Principal Engineer, AI Platform Software Architecture

QUALCOMM, Inc.; Chennai District; On-site; INR 3,600,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm India Private Limited is seeking a Principal Engineer to drive the AI platform software architecture across Qualcomm's edge AI products. You will lead cross-functional initiatives spanning software, hardware, AI accelerators, and security while shaping long‑term strategy.

The role requires guiding system-level architecture for OS, runtimes, memory, virtualization, and interconnects, with a focus on scalable, secure, and efficient AI inferencing across multiple product generations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 8+ years of software engineering experience.
• Master’s degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 7+ years of software engineering experience.
• PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of software engineering experience.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the long-term platform software architecture and technical strategy for AI inferencing.
• Lead cross-functional architectural initiatives involving software, hardware, AI accelerators, security, and product teams.
• Collaborate with product management, customers, and silicon teams to translate AI workloads into platform architecture.
• Drive hardware/software co-design and influence future platform capabilities through architecture proposals.
• Lead system-level architecture spanning OS, AI runtimes, memory systems, virtualization, security, and interconnects.
• Evaluate architectural tradeoffs balancing performance, power, and security.

Skills

C/C++

Java

Python

ARM

Linux

SoC architecture

RISC-V

Memory management

AI runtimes

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/CS

Master’s degree in Engineering/CS

PhD in Engineering/CS

Tools

ARM

Linux kernel

Job description

Company:Qualcomm India Private LimitedJob Area:Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software EngineeringGeneral Summary:At Qualcomm, you will join a global leader in semiconductor technology and help shape the future of AI at the edge. You will work alongside world-class engineers, architects, and product leaders to define the software architecture that enables AI experiences across a diverse range of products, including wearables, smartphones, XR devices, automotive platforms, edge computing systems, and AI PCs.The Core Platform Software Architecture team is seeking an experienced and highly influential Principal Engineer, AI Platform Software Architecture to drive the software and system architecture for next-generation AI inferencing platforms. In this role, you will lead cross-functional architectural initiatives spanning software, hardware, security, memory systems, and AI accelerators while helping shape the long-term technology strategy for Qualcomm's AI platform roadmap.Minimum Qualifications:• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 8+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.ORMaster's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 7+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.ORPhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.• 4+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.The successful candidate will serve as a technical leader responsible for influencing software and silicon architecture decisions across multiple product lines and future generations of AI platforms.-Key Responsibilities· Define and drive the long-term platform software architecture and technical strategy for AI inferencing across Qualcomm's portfolio of edge AI products, influencing technology investments and architectural decisions across multiple product generations.· Lead cross-functional architectural initiatives involving software, hardware, AI accelerator, security, and product teams to deliver scalable and differentiated AI platform solutions.· Collaborate with product management, customers, and silicon architecture teams to understand emerging AI workloads, product requirements, and technology trends, and translate them into platform architecture and roadmap recommendations.· Drive hardware/software co-design and influence future platform capabilities through architectural analysis, technical proposals, and strategic technology planning.· Lead system-level architecture and engineering efforts spanning operating systems, AI runtimes, memory systems, virtualization, security, interconnects, and heterogeneous compute architectures.· Evaluate architectural alternatives, perform tradeoff analysis, and develop architecture proposals and specifications that balance performance, power, scalability, security, and product requirements.· Drive alignment across organizations through architecture reviews, technical leadership, and effective stakeholder engagement.· Mentor and influence engineers and architects across the company while helping establish architectural best practices, technical standards, and long-term technology direction.-Preferred Qualifications· 15+ years of experience architecting complex embedded, platform, or systems software solutions.· Demonstrated success driving architecture and technical strategy across multiple product generations and organizations.· Strong experience in hardware/software interface design, system architecture, and end-to-end platform engineering.· Deep expertise in several of the following areas:o SoC and computer architectureo ARM and RISC-V architectureso Linux kernel, operating systems, and device driverso Memory management and memory subsystem architectureo DMA, IOMMU, and system interconnect technologieso Virtualization and hypervisor technologieso Security architecture, trusted execution environments, attestation, confidential computing, and model protectiono AI inferencing runtimes, frameworks, compilers, and software stackso Large Language Models (LLMs), Transformer architectures, and modern AI workloadso Heterogeneous computing systems involving CPUs, GPUs, DSPs, NPUs, and dedicated AI accelerators· Proven ability to influence senior technical leaders and drive consensus across geographically distributed teams.· Excellent communication, leadership, and technical presentation skills.Applicants : 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 [e-mail] 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).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.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.If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers .