Embedded Systems Software Engineer

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 122,500 - 183,700; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive annual discretionary bonus

Opportunities for annual RSU grants

Highly competitive benefits package

Job summary

Qualcomm is seeking a highly motivated Embedded Systems Software Engineer to join the Data/Networking software team in San Diego, CA. In this role, you will design, develop, and maintain Ethernet networking drivers for various Qualcomm platforms.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in C programming, Linux kernel fundamentals, and low-level system software development. The position offers a competitive compensation package and excellent benefits.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of Software Engineering experience in embedded systems.
• Experience with Linux or similar embedded OS.
• Familiarity with Ethernet fundamentals and TCP/IP stack.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain embedded software for Ethernet devices.
• Develop and debug low-level software components.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for integrated solutions.

Skills

C programming

Linux kernel fundamentals

Debugging skills

Networking concepts

Device drivers development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or Electrical Engineering

PhD in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or Electrical Engineering

Tools

gdb

perf

ftrace

Job description

Company: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area: Engineering Group > Modem Software Engineering

Qualcomm is looking for a highly motivated Embedded Systems Software Engineer to join the Data / Networking software team. In this role, you will design, develop, optimize, and maintain high‑performance Ethernet networking and data‑path drivers for Qualcomm's Wireless Broadband connectivity, Automotive Infotainment and Telematics platforms based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon and Dragonwing SOCs. You will work at the intersection of Linux kernel / QNX networking stacks, Ethernet device drivers, SoC hardware (Ethernet MACs, PHYs, switches), and networking performance. The role involves close collaboration with hardware architecture teams, platform software, validation, and customer‑facing engineering teams to enable robust, scalable, and production‑quality Ethernet solutions for diverse product segments. You will be responsible for developing, integrating and commercializing device driver SW for various integrated and discrete Ethernet solutions, enabling leading edge networking features while meeting stringent reliability, availability and performance requirements for demanding applications and use cases.

Job Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate, and maintain embedded software across the full development lifecycle, including driver development, platform bring‑up, feature enablement, debugging, and validation for embedded systems.
• Develop and debug low‑level software components, including device drivers, firmware, and RTOS/Linux kernel modules, working closely with hardware to ensure correct and efficient operation.
• Perform on‑target and off‑target development and debugging, using standard embedded debug tools and techniques to diagnose and resolve functional, performance, and stability issues.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams, including hardware design, systems, integration, test, application engineering, and customer support, to deliver integrated system solutions.
• Contribute to technical design reviews and project planning, providing strong engineering input on architecture, trade‑offs, schedules, and risk areas.
• Create and maintain high‑quality technical documentation, including design descriptions, architecture specifications, and internal documentation.
• Own complex software features end‑to‑end, from requirements analysis and design through implementation, testing, and commercialization in production environments.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers, and act as a strong individual contributor within the team while driving engineering excellence.
• Support customer and field issues by analyzing problem reports, reproducing issues, and delivering robust fixes while balancing product schedules and quality requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering, Embedded Software, or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field and 1+ year of Software Engineering, Embedded Software, or related work experience.
• PhD in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in C programming, with experience developing or debugging low‑level system software.
• Solid understanding of Linux kernel fundamentals, including:
  • Memory management, interrupts, DMA, synchronization primitives.
  • Kernel networking architecture.
• Hands‑on experience with networking concepts, such as:
  • Ethernet fundamentals, VLANs.
  • TCP/IP stack and basic L2/L3 packet flows.
• Experience developing, integrating, or debugging device drivers on Linux or a similar embedded OS.
• Strong debugging skills using tools such as gdb, perf, ftrace, etc. and comfort working close to hardware.
• Direct experience with Ethernet MAC or switch driver development.
• Familiarity with automotive or embedded SoCs.
• Exposure to QNX networking or other RTOS networking stacks.
• Experience analyzing and optimizing CPU utilization, latency, and throughput in networking workloads.
• Prior contributions to upstream Linux kernel or experience maintaining downstream kernel forks.
• Knowledge of networking virtualization or offload technologies.
• Strong interest in system performance, root‑cause analysis, and end‑to‑end data‑path optimization.
• Ability to collaborate across software, hardware, and systems teams and communicate technical topics clearly.

Pay Range and Other Compensation & Benefits

Pay range: $122,500.00 - $183,700.00 (location‑specific).

Additional compensation includes a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunities for annual RSU grants (excluding sales‑incentive plans). Qualcomm also offers a highly competitive benefits package designed to support employees at work, at home, and at play.

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.