Lead Roboticist Systems Integration and Test Engineer - Qualcomm Advanced Robotics Team
Qualcomm•San Diego, CA
•$179,000 - $268,400
About The Position
The Qualcomm Advanced Robotics Team is building the platform for next-generation robots, combining heterogeneous compute with a full robotics software stack for perception, planning, control, and fleet workflows. This role focuses on owning the integration and validation of complete robot systems. The individual will lead efforts to take AI models, software components, and hardware platforms and bring them together into reliable, end-to-end robotic applications. The role involves setting direction for system bring-up, testing, and validation, while also being hands-on in the lab working directly with robots. This position sits at the intersection of robotics, AI, and systems engineering, with a strong focus on making full systems work in real-world conditions.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
- Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
- PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
- 3+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.
Nice To Haves
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field
- Significant experience working with real robotic systems
- Strong background in system integration, bring-up, and end-to-end debugging
- Experience leading or owning complex technical systems or projects
- Proven ability to integrate multiple components into working applications
- Experience validating functionality of full robotic systems (not just components)
- Familiarity with robotics frameworks (e.g., ROS/ROS2 or similar)
- Strong hands-on engineering skills and comfort working in a robotics lab
- MS strongly preferred (hands-on, project-based experience)
- Experience in system integration & testing (SI&T), validation, or reliability engineering
- Experience leading small teams or technical initiatives
- Experience deploying AI models onto edge devices
- Background across multiple domains (software, hardware, AI, systems)
- Experience building demo platforms or reference systems
- Familiarity with networking, connectivity, or distributed robotics systems
- Experience with mobile robots, manipulators, or autonomous systems
Responsibilities
- Lead system integration efforts across multiple robotic platforms
- Define integration, testing, and validation strategies for robotics systems
- Drive best practices for system bring-up, debugging, and reliability
- Own overall system behavior and performance in the lab
- Integrate perception, planning, control, and AI models into complete robot applications
- Deploy advanced AI models (perception, VLA, reasoning) onto robotic hardware
- Rapid prototyping to facilitate quick bring-up of systems, including 3D printing, interfacing with mechanical and electrical teams, calibration, cabling and electronics assembly
- Debugging skills including power budgeting, ability to distinguish hardware from software issues, system identification, cabling/sensor/actuator debugging
- Translate Qualcomm technologies (Dragonwing, AI Engine, compute, Wi-Fi, 5G) into working systems
- Lead bring-up of new robot platforms (hardware + software)
- Oversee configuration, maintenance, and readiness of lab robots
- Ensure robots are stable, repeatable, and usable for development and demos
- Define and execute system-level testing strategies (functional, integration, reliability)
- Establish validation processes to ensure end-to-end functionality
- Setup, maintenance and operation of high-quality calibration for and high-performance measurement systems
- Drive identification and resolution of system-level failures
- Lead debugging of complex cross-disciplinary issues (software, hardware, AI, control)
- Guide teams in isolating and resolving integration bottlenecks
- Ensure issues are addressed at root cause, not just symptoms
- Work closely with AI, hardware, and platform teams to integrate new capabilities
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers working on system integration
- Drive alignment between research, development, and deployment
- Ensure robots are reliable and polished for internal and external demonstrations
- Oversee demo readiness, including repeatability and performance consistency
Benefits
- Competitive annual discretionary bonus program
- Opportunity for annual RSU grants
- Highly competitive benefits package designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
