Principal Chipset Project Engineer – Thermal/Limits for Personal Computer (PC)

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 211,900 - 317,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual discretionary bonus program

Potential RSU grants

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Qualcomm is seeking a Principal Chipset Project Engineer – Thermal/Limits for Personal Computer to lead the thermal strategy across its compute product portfolio. The role involves defining thermal budgets, developing methodologies for thermal analysis, and working closely with project leaders and customers.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field, plus substantial experience in semiconductor product development. A competitive salary range of $211,900 – $317,900 along with additional benefits is offered.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• 5+ years in a technical leadership role.
• Prior experience in the PC industry.

Responsibilities

• Guide design and architectural choices for chipsets.
• Drive methodology and tool development for thermal analysis.
• Interact frequently with customers on thermal targets.

Skills

Expert knowledge in thermal systems

Technical leadership

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or related field

Job description

General Summary

Qualcomm’s Compute Chipset Project Engineering team plans and executes industry‑leading Compute Chipsets from concept to commercialization. A Compute Chipset comprises multiple chips that perform the functions of a compute device (such as Application Processor, PMICs, Audio, Connectivity, Modem), along with associated software, firmware and reference hardware.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Principal Chipset Project Engineer – Thermal/Limits for Personal Computer (PC) to lead the thermal and limits strategy across the compute product portfolio. The role includes defining system thermal budgets, developing methodologies and tools for thermal analysis and prediction, modeling thermals and thermally constrained performance, influencing design decisions, tuning system limits, and governing customer guidance on thermal targets and solutions. The engineer will extract the highest thermally constrained system performance possible within fixed product constraints, working closely with domain and IP engineering leads, Product Management, Program Management, OEMs and ODMs, and will communicate thermal goals, strategy, and status to executives and chipset teams in a highly matrixed environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 8+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• Master’s degree in a related field and 7+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• Ph.D. in a related field and 6+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• 8+ years of experience in one or more areas of semiconductor product development.
• 5+ years in a technical leadership role.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in semiconductor product development (e.g., system design, architecture, silicon design and validation, software development, and test).
• 8+ years of experience in a thermal systems role, preferably with PC thermal systems.
• 4+ years of experience working in a large matrixed organization.
• 3+ years of experience in a role requiring interaction with executive leadership.
• Prior experience in the PC industry.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Leverage expert knowledge to guide design and architectural choices for chipsets, platforms, and software to extract the highest thermally constrained performance while meeting product constraints including cost and size.
• Drive methodology and tool development for thermal analysis, performance impact assessment, and thermal/power/performance tuning.
• Evaluate new and novel thermal solutions.
• Assess impact of system component selection on thermals.
• Influence system limits management feature set and establish best practices for thermal tuning.
• Oversee resolution of all thermal‑related issues across the chipsets.
• Interact with customers frequently, providing guidance on thermal targets and support on thermal debug and tuning.

Level of Responsibility

• Influences, provides direction, and guidance to leads and managers who may not be direct reports.
• Decision‑making is critical and highly impactful on program, product, or project success.
• Requires strong verbal and written communication skills to convey highly complex information, often with negotiation and influence with large groups or high‑level constituents.
• Has influence over long‑term business plans and objectives.
• Tasks often require extensive planning, problem‑solving, and prioritization to be completed effectively.

Pay Range and Benefits

Salary range: $211,900.00 – $317,900.00. In addition to a competitive base salary, qualified candidates will be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus program, potential RSU grants, and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support success at work, at home, and during recreation.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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.