms for efficient AR systems
• Real-time 3D engine development (Unity, Unreal, custom)
• Spatial interaction design for AR hardware
• Multi-modal input handling (gestures, voice, eye-tracking)
• Native OS/API integration (iOS, Android NDK)
• Physics and animation systems for gameplay
• Networking for multiplayer AR synchronization
• Shader programming and technical art
• UI frameworks for real-time 3D applications
• Performance optimization for resource-constrained devices
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration (engineering, design, product)
• Problem-solving in camera-based AR innovation
• Communication for creative AR storytelling
• Agile development in fast-paced creative environments

Our Benefits

• Paid parental leave
• Comprehensive medical coverage
• Emotional and mental health support programs
• Compensation packages with equity in the form of RSUs
• Competitive base salary based on pay zones (Zone A: $157,000-$235,000; Zone B: $149,000-$223,000; Zone C: $133,000-$200,000)
• "Default Together" policy with 4+ days per week in-office collaboration
• Opportunities to share in Snap’s long-term success
• Support for diverse backgrounds fostering innovative AR products

Compensation

$157,000-$235,000 annually

This position is eligible for equity in the form of RSUs.

"Default Together" Policy: At Snap Inc, we practice a "default together" approach and expect team members to work in an office 4+ days per week.

Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.