Embedded Systems Software Engineer

Qualcomm•San Diego, CA

About The Position

Qualcomm is looking for a highly motivated Embedded Systems Software Engineer to join our Data / Networking software team. In this role, you will design, develop, optimize, and maintain high‑performance Ethernet networking and data‑path drivers for Qualcomm's Wireless Broadband connectivity, Automotive Infotainment and Telematics platforms based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon and Dragonwing SOCs. You will work at the intersection of Linux kernel / QNX networking stacks, Ethernet device drivers, SoC hardware (Ethernet MACs, PHYs, switches), and networking performance. The role involves close collaboration with hardware architecture teams, platform software, validation, and customer-facing engineering teams to enable robust, scalable, and production‑quality Ethernet solutions for diverse product segments. You will be responsible for developing, integrating and commercializing device driver SW for various integrated and discrete Ethernet solutions, enabling leading edge networking features while meeting stringent reliability, availability and performance requirements for demanding applications and use cases. You will collaborate with cross functional teams across multiple locations through the development lifecycle and work in a highly dynamic and engaging environment.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering, Embedded Software, or related work experience.
Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field and 1+ year of Software Engineering, Embedded Software, or related work experience.
PhD in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.

Nice To Haves

Strong proficiency in C programming, with experience developing or debugging low‑level system software.
Solid understanding of Linux kernel fundamentals, including: Memory management, interrupts, DMA, synchronization primitives. Kernel networking architecture
Hands‑on experience with networking concepts, such as: Ethernet fundamentals, VLANs. TCP/IP stack and basic L2/L3 packet flows.
Experience developing, integrating, or debugging device drivers on Linux or a similar embedded OS.
Strong debugging skills using tools such as gdb, perf, ftrace, etc. and comfort working close to hardware.
Direct experience with Ethernet MAC or switch driver development
Familiarity with automotive or embedded SoCs
Exposure to QNX networking or other RTOS networking stacks.
Experience analyzing and optimizing CPU utilization, latency, and throughput in networking workloads.
Prior contributions to upstream Linux kernel or experience maintaining downstream kernel forks.
Knowledge of networking virtualization or offload technologies .
Strong interest in system performance, root‑cause analysis, and end‑to‑end data‑path optimization.
Ability to collaborate across software, hardware, and systems teams and communicate technical topics clearly.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, integrate, and maintain embedded software across the full development lifecycle, including driver development, platform bring‑up, feature enablement, debugging, and validation for embedded systems.
Develop and debug low‑level software components, including device drivers, firmware, and RTOS/Linux kernel modules, working closely with hardware to ensure correct and efficient operation.
Perform on‑target and off‑target development and debugging, using standard embedded debug tools and techniques to diagnose and resolve functional, performance, and stability issues.
Collaborate with cross‑functional teams, including hardware design, systems, integration, test, application engineering, and customer support, to deliver integrated system solutions.
Contribute to technical design reviews and project planning, providing strong engineering input on architecture, trade‑offs, schedules, and risk areas.
Create and maintain high‑quality technical documentation, including design descriptions, architecture specifications, and internal documentation.
Own complex software features end‑to‑end, from requirements analysis and design through implementation, testing, and commercialization in production environments
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers, and act as a strong individual contributor within the team while driving engineering excellence.
Support customer and field issues by analyzing problem reports, reproducing issues, and delivering robust fixes while balancing product schedules and quality requirements.