#System Software Engineer - Power

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 94,200 - 141,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

RSU grants

Benefits package

Job summary

Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc. in San Diego is seeking a Power Systems Software Engineer to optimize power for next-gen Snapdragon platforms, spanning system power architecture, modeling, measurement, post-silicon debug, and productization of power solutions.

The role involves collaborating with architecture, hardware, firmware, kernel, Android, and system software teams to drive power efficiency across use-cases, with emphasis on Day-of-Use battery life and performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Drive end-to-end power optimization by working across architecture, hardware, firmware, kernel, Android, and system software teams to develop deep expertise in power architectures, control loops, and advanced low-power techniques across use-cases and targets
• Define, prototype, and evaluate new power features early, leveraging pre-silicon platforms (emulation, models, trace-based studies) and carrying them through post-silicon bring-up, validation, and productization
• Own post-silicon power KPI execution (Day-of-Use (Battery Life), game and multimedia use-cases), including root-cause debug, power walks, correlation, and systematic optimization across HW/SW boundaries
• Perform software trade-off analysis using rapid prototyping, experiments, and trace-driven studies to assess alternative scheduler, DVFS, low-power mode, and system-level design choices under real workloads.
• Identify and deliver power optimization opportunities by tuning or developing firmware, Linux kernel, and system algorithms (e.g., scheduler, LPMs, bus/DDR scaling, SoC power state transitions) aligned with evolving hardware architectures.
• Contribute to and scale power debug, analysis, and automation infrastructure, including power telemetry, tooling, and AI-assisted workflows, to improve execution velocity, coverage, and quality across platforms and geographies.

Skills

Computer architecture

Embedded software

Linux kernel development

Power optimization

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/CS

Job description

Company

Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc.

Job Area

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering

General Summary

This position is not eligible for Qualcomm immigration sponsorship.

Qualcomm’s Systems Software Power team is seeking a Power Systems Software Engineer who is passionate about solving complex power challenges and developing innovative solutions to optimize power efficiency for next‑generation Snapdragon platforms.

In this role, the engineer will have a unique opportunity to learn, contribute, and directly influence the full lifecycle of mobile SoC power consumption, spanning system‑level hardware and software power architecture and design, modeling and measurement, post‑silicon debug and analysis, feature optimization, and eventual commercialization of best‑in‑class power solutions across Qualcomm products.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Drive end‑to‑end power optimization by working across architecture, hardware, firmware, kernel, Android, and system software teams to develop deep expertise in power architectures, control loops, and advanced low‑power techniques across use‑cases and targets
• Define, prototype, and evaluate new power features early, leveraging pre‑silicon platforms (emulation, models, trace‑based studies) and carrying them through post‑silicon bring‑up, validation, and productization
• Own post‑silicon power KPI execution (Day‑of‑Use (Battery Life), game and multimedia use‑cases), including root‑cause debug, power walks, correlation, and systematic optimization across HW/SW boundaries
• Perform software trade‑off analysis using rapid prototyping, experiments, and trace‑driven studies to assess alternative scheduler, DVFS, low‑power mode, and system‑level design choices under real workloads.
• Identify and deliver power optimization opportunities by tuning or developing firmware, Linux kernel, and system algorithms (e.g., scheduler, LPMs, bus/DDR scaling, SoC power state transitions) aligned with evolving hardware architectures.
• Contribute to and scale power debug, analysis, and automation infrastructure, including power telemetry, tooling, and AI‑assisted workflows, to improve execution velocity, coverage, and quality across platforms and geographies.

Skills & Experience

• Strong foundation in computer architecture and system design, including memory management and hierarchies, CPU/GPU architectures, and operating system fundamentals such as processes, threads, and scheduling.
• Proven embedded software development expertise, with the ability to design and implement moderately complex systems software; hands‑on experience with firmware and Linux kernel development is required.
• Solid understanding of electrical engineering and digital logic fundamentals; familiarity with low‑power design principles and power‑saving techniques is a strong plus.
• Effective communicator and collaborative team player, capable of working independently while contributing productively in cross‑functional, multi‑disciplinary environments.

Employer and Equal Opportunity 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 [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.

Benefits & Compensation

Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:

$94,200.00 - $141,200.00

In addition, Qualcomm offers 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.

Further Information

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