Hardware Staff Engineer

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 134,800 - 202,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive annual discretionary bonus

Annual RSU grants

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Qualcomm is seeking a Staff Engineer in San Diego to lead the design and implementation of board-level hardware subsystems for automotive products. This senior role requires significant collaboration across teams and offers a competitive salary range of $134,800 to $202,200. Applicants should have a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, with advanced degrees preferred.

The position provides an opportunity to be a key technical contributor while mentoring other engineers and influencing design decisions directly.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in Hardware Engineering.
• Strong background in mixed-signal circuit design.
• Hands-on experience with hardware debug tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead board-level hardware design for automotive subsystems.
• Drive power architecture implementation.
• Mentor junior and senior engineers.

Skills

Board-level hardware design

High-speed digital design

Power integrity

Signal integrity

Mentoring engineers

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

PhD in Electrical/Electronics Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Protocol analyzers

Job description

Company

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Hardware Engineering

General Summary

The Staff Engineer is a senior individual contributor responsible for leading the design, implementation, and delivery of complex board‑level hardware subsystems for automotive platform products. This role owns board‑level execution from concept through production and serves as a key technical contributor across cross‑functional teams, operating with a high degree of independence within an established system architecture.

Scope typically spans one or more complex boards or subsystems within an automotive platform.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead board‑level hardware design for assigned automotive subsystems or reference designs, including schematic design, component selection, and design tradeoffs.
• Own board bring‑up, debug, and validation across temperature, voltage, and operating corner conditions.
• Drive power architecture implementation, clocking, reset, and sequencing for assigned designs.
• Apply and review high‑speed digital, signal integrity, power integrity, EMI/EMC, and mixed‑signal design considerations in collaboration with PCB layout engineers.
• Conduct and participate in schematic, layout, and design reviews to identify risks and ensure design robustness.
• Partner with system, software, safety, mechanical, and manufacturing teams to align hardware design with system requirements.
• Work with suppliers, ODMs, and internal operations teams to resolve component, manufacturing, and reliability issues.
• Support hardware readiness through DV, PV, and SOP milestones, including issue tracking and root‑cause analysis.
• Mentor junior and senior engineers through technical guidance, design reviews, and shared best practices.
• Contribute technical input to platform planning, design standards, and process improvements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field and 4+ years of Hardware Engineering or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field and 3+ years of Hardware Engineering or related work experience.
• PhD in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Hardware Engineering or related work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in board‑level hardware design.
• Experience delivering automotive or safety‑critical hardware products.
• Strong background in high‑speed digital, power delivery, and mixed‑signal circuit design.
• Hands‑on experience with schematic capture, simulation, and hardware debug tools (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, etc.).
• Familiarity with automotive expectations such as reliability, thermal constraints, EMC, and lifecycle validation.
• Experience collaborating across cross‑functional teams and with external suppliers.

Level of Responsibility

• Operates with limited supervision, independently driving technical execution for assigned boards or subsystems.
• Makes technical decisions that have meaningful impact on product quality, schedule, and system performance.
• Regularly communicates complex technical concepts to cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Influences design decisions within the immediate program or subsystem scope.
• Provides technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers.
• Contributes input during program planning and technical reviews.

Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits

$134,800.00 – $202,200.00. 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. Salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. Additional benefits include a competitive annual discretionary bonus program, annual RSU grants, and a highly competitive benefits package designed to support success at work, at home, and at play.

EEO Statement

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.