Mixed Signal Design / Systems Engineer

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 179,000 - 297,800; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. in San Diego seeks a Systems and Mixed Signal Design Engineer for fingerprint sensor initiatives.

You will architect and develop mixed-signal sensor circuitry and perform system-level analysis, optimization, and verification to advance mobile biometric technologies. The role blends hardware design with firmware interaction, requiring Cadence, SPICE, MATLAB, Verilog/VHDL, Python, and lab testing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 6+ years of systems engineering or related experience.
• Master's degree plus 5+ years of systems engineering or related experience.
• PhD plus 4+ years of systems engineering or related experience.
• 7+ years of mixed-signal design and systems engineering or related work experience.
• Experience with algorithm development, validation, and system-level performance characterization.
• Familiarity with ASIC specifications, sensor physics, or module-level design.
• Experience in systems engineering, preferably with sensors and integrated modules.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with attention to performance in edge cases.
• Experience with CMOS sensor design with TFT/LTPS technologies is a plus
• Strong understanding of hardware/software interaction, including FW development and HW/SW co-optimization.
• Hands-on experience using CADENCE, SPICE, MATLAB, Verilog/VHDL, Python and lab equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Participate or lead the definition, design and verification of advanced sensors.
• Participate or drive a full-cycle development, including system modeling, sensor pixel design, driver circuit design, and optimization across key performance metrics.
• Develop hardware specifications for ASICs, sensors, and module components; translate system requirements into sensor architectures and designs.
• Execute sensor circuit- and pixel-level simulations using Cadence ADE/Spectre, HSPICE, MATLAB; validate performance across corners.
• Perform system-level studies such as architecture exploration and performance trade-off evaluations.
• Develop algorithms to improve system-level performance.
• Guide and review pixel-level and block-level layout for performance, area, manufacturability, reliability.
• Debug circuit, pixel, and system-level issues; refine designs from simulations and sensor data.
• Support sensor bring-up through lab measurements and validation; correlate with simulations.
• Collaborate with system, firmware, product, and test engineers to optimize sensor and system performance.
• Prepare technical documentation, design descriptions, and test materials for stakeholders and partners.
• Lead design reviews; evaluate system performance within design constraints; coordinate with other groups.
• Identify issues in systems-level software/hardware designs and propose solutions and models.

Skills

Mixed-signal design

Systems engineering

Circuit design

Firmware interaction

Python

Verilog/VHDL

MATLAB

CADENCE

SPICE

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field

Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field

PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field

Tools

Cadence ADE/Spectre

HSPICE

Job description

Company

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Multimedia Systems

General Summary

We are seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking Systems and Mixed Signal Design Engineer to join our Fingerprint Sensor team and drive the development of innovative biometric solutions for next-generation mobile devices. The ideal candidate brings experience in mixed-signal design and system engineering, with the ability to architect and design world-class mixed-signal sensor circuitry while also performing detailed system analysis and optimization. Depending on qualifications, the role may place greater emphasis on mixed-signal design or on systems engineering. In this role, you will apply advanced CMOS mixed-signal IC design methodologies to architect and develop cutting-edge fingerprint sensor technologies, and drive circuit-level design and verification for products that push the boundaries of performance, reliability, and integration. In addition, you will analyze use cases and product requirements, and perform functional decomposition to derive system requirements for implementation in hardware and/or software. You will also conduct system analysis and simulation modeling to propose algorithmic and/or system changes that optimize performance and power.

Minimum Qualifications

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


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


• PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.


• 7+ years of Mixed Signal Design and Systems Engineering or related work experience.


• Experience with algorithm development, validation, and system-level performance characterization.


• Familiarity with ASIC specifications, sensor physics, or module-level design.


• Experience in systems engineering, preferably with sensors and integrated modules


• Proven ability to define architecture and integrate systems into commercial products.


• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with attention to performance in edge cases.


• Experience with CMOS sensor design with TFT/LTPS technologies is a plus


• Strong understanding of hardware/software interaction, including FW development and HW/SW co-optimization.


• Hands-on experience using CADENCE, SPICE, MATLAB, Verilog/VHDL, Python and lab equivalent.

Principal Duties And Responsibilities

• Participate or lead the definition, design and verification of advanced sensors


• Participate or drive a full-cycle development, including system modeling, sensor pixel design, driver circuit design, and optimization across key performance metrics.


• Develop hardware specifications for ASICs, sensors, and module components. In addition, translates the system-level requirements into sensor architectures, circuit specifications, and optimized sensor designs.


• Execute sensor circuit- and pixel-level simulations using Cadence ADE/Spectre, HSPICE, MATLAB, and other industry-standard tools to validate performance across corners and drive iterative improvements.


• Perform system-level studies such as architecture exploration, fundamental physics analysis, and performance trade-off evaluations.


• Develop algorithms to improve system-level performance.


• Guide and review pixel-level and block-level layout to ensure performance, area efficiency, manufacturability, and reliability.


• Debug circuit, pixel, and system-level issues; refine designs based on insights from simulation tools and sensor characterization.


• Support sensor bring-up through lab measurements, functional validation, and correlation between sensor behavior and simulation models.


• Collaborate with system, firmware, product, and test engineering teams to achieve optimal sensor and system-level performance.


• Prepare clear technical documentation, design descriptions, and test materials for internal stakeholders and external partners.


• Supports design reviews for platform development; leads evaluation of system performance based on constraints and capabilities of design; works with multiple groups outside domain to support design integrity.


• Independently identifies issues or patterns of issues related to systems-level software and hardware design and the implications for work within and across teams; makes overall recommendations for new technologies and to address ambiguous issues, design architectures, generate solutions, and develop models, code, and simulations.

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).

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.

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.

Pay Range And Other Compensation & Benefits

$179,000.00 - $297,800.00

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.