Staff Camera Firmware Engineer

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 233,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

RSU grants

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is seeking a Staff Camera Firmware Engineer in the IoT Camera Software team to design advanced imaging features, develop camera software systems, and enable world-class camera performance across Qualcomm IoT devices.

You will design image-processing features, implement drivers for ISP hardware, optimize for power and silicon area, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to build production-ready imaging software for Dragonwing platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 6+ years of software engineering experience.
• Master's degree with 5+ years of software engineering experience.
• PhD with 4+ years of software engineering experience.
• 3+ years of experience with C, C++, Java, Python.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design, development, debugging, implementation, and verification of camera software including ISP, 3A algorithms, image quality systems, and tuning tools.
• Lead and deliver large IoT camera projects across Linux Embedded and Android platforms.
• Ensure image quality, conformance, performance, and power requirements are met for commercial readiness.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to deliver robust camera software solutions.

Skills

C/C++

Java

Python

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Job description

Company:

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Camera Engineering

General Summary:

Qualcomm is a global technology leader pushing the boundaries of next‑generation imaging, photography, and computational vision technologies. As a Staff Camera Firmware Engineer in the IoT Camera Software team, you will play a key role in designing advanced imaging features, developing camera software systems, and enabling world‑class camera performance across Qualcomm IoT devices.

In this role, you will:

• Design and develop new image-processing features for next‑generation camera systems.
• Architect and implement drivers for advanced imaging hardware (ISP).
• Contribute to the design of camera systems optimized for power, memory, and silicon area while maximizing imaging performance.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to deploy robust, production‑ready imaging software and partner with industry leaders to build high‑quality camera solutions.
• Design and implement advanced image‑analysis and image‑processing techniques using ARM, DSP, GPU, and ML accelerators.
• Prototype and validate solutions on Qualcomm IoT Dragonwing platforms for proof‑of‑concept and high‑volume commercial products.
• Develop embedded software for IoT devices, focusing on low‑level system components and camera subsystem enablement.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• 3+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience architecting complex embedded systems or SoC‑level software.
• Strong background in hardware/software interface design and system architecture.
• Proven ability to lead full software lifecycle: concept → development → commercialization.
• Experience collaborating across globally distributed engineering and business teams.
• Expertise in areas such as SoC architecture, ARM architecture, Linux kernel, and device drivers.
• Demonstrated leadership in mentoring senior engineers and leading system bring‑up/debug efforts.
• Strong knowledge of Linux kernel internals, device‑driver models, and camera sensor driver bring‑up.
• Experience with Camera HAL development, 3A algorithms, tuning tools, and familiarity with MIPI, GMSL, I2C, GPIO interfaces.
• Advanced proficiency in C and C++ programming and debugging.
• Deep understanding of Image Signal Processing (ISP) concepts.
• Experience with Android camera frameworks and Linux V4L2 frameworks.
• Background in multimedia software development for Linux‑based embedded systems.
• Experience with OpenCL or OpenGL for algorithm development is a plus.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical topics.
• Familiarity with Qualcomm CamX architecture is an added advantage.

Roles/Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the design, development, debug, implementation, and verification of camera software including ISP, 3A algorithms, image quality systems, and tuning tools.
• Lead and deliver large IoT camera projects across Linux Embedded and Android platforms.
• Ensure image quality, conformance, performance, and power requirements are met for commercial readiness.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams to deliver robust camera software solutions.

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:

$155,400.00 - $233,200.00

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.