Senior Director of Engineering - AI Platform
Qualcomm· Semiconductors· Sep 17, 2026 · 1mo ago
San Diego, California, United States of America
Hybrid
Full-time
Director
$200K–$255K est.
10+ years exp
Job description
Company:
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Job Area:
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Machine Learning Engineering
General Summary:
Qualcomm is seeking a visionary and execution-focused Senior Director of Engineering to lead AI for Snapdragon Compute platforms. This leader will define and drive Qualcomm's Compute AI software strategy across Snapdragon-powered Windows, Android, Linux PCs, enabling next-generation AI experiences and establishing Snapdragon as the premier platform for on-device AI computing.
The successful candidate will lead a global organization responsible for AI systems, model enablement, NPU, GPU, CPU software integration, AI performance optimization, developer enablement, AI benchmarking, ecosystem partnerships, and joint engineering engagements with Microsoft, Google, OEMs, ISVs, and strategic technology partners.
This role requires a unique combination of AI technical depth, platform systems expertise, and ecosystem influence to deliver industry-leading AI experiences spanning AI PCs, generative AI, multimodal AI, agentic AI, AI developer platforms, and future Snapdragon compute architectures. The role operates at the intersection of architecture, hardware, systems, software, AI algorithms, developer tools, and ecosystem enablement.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
AI Strategy and Technical Leadership
• Define and execute Qualcomm's AI software strategy for Windows on Snapdragon platforms.
• Drive creation of differentiated AI experiences leveraging Snapdragon CPUs, NPUs, GPUs, and heterogeneous compute architectures.
• Influence future AI platform architecture requirements, software roadmaps, and ecosystem strategy.
• Establish long-term technology direction for on-device AI, generative AI, large language models, multimodal AI, computer vision, and agentic AI workloads.
• Partner with Compute, AI Software, System, Product Management, Customer Engineering, and Architecture teams to align investment priorities and execution plans.
Microsoft and Ecosystem Leadership
• Serve as engineering leader for strategic AI engagements with Microsoft.
• Drive co-engineering activities across Windows AI, WinML, Windows AI Foundry, ONNX Runtime, Copilot+, and next-generation Windows AI capabilities.
• Partner with Microsoft engineering organizations to define platform requirements, feature roadmaps, validation strategies, and performance targets.
• Lead engagements with OEMs, commercial customers, independent software vendors, and open-source communities to expand the AI ecosystem on Snapdragon PCs.
• Represent Qualcomm in executive-level technical discussions with strategic partners.
AI Platform and Systems Engineering
• Lead teams responsible for end-to-end AI software enablement across Snapdragon compute products.
• Drive optimization of AI workloads across NPU, GPU, CPU, and hybrid execution environments.
• Oversee AI runtime integration, model deployment frameworks, developer tooling, and software release readiness.
• Ensure successful enablement of emerging AI technologies and platform capabilities across current and future Snapdragon compute generations.
• Guide platform-level analysis involving performance, power efficiency, memory utilization, concurrency, scalability, and user experience.
AI Model Enablement and Optimization
• Drive onboarding, optimization, quantization, validation, and deployment of AI models on Snapdragon Compute platforms.
• Lead development of model acceleration strategies for generative AI, vision models, language models, multimodal models, and emerging workloads.
• Ensure world-class AI performance and efficiency through software and system optimization initiatives.
• Partner with AI framework teams to address operator gaps, conversion challenges, runtime enhancements, and model portability requirements.
AI Benchmarking and Competitive Leadership
• Define benchmarking strategy and performance targets for AI workloads.
• Drive leadership results across industry benchmarks and customer-facing workloads.
• Establish performance measurement methodologies and competitive analysis processes.
• Lead optimization efforts required to achieve benchmark leadership across Snapdragon PC platforms.
Engineering Organization Leadership
• Build, scale, and develop a high-performing global AI engineering organization.
• Recruit and retain world-class talent across AI systems, machine learning, software engineering, performance engineering, and developer technologies.
• Establish organizational structure, priorities, metrics, and execution frameworks.
• Mentor directors, senior managers, architects, and technical leaders.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, technical excellence, and rapid execution.
Program Execution and Product Delivery
• Own execution of AI software deliverables across multiple Snapdragon Compute programs.
• Manage cross-functional dependencies spanning silicon, firmware, drivers, AI runtimes, operating systems, developer tools, applications, and ecosystem partners.
• Ensure timely delivery of AI features aligned with product milestones and customer commitments.
• Drive issue resolution, risk management, quality initiatives, and operational excellence.
Level of Responsibility
• Working independently with no supervision.
• Providing supervision to other supervisors/managers who may be direct reports.
• Making decisions that are significant in impact, influencing overall program or project success, finances, and/or the ability to meet objectives; errors are not readily apparent due to the complexity of work process/product or time between decisions and results; errors typically result in significant expenditure of time, resources, and funds to correct.
• Using verbal and written communication skills to convey complex and/or detailed information to multiple individuals/audiences with differing knowledge levels. Role may require strong negotiation and influence, communication to large groups or high-level constituents.
• Overall responsibility to ensure budgets, schedules, and performance standards for functional areas and organization are realistically set and attained.
• Having influence over the formulation and achievement of long-term business plans and objectives.
• Completing tasks that require multiple steps that can be performed in various orders; tasks require simultaneously executing multiple cognitive abilities and maintaining information in short- or long-term memory.
• Making overall determination with what needs to be done to drive implementation of innovative ideas/processes, etc.
• Working on abstract problems in variable situations that typically require complex analysis, interpretation, or evaluation of intangible factors; directing the resolution of complex problems that have impact beyond own area; participating in corporate development of methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for projects, programs, and people.
• Developing and redesigning organizational strategies and providing overall direction for various functional areas and/or entire organization. Has influence over the formulation and achievement of long-term business plans and objectives.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 10+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 9+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 8+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
Preferred Qualifications
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience with Machine Learning frameworks (e.g., Tensor Flow, Caffe, Caffe 2, Pytorch, Keras).
• 5+ years of experience with low level interactions between operating systems (e.g., Linux, Android, QNX) and Hardware.
• 5+ years of experience in embedded system development and optimization with application to a specific problem domain in ML (e.g., NLP, multi-media).
• 10+ years of experience with one or more programming language suitable for machine learning (e.g., Python, R, C, C++).
• 8+ years of experience using statistics and probability (e.g., conditional probability, Bayes rule).
• 8+ years in a technical leadership role with or without direct reports (only applies to positions with direct reports).
• 8+ years experience working in a large matrixed organization.
• 8+ years of work experience in a role requiring interaction with senior leadership (e.g., Vice President and above).
• 6+ years managing operating budgets and/or project financials.
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).
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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 :
$281,600.00 - $422,400.00
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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