Embedded Systems Software Engineer

QUALCOMM, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 109,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm is seeking a highly motivated Embedded Systems Software Engineer to design, develop, optimize, and maintain high-performance Ethernet networking and data-path drivers for Qualcomm's Snapdragon and Dragonwing SOCs.

You will work at the intersection of Linux kernel/QNX networking stacks, Ethernet devices, and SoC hardware, collaborating across hardware and software teams to deliver production-grade networking solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• Strong proficiency in C programming and experience with low-level system software.
• Solid understanding of Linux kernel fundamentals (memory management, interrupts, DMA, synchronization).
• Hands-on experience with Ethernet networking concepts and device driver development.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate, and maintain embedded software across the full development lifecycle, including driver development, platform bring-up, feature enablement, debugging, and validation.
• Develop and debug low-level software components, including device drivers, firmware, and kernel modules.
• Perform on-target and off-target development and debugging to diagnose and resolve functional, performance, and stability issues.
• Collaborate with hardware design, systems, integration, test, and customer support to deliver integrated solutions.
• Contribute to design reviews and project planning with architecture input and risk assessment.
• Create and maintain technical documentation such as design descriptions and architecture specs.
• Own complex software features end-to-end from requirements through production deployment.
• Provide mentorship to junior engineers and drive engineering excellence.

Skills

C programming

Linux kernel

Device drivers

Networking fundamentals

RTOS networking

QNX networking

Performance analysis

Debugging

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

gdb

perf

ftrace

Job description

Qualcomm is looking for a highly motivated Embedded Systems Software Engineer to join our 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. You will collaborate with cross functional teams across multiple locations through the development lifecycle and work in a highly dynamic and engaging environment.

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.

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.

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‑[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).

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Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits

• $109,400.00 - $164,200.00

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.