Samsung Electronics is embarking on a public recruitment campaign to attract top talent for the development of next-generation extended reality (XR) technology. This initiative is part of the company’s broader strategy to build a robust software ecosystem in preparation for the launch of its first XR device, “Project Infinite,” expected later this year.
On the 13th, Samsung Electronics announced that Samsung Research America (SRA) has posted job openings for an “XR Director” and an “XR Product & Program Management Director” on its website and LinkedIn. The successful candidates will join the Immersive Experiences (IMEX) team at SRA, collaborating with researchers and developers in both the U.S. and Korea to prioritize the commercial rollout of XR headsets and smart glasses.
XR Director: Leading Software and Platform Development
The XR Director will oversee the development of the runtime and software framework for XR devices. This role involves working closely with hardware and software experts to design and implement innovative features. The director will also focus on creating avatars, user interface (UI) toolkits, and animations for the XR platform, aiming to deliver user-friendly functionalities. Additionally, the director will optimize the platform and XR applications to improve user experience.
XR Product & Program Management Director: Overseeing Project Execution
The XR Product & Program Management Director will be responsible for defining and executing the roadmap for new features in XR devices. This role includes driving initiatives that help engineering teams transition proof-of-concept (PoC) designs into prototypes and refining product development processes to ensure that various features developed by researchers are integrated into the final commercial product.
Job Requirements and Salaries
Samsung Electronics is seeking candidates with relevant experience for both roles. The XR Director should possess a strong background in technology development, optimization, and algorithm design, along with practical experience with Android OS on ARM processors and a solid understanding of general-purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU) and machine learning (ML).
The XR Product & Program Management Director must demonstrate strategic project management capabilities, effective team coordination, and a comprehensive understanding of software development cycles. Experience with XR devices, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and computer vision is also required.
The estimated annual salary for the XR Director ranges from 224,200 to 340,000, while the XR Product & Program Management Director is expected to earn between 200,000 and 305,000.
Samsung’s XR Strategy: Launch of “Project Infinite”
Samsung is set to unveil its XR headset, “Project Infinite,” developed in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm, later this year. The company also plans to introduce smart glasses in the future. The physical prototype of Project Infinite was first showcased at the “Galaxy Unpacked 2025” event held in the U.S. last month.
Project Infinite will combine Samsung’s hardware expertise with Google’s Android OS and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 platform. It will operate on the jointly developed XR platform, “Android XR,” utilizing multimodal AI to analyze and process various types of information, such as text, images, and audio, simultaneously. This advanced technology will allow users to interact with both external and virtual realities through multiple senses. The device will also leverage Google’s Gemini for natural conversational interactions, providing personalized responses based on user context.
Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm’s XR Alliance
The XR alliance between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm was officially announced at the Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco in February 2023. At the Unpacked event in Paris in July last year, Rick Osterloh, Google’s Senior Vice President, expressed optimism about the collaboration, while TM Roh, President of Samsung’s MX Business, hinted at the forthcoming XR platform.
The launch of Project Infinite marks the first significant outcome of this three-way partnership in two years. As the XR market continues to grow, Samsung’s efforts to advance next-generation technology are expected to enhance its competitive edge on the global stage. The industry will be closely monitoring how Samsung’s initiatives unfold.
