Automotive Demo Platform - Sr. Staff Engineer

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 244,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. in San Diego, CA, is seeking a highly experienced engineering lead to design and deliver automotive software systems.

You will guide a team across Infotainment, Telematics and ADAS domains, shaping prototypes and end-to-end vehicle software. The role requires broad expertise in automotive software architecture and embedded development, strong communication and leadership, and the ability to collaborate with global teams, including abroad, to meet schedules and quality

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Computer Science and 6+ years of software experience.
• Master’s degree with 5+ years of software experience.
• PhD with 4+ years of software experience.
• 3+ years of programming in C/C++, Java, Python, etc.

Responsibilities

• Lead an automotive Infotainment, Telematics and ADAS software team.
• Own prototype vehicle software system end-to-end.
• Collaborate with Qualcomm and external teams to gather requirements.
• Mentor engineers and drive on-time delivery.
• Debug complex multi-layered systems across framework to hardware.

Skills

C/C++

Java

Python

Android OS

Embedded software

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/CS

Master's degree in Engineering/CS

PhD in Engineering/CS

Tools

Git

Perforce

Android Studio

Visual Studio Code

Platform build systems

Job description

Company:

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering

General Summary:

Seeking a highly experienced, hands-on engineering lead with a strong track record in designing and delivering automotive software systems. The ideal candidate brings broad expertise in software architecture and embedded software development across the automotive domain.

Our team is shaping the future of how vehicles look and function, and we continue to use that vision as our guiding direction. We are looking for a strong engineering leader with deep, broad experience in automotive software, hardware, and concept vehicles. This person must excel in communication, planning, and execution, and have a proven ability to collaborate across Qualcomm and external teams to gather requirements and deliver on time. The role also requires strong debugging skills across complex, multi-layered systems, from framework and middleware to interface layers and hardware. Experience building hardware systems or prototype vehicles is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications:

• B.S. or M.S. in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, with 15+ years of relevant industry experience.

Required experience and knowledge:

• 7+ years of hands-on experience designing and developing software modules within modern automotive software stacks on one or more of the following operating systems: Android, Linux, or QNX.
• 5+ years of experience in Android application development, with a strong understanding of Android Automotive OS.
• 3+ years of experience leading global engineering teams and overseeing day-to-day team activities.
• Hands-on experience with one or more of the following: MQTT, DDS, SOME/IP, FlatBuffers, or Protocol Buffers.
• Experience developing non-cloud agentic AI solutions using technologies such as LLMs, A2A, A2UI, and MCP servers.
• Proven experience in software system design and development using tools such as Git, Perforce, Android Studio, Visual Studio Code, and platform build systems.
• Experience analyzing architectural capabilities to solve system design challenges such as multi-OS virtualization and multi-domain boot architecture.
• Experience with both bottom-up and top-down design approaches based on end-to-end requirements analysis.
• Strong programming and debugging skills in C/C++, Java, JNI, Kotlin, and Python, with a solid foundation in data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented design.
• Exceptional professional written and verbal communication skills for collaborating with team members, Qualcomm employees, and global partners, including teams in Germany, India, China, and Japan.

Roles/Responsibilities:

• Lead a focused engineering team of software developers and testers around automotive Infotainment, Telematics and ADAS domain.
• Be responsible for the entire prototype vehicle software system.
• Must be able to travel internationally on short notice.
• Must ride in cars as and when needed, for testing, data collection and other similar needs.
• Availability to support periods of elevated workload during critical program phases, particularly from October through December each year, is expected. Time-off planning may generally be accommodated in January, February or other months of the year, subject to business priorities and project needs.
• Ability to occasionally lift, carry, and position equipment or vehicle components weighing up to 20 pounds over short distances, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• 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.

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).

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.

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.