CPU Software Architecture Sr. Staff Engineer
Qualcomm· Semiconductors· Feb 12, 2026 · 9mo agoReposted 83 days ago
San Diego, California, United States of America
In office
Full-time
Staff
$180K–$242K est.
6+ years exp
Before you apply
Ghost Signal:
Re-promoted recently, but this role has been open since February 12, 2026 — 257 days, never closed.
Job description
Company:
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Job Area:
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering
General Summary:
Qualcomm's software CPU (aka application processor) architecture group develops long-term software roadmaps (for a horizon of three to five years). It is responsible for defining architecture specifications, developing prototypes, and engaging with the software and hardware worldwide partners to influence products development. It is also acting as an operational execution team enabling commercialization of the most up-to-date worldwide CPUs integrated in Snapdragon’s chipsets for markets such as: Handsets, IOT devices, Automotive, Compute/Laptops, XR, etc.
The team is currently looking for an experienced CPU software engineer, who can contribute to design and development of low-level firmware for CPU bootstrapping, power controller etc. The candidate will specifically be engaged in the following domains:
Design and development of firmware of boot, debug, idle and active CPU power management CPU software/hardware design trade-offs Coordinating debugging of critical SW issues that are artifacts of any high-performance CPU microarchitecture (prefetching, speculation, memory ordering etc...) Definition of short and long-term SW architecture roadmap in accordance with Arm’s architecture ISA evolution Represent the CPU SW teams in engagements with Arm/ RISC-V architects and third-party software partners (e.g., Google, MSFT, RISE etc.)
Since the contributions of the CPU software organization affect a large span of products, the function provides an uncommon exposure to multiple technology domains related to system-on-chip development. To fully benefit from the role’s opportunities, the candidate must demonstrate a motivation to influence the products roadmap, as he or she, will directly contribute to Qualcomm’s most innovative products.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• 3+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.
Preferred Qualifications:
• 15+ Years of Experience in the embedded domain to design, develop and support software solutions on multi-core CPUs with Strong C/C++ programming skills.
• Very deep expertise in the subject of computer architecture especially in more than one of the following areas – Memory consistency, Coherency, Memory Management, Virtualization, Security/ Sandboxing, Super Scalar Architectures
• Good understanding of system wide bottlenecks that may influence CPU performance/ throughput.
• Very good exposure to ARM or RISC-V architectures.
• Embedded Platforms experience including low-level drivers and firmware, kernel, and user-space components.
• Design and development of software for heterogeneous compute platforms consisting of ARM or RISC-V CPUs and specialized hardware accelerators in an embedded SoC systems.
• Usage of J-TAG or ICE debuggers Experience in real-time SW development for embedded products.
• Hands on experience of driver development on any RTOS .
• Detailed understanding of some of SoC hardware blocks - Clocks, PLLs, GPIO, Interrupt Controllers (GIC, PLIC), Peripherals (SPI/I2C/PCIE/CAN/Ethernet/USB/UFS).
• Motivated self-starter with excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrated ability to work with engineers/partners/customers across different geographies.
• Demonstrated experience working with senior management in a corporate environment.
• Demonstrated experience in business process streamlining and transformation that includes disciplined approach to digitized services enabling.
• Hands-on technical lead who is not hesitant to dig into the details where needed to get first-hand knowledge of the issues and play an active and personal role in steering team success.
Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here . Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).
To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies : Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.
EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.
Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.
Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits :
$162,600.00 - $244,000.00
The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer – and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link .
If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers .
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