As a CPU Silicon Bringup and Validation Engineer at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., you will join the dedicated CPU Silicon Bringup Team responsible for preparing and supporting the bring-up of every SoC using custom CPUs from initial silicon to productization. Your daily tasks include collaborating with design and verification teams to develop comprehensive test plans, conducting pre-work on emulation and FPGA platforms, and working closely with SOC and software teams to plan CPU bring-ups. You will also debug failures on silicon, create testing strategies, reproduce silicon fails on emulators, and suggest new debug features for improved future bring-ups. The role requires a strong background in assembly and C/C++ embedded firmware implementation, along with experience using software toolchains such as assemblers, compilers, Makefiles, and source code control tools. Ideal candidates will have expertise in micro-processor architecture, power management, physical design concepts, and extensive experience in silicon validation and CPU feature testing.
Skills
C
C++
Assembly
Makefiles
Git
Micro-processor architecture
Power management
Physical design concepts
Silicon validation
Debugging
Test development
Test vectors
What you'll do
Develop and execute CPU bring-up and validation test plans.
Prepare for silicon bring-up by conducting pre-work on emulation and FPGA platforms.
Triage and debug failures during the silicon validation phase.
Collaborate with SOC and software teams to plan CPU bring-up activities.
Architect new debug features to enhance future CPU bring-up processes.
Develop comprehensive testing strategies and content for CPU validation.
What we're looking for
BA/BS degree in CS/EE with at least 5 years of experience.
Extensive experience (3+) in silicon validation and bring-up processes.
Proficient in implementing assembly and C/C++ language embedded firmware.
Experience using software toolchains including assemblers, compilers, and version control systems.
Strong understanding of microprocessor architecture and power management concepts.
Market check
Salary context
This
$148,300–$250,700
range sits above
57%
of similar postings on FindRole.
Peer median band
$152,000–$234,800
Median floor and ceiling across peers.
Typical midpoint (25–75%)
$166,987–$223,700
Middle half of comparable postings.
Based on 240 comparable postings.*
* 240 is the maximum number of comparable postings sampled.
Employer
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm is a leading American semiconductor and telecommunications company based in San Diego, CA.
Qualcomm currently has
595 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$148,300–$222,500
across 540 roles with salary data.
C
C++
ARM
DSP
x86
i32
Python
Git
JIRA
Confluence
CI/CD
Linux
Windows
PostgreSQL
Mentor Graphics Calibre
Cadence Virtuoso
Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Stack
C
C++
ARM
RISC-V
RTOS
J-TAG
ICE
SPI
I2C
PCIe
CAN
Ethernet
USB
UFS
GIC
PLIC
Linux_kernel
Firmware_development
Driver_development
Multi-core_CPUs
Memory_consistency
Messaging_systems
Virtualization
Security
Super_Scalar_Architectures
C++
SystemC
DRAM
HBM
GDDR
LPDDR
SOC/GPU
Post-Silicon Validation
Pre-Silicon Development
Memory Systems
High Speed Interfaces
Debugging Tools
Process Implementation
Methodologies
Technical Communication