Robotics Systems Architect: End-to-End Platform Lead

QUALCOMM, Inc.; Santa Clara, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 243,000 - 365,000; Full time

Job summary

QUALCOMM, Inc. is seeking a Principal or Senior Director-level Robotics System Architecture Lead to define and own the end-to-end system architecture for next generation robotic platforms, spanning hardware, firmware, OS, middleware, AI runtimes, and cloud integration.

You will lead cross-functional teams, shape platform roadmaps, and drive decisions across perception, localization, planning, and control stacks, sensor architectures, and real-time safety patterns to deliver production-grade

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 8+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience.
• OR Master’s degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 7+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience.
• OR PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience.
• *Works in the lab, can use hazardous chemicals (e.g., glue, machinery).

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end robotics system architecture spanning hardware, firmware, OS, middleware, AI runtimes, and cloud/fleet integration.
• Define architectural principles for real-time behavior, performance, safety isolation, determinism, and scalability across heterogeneous compute.
• Lead architectural decisions across perception, localization, navigation, planning, manipulation, and control stacks.
• Define multi-sensor architecture including timing/synchronization, calibration, bandwidth, and compute/power trade-offs.
• Architect time synchronization and deterministic sensor data paths to enable precise multi-sensor fusion and real-time decision making.
• Guide signal processing and sensor pipeline design partnering with silicon and algorithm teams to meet targets.
• Drive integration of ROS 2 / DDS-based middleware and Qualcomm AI technologies into a production-grade robotics platform.
• Partner with silicon, software, AI, and product teams to align software architecture with SoC capabilities and roadmap.
• Establish system-level strategies for reliability, diagnostics, and functional safety patterns.
• Support customer engagements by translating requirements into scalable reference architectures and platform solutions.

Job description

QUALCOMM, Inc. is seeking a Principal or Senior Director-level Robotics System Architecture Lead to define and own the end-to-end system architecture for next generation robotic platforms, spanning hardware, firmware, OS, middleware, AI runtimes, and cloud integration.

You will lead cross-functional teams, shape platform roadmaps, and drive decisions across perception, localization, planning, and control stacks, sensor architectures, and real-time safety patterns to deliver production-grade