Staff Robotics Motion Control Engineer

Qualcomm; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 176,000 - 263,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

State-of-the-art hardware access

Global collaboration

Job summary

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is seeking a Robotics Motion Control Engineer to design, implement, and optimize motion control for robotic platforms powered by Qualcomm SoCs and AI engines.

The role emphasizes precise, safe motion for robotic arms, mobile manipulators, and humanoid systems, with collaboration across AI, perception, and hardware teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field with 4+ years of systems engineering or related work experience.
• Master’s degree in Engineering or related field with 3+ years of systems engineering or related work experience.
• PhD in Engineering or related field with 2+ years of systems engineering or related work experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize motion control algorithms for robotic manipulators and mobile platforms.
• Integrate motion control software with ROS2 and Qualcomm robotics SDKs.
• Ensure safety features aligning with ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 standards.
• Benchmark and tune real-time performance on heterogeneous compute platforms.
• Validate algorithms in Gazebo, Isaac Sim, and on hardware.

Skills

C++

Python

ROS2

Real-time control

Kinematics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Master's degree in Engineering or related field

PhD in Engineering or related field

Tools

Gazebo

Isaac Sim

RTOS

Job description

Company

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Multimedia Systems

General Summary

Qualcomm's Robotics Team is driving innovation in autonomous systems by delivering cutting-edge hardware and software solutions for next-generation robots. We are seeking a Robotics Motion Control Engineer to design, implement, and optimize motion control algorithms for robotic platforms powered by Qualcomm's advanced SoCs and AI engines. This role will focus on enabling precise, safe, and efficient motion for robotic arms, mobile manipulators, and humanoid systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize motion control algorithms for robotic manipulators and mobile platforms, including trajectory planning, inverse kinematics, and real-time control loops.
• Integrate motion control software with Qualcomm's robotics SDK, ROS2-based frameworks, and hardware abstraction layers.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (AI, perception, hardware, and simulation) to ensure seamless integration of motion control with perception and planning modules.
• Implement safety and compliance features aligned with functional safety standards (e.g., ISO 26262, IEC 61508).
• Conduct performance benchmarking and tuning for real-time execution on heterogeneous compute platforms (CPU, GPU, NPU, DSP).
• Validate algorithms in simulation environments (e.g., Gazebo, Isaac Sim) and on physical robotic platforms.
• Contribute to system-level architecture discussions for robotics solutions, including sensor fusion and actuator control strategies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 3+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience.
• PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience.
• Works in the lab, can use hazardous chemicals (e.g., glue, machinery).

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in motion control for robotic systems.
• Strong proficiency in C++ and Python; experience with ROS/ROS2.
• Solid understanding of kinematics, dynamics, and control theory (PID, model predictive control, impedance/admittance control).
• Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) and embedded systems.
• Familiarity with simulation tools (Gazebo, Webots, Isaac Sim) and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Experience with humanoid or collaborative robot motion control.
• Knowledge of functional safety standards and safe motion planning.
• Familiarity with Qualcomm robotics platforms (e.g., RB5, RB6, IQ series) and AI acceleration frameworks.
• Exposure to machine learning for motion planning or reinforcement learning-based control.
• Strong debugging and performance optimization skills for embedded platforms.

Why Join Qualcomm Robotics?

• Work on cutting-edge robotics platforms integrating AI, 5G connectivity, and advanced compute for real-time autonomy.
• Collaborate with a global team shaping the future of robotics across industrial, commercial, and consumer markets.
• Access to state-of-the-art hardware, simulation environments, and Qualcomm's robotics SDK for accelerated development.

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 [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).

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Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits

$175,600.00 - $263,400.00

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.

If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.