#Windows Audio Software Engineer (Voice AI) — Engineer, Senior

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 111,300 - 166,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive bonus program

Opportunities for annual RSU grants

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Qualcomm is seeking a Software Engineer to design next‑generation Voice AI capabilities on Windows. As a part of the Windows Audio Software team, you will own feature development for voice capabilities and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver solutions on Snapdragon platforms.

This role requires a Bachelor's degree and experience in software engineering, particularly with programming languages like C/C++. Qualcomm supports employees with work-life programs and competitive compensation.

Qualifications

• 2+ years experience in software engineering.
• Experience with programming languages such as C, C++, Java, Python.
• Strong understanding of Windows OS fundamentals.

Responsibilities

• Own feature development for Voice AI capabilities.
• Gather and refine technical requirements with partners.
• Implement Windows audio + driver stack solutions.

Skills

C/C++ programming

Windows system software

Audio driver development

Multi-threaded programming

Python programming

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Master's degree in Engineering or related field

PhD in Engineering or related field

Tools

Visual Studio

Git

Job description

General Summary

Qualcomm is a world-leading provider of mobile, computing, XR, automotive, and IoT SoCs and software technologies. Our Snapdragon platforms deliver highly integrated CPU/DSP/NPU capabilities that enable premium on-device experiences with industry-leading power efficiency.

As a member of Qualcomm’s Windows Audio Software team, you will design and build next‑generation on‑device Voice AI capabilities on Windows‑on‑Snapdragon platforms—spanning low‑power “always‑on” sensing through interactive speech experiences. You will collaborate with cross‑functional teams (hardware, DSP, systems, ML, and product) and work with global stakeholders across regions and sites to deliver robust, production‑ready solutions.

This position is not eligible for Qualcomm immigration sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Own feature development end-to-end for Voice AI capabilities on Windows, including wake‑on‑voice, on‑device ASR, translation, transcription, and TTS.
• Gather and refine technical requirements with internal and external partners; translate product goals into clear engineering requirements, architecture, and milestones.
• Co‑design and implement Windows audio + driver stack solutions that leverage Qualcomm SoC CPU/DSP/NPU capabilities while meeting strict latency and power targets for Voice AI experiences.
• Build or extend components across user‑mode and kernel‑mode boundaries (UMDF/KMDF), integrating with Windows audio frameworks and platform services as needed for Voice AI pipelines.
• Drive low‑power audio architecture for “always‑on” use cases, including concurrency and power‑mode transitions across multiple audio features.
• Optimize and validate performance using Windows diagnostics and systematically debug complex multi‑threaded and multi‑processor issues across hardware/software boundaries.
• Communicate development status, risks, and mitigations to technical leads and stakeholders.
• Participate in roadmap planning and execution; contribute to process improvements that increase quality, scalability, and maintainability.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 1+ year of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field.
• 2+ years of academic or work experience with programming languages such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science or related field.
• 3+ years of industry experience in software engineering, with a focus in one or more of the following areas: Windows system software, device drivers, multimedia/audio, platform software, or performance/power-sensitive products.
• Proficiency in systems programming (C/C++ preferred) and ability to deliver production-quality code in complex codebases.
• Strong Windows development skills using Visual Studio, source control (Git-based workflows), and disciplined debugging practices.
• Solid understanding of Windows OS fundamentals relevant to system-level development: processes/threads, synchronization primitives, memory, I/O, and performance diagnostics.
• Experience developing or integrating Windows drivers using KMDF and/or UMDF, including build, deployment, and debugging fundamentals.
• Hands‑on experience with multi‑threaded programming, concurrency control, and performance/latency tuning.
• Proven ability to work cross‑functionally and communicate effectively with distributed teams across regions/time zones.
• Windows audio ecosystem experience (audio drivers, audio endpoints, WASAPI, audio effects/APOs, audio policy, power‑aware audio scenarios, or end‑to‑end audio pipeline integration).
• Demonstrated experience using AI‑assisted development tools to improve productivity across the software lifecycle (requirements/architecture, implementation, debugging, testing, and documentation).
• Familiarity with mainstream AI coding assistants (e.g., GitHub Copilot / Microsoft Copilot) applied to practical engineering tasks such as code comprehension, change drafting, test scaffolding ideas, and documentation—while maintaining strong review and correctness discipline.
• Ability to create and share repeatable prompt patterns/templates for common engineering workflows and continuously refine prompts to increase specificity and accuracy.
• Experience with low-power / always‑on audio and power‑state transitions (Modern Standby constraints and wake/trigger flows).
• Familiarity with on-device voice activation building blocks and staged verification concepts (multi‑stage keyword/wake approaches).
• Experience optimizing workloads across heterogeneous compute (CPU + DSP + NPU) and understanding tradeoffs across latency vs. power vs. quality.
• Exposure to Voice AI pipelines: ASR/TTS, speech translation, transcription, streaming/buffering strategies, and real‑time constraints.

Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits

$111,300.00 - $166,900.00

In addition to salary, Qualcomm offers a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunities for annual RSU grants. A comprehensive benefits package supports employees at work, at home, and at play.

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.