Staff Software Engineer, Core AI Software (Mobile BU Focus) _ Onsite

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 158,400 - 237,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive annual discretionary bonus

Annual RSU grants

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Qualcomm is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to join the AI Software team in San Diego, CA. You will be responsible for designing and developing key features in Qualcomm's AI Stack to enhance mobile product experiences.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in software development and AI, with a focus on system optimization for Snapdragon platforms. This position emphasizes collaboration across teams and maintaining high standards for customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional software development experience.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ software development.
• Experience developing software in Linux environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of software for Qualcomm AI Stack SDKs.
• Design and implement core AI runtime framework components.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for commercial launches.

Skills

C/C++ software development

Linux environments

Data structures and algorithms

Debugging and testing

Verbal and written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Master's degree in Computer Science or related field

PhD in Computer Science or related field

Tools

CMake

Job description

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is a leading technology innovator driving digital transformation and enabling next‑generation experiences. As a Staff Software Engineer in the AI Software (AISW) team, you will play a critical role in delivering AI software capabilities that directly enable successful OEM and customer launches within the Mobile Business Unit (BU).

In this role, you will design and develop core features in Qualcomm’s AI Stack, including the Qualcomm AI Runtime (QAIRT) and Generative AI Inference Extensions (Genie). You’ll contribute to efficient execution of advanced deep neural networks (DNNs), large language models (LLMs), and modern AI architectures on Snapdragon platforms, while ensuring AI software solutions meet the highest standards of quality, usability, performance, and reliability for mobile customers. The position focuses on optimizing runtime efficiency, latency, power consumption, and stability of AI applications on Qualcomm’s low‑power AI accelerators, with a strong emphasis on real‑world mobile product readiness and customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of software for Qualcomm AI Stack SDKs (QAIRT, Genie) to enable execution of state‑of‑the‑art generative and traditional AI models on Snapdragon mobile platforms.
• Design and implement core AI runtime framework components for inference on resource‑constrained mobile systems operating under strict power, memory, and performance constraints.
• Work closely with Mobile BU Points‑of‑Contact (PoCs) responsible for OEM engagement and product launches to deliver features, bug fixes, and optimizations required for customer success.
• Demonstrate a strong focus and obsession toward customer satisfaction, ensuring issues impacting customer experience are prioritized, addressed with urgency, and resolved with high quality.
• Proactively improve internal and customer workflows related to AI tools, SDKs, documentation, and processes to enhance ease of use, debuggability, and overall developer experience.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams including Mobile BU, product leads, systems, validation, performance, and customer engineering teams to ensure end‑to‑end readiness for commercial launches.
• Validate, analyze, and optimize software performance, accuracy, and robustness through detailed testing of mobile AI use cases.
• Debug complex system issues, perform root‑cause analysis, and drive fixes across software‑hardware boundaries to ensure high reliability in customer environments.
• Lead feature development and influence technical direction to enable customers and partners to effectively deploy AI solutions on Qualcomm platforms.
• Participate actively in design and code reviews, setting high standards for code quality, maintainability, and scalability.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement within the AI Software organization.
• Work independently with minimal supervision; technical decisions will impact both your immediate area and broader cross‑team deliverables.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 4+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 3+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
• PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 2+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.

Required Qualifications (Must Have)

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.
• 5+ years of professional software development experience.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ software development.
• Experience developing software in Linux environments.
• Solid grounding in data structures, algorithms, software design principles, debugging, and testing.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams and with customer‑facing stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications (Desired)

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering.
• Experience building embedded and systems‑level software for mobile or edge platforms.
• Familiarity with generative AI model architectures (e.g., LLMs) and inference pipelines.
• Understanding of hardware acceleration and deployment of AI inference on edge devices.
• Experience across platforms such as Linux, Android, and/or Windows.
• Knowledge of low‑level OS–hardware interactions.
• Experience with CMake‑based build environments.
• Prior experience using or integrating Qualcomm AI Stack products (e.g., QNN, Genie).
• Experience with agile development practices and git‑based source control.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within a globally distributed, cross‑functional team while balancing multiple priorities driven by customer and product milestones.

Pay Range & Benefits

$158,400.00 – $237,600.00. 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. Additional compensation includes a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and annual RSU grants. Qualcomm offers a comprehensive benefits package to support work, home, and play.

Equal Opportunity & Accessibility Statement

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. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. 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.