Senior Director, Product Management - Robotics Software

Qualcomm • San Diego, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Directs a comprehensive product strategy from product conception and definition through end of life. Functions as a central resource with design, process, manufacturing, quality, test, marketing, and distribution as the product(s) and/or product line(s) move through their lifecycle. Formulates and executes long-term roadmaps for cost/profit control. Promotes use of new technologies and industry-leading trends. Directs those involved in the design, modification, and evaluation of all phases of a specific product or group of products. Involvement lasts throughout all stages of a product’s lifecycle including modifications, upgrades, and maintenance of the product or product line.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, Humanities, or related field.
• 10+ years of Product Management or related work experience.

Nice To Haves

• 12+ years of Product Management, Technical Product Ownership, or robotics/embedded/AI platform leadership.
• Deep technical understanding of Linux‑based robotics systems, including real‑time Linux (PREEMPT‑RT or equivalent), kernel‑level tuning, and robotics OS distributions.
• Strong background in robotics software stacks (perception, SLAM, mapping, planning, controls, middleware).
• Hands‑on familiarity with heterogeneous compute architectures (CPU, GPU, DSP, NPU) and mapping robotics workloads onto complex SoCs.
• Demonstrated success driving large, cross‑functional engineering programs and representing platform decisions to external customers.
• Experience with ROS/ROS 2, or similar robotics middleware frameworks.
• Ability to convert complex technical challenges into clear, actionable product requirements.
• Background in robotics, autonomous systems, industrial automation, mobile robotics, drones, AMRs/AGVs, or multi‑sensor autonomous platforms.
• In‑depth experience with open‑source robotics ecosystems—ROS/ROS 2, Linux kernel development, Yocto‑based builds, real‑time Linux, and robotics DevOps pipelines.
• Understanding of perception pipelines, SLAM frameworks, real‑time scheduling, AI inference optimization, and distributed robotics architectures.
• Experience defining SDKs, developer toolchains, debugging workflows, reference implementations, and platform documentation for robotics developers.
• Strong executive‑level communication skills—capable of aligning engineering, partners, and customers around a unified robotics platform vision.

Responsibilities

• Lead Qualcomm’s Linux‑based robotics platform strategy, including kernel variants, real‑time Linux distributions, robotics‑specific build systems, and OS‑level abstractions required for deterministic robotics workloads.
• Lead open‑source ecosystem engagement, especially with ROS/ROS 2, real‑time Linux communities, robotics middleware, and upstream contributors to ensure alignment with industry trends and platform direction.
• Own the end‑to‑end Robotics Software Platform roadmap, covering perception, SLAM, mapping, planning, controls, heterogeneous compute orchestration, and real‑time robotics middleware.
• Drive platform architecture and API definitions across real‑time compute, distributed robotics workloads, sensor fusion, AI/ML acceleration, and edge‑to‑cloud integration.
• Shape the long‑term robotics architecture across Snapdragon platforms—spanning sensor interfaces, mission‑critical compute, system determinism, real‑time scheduling, containerization, and secure update mechanisms.
• Guide engineering execution across perception, autonomy, middleware, tools, and systems teams to deliver reliable, predictable platform releases across diverse robotic form factors.
• Transform customer, developer, and partner feedback into clear PRDs, KPIs, and launch criteria that shape the evolution of Qualcomm’s robotics stack.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with hardware, SoC architecture, systems engineering, cloud services, BD/sales, and ecosystem partners to align platform delivery with customer and market needs.
• Deliver developer‑ready assets including SDKs, samples, APIs, documentation, and tooling that accelerate adoption and reduce integration time.
• Represent Qualcomm externally to robotics OEMs, integrators, platform developers, and the global robotics community to drive alignment on roadmap and platform differentiators.

Benefits

• We also offer 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director