Embedded NPU Software Engineer, Senior

Qualcomm

Actively hiring
San Diego, CA Posted 74 days ago $127,200–$190,800 / year
View original post Log in to save

At a glance

AI generated

TL;DR

Qualcomm is hiring a Staff Embedded NPU Software Engineer to join its NPU Platform Software Team, focusing on designing and developing embedded platform software for Snapdragon SoC across mobile, automotive, compute, and XR platforms. This role involves architecting and optimizing software frameworks that enable high-performance multimedia and machine learning workloads, requiring expertise in C/C++, debugging tools like Trace32 and JTAG, and familiarity with Qualcomm Hexagon DSP and SDK frameworks. The ideal candidate will collaborate closely with hardware, systems, and product teams to ensure system-level integration and drive technical decisions while mentoring engineers and contributing to long-term planning. This position demands a deep understanding of NPU architecture techniques and the ability to lead complex development efforts across cross-functional teams.

Skills

C/C++ Qualcomm Hexagon DSP Android Linux Windows SIMD multi-threading memory hierarchy inter-processor communication concurrency management Trace32 JTAG NPU programming computer architecture real-time operating systems multimedia frameworks AI acceleration pipelines machine learning computer vision signal processing

What you'll do

  • Architect and design NPU software frameworks for compute and AI acceleration.
  • Lead development of complex NPU features ensuring system-level integration.
  • Optimize software using advanced techniques like SIMD and multi-threading.
  • Collaborate with hardware teams to align software design with platform goals.
  • Mentor engineers, conduct reviews, and contribute to technical strategy planning.
  • Drive debugging efforts across the NPU stack to meet performance targets.

What we're looking for

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 2+ years of experience.
  • Master’s degree in a relevant field and at least 1 year of software engineering experience.
  • Deep expertise in NPU programming, computer architecture, and real-time operating systems.
  • Proven track record leading technical projects or owning system-level software components.
  • Strong proficiency in C/C++ and debugging tools (Trace32, JTAG).
  • Experience with Qualcomm Hexagon DSP and SDK frameworks, multimedia frameworks.
  • Ability to mentor engineers and influence technical direction across cross-functional teams.

Market check

Salary context

This $127,200–$190,800 range sits above 42% of similar postings on FindRole.

Peer median band

$117,000–$222,480

Median floor and ceiling across peers.

Typical midpoint (25–75%)

$139,100–$203,300

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.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at Qualcomm

More like this

Similar roles

Embedded NPU Software Engineer, Staff

Qualcomm

San Diego, CA 24 days ago $134,800–$202,200
C/C++ Qualcomm Hexagon DSP Android Linux Windows SIMD Multi-threading Memory hierarchy Inter-processor communication Debugging tools Trace32 JTAG Machine learning Computer vision Signal processing Multimedia frameworks NPU programming Real-time operating systems

Careers

Qualcomm

San Diego, CA 68 days ago
C/C++ Python Linux Android Windows Qualcomm Hexagon DSP multi-threaded programming inter-processor communication embedded systems real-time operating systems scripting test automation debugging profiling Trace32 JTAG
Hybrid

Embedded NPU Software Engineer, Senior

Qualcomm

San Diego, CA 4 days ago $127,200–$190,800
C C++ Python Computer Architecture Embedded Systems Design Verification Architectural Simulators Digital Design Simulators Emulators Test Generators Design Synthesis Machine Learning Modem Technology

Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Cisco

Remote (San Jose, CA) 87 days ago $165,000–$241,400
C/C++ Python Linux I2C PCIe SPI MDIO TCP/IP Linux kernel Device driver development Networking ASICs PHY testing SSD USB NVRAM eMMC Secure-boot CMIS SFF standards Software quality processes
Remote

Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Motorola Solutions

Los Angeles, CA 54 days ago $135,000–$200,000
C Linux kernel driver development ARM RISC-V BSP development AMD UltraScale+ Microchip Polarfire SoC Socket programming IPsec Internet/Ethernet protocols NIST FIPS 140-3 NIAP Common Criteria CNSA suite
Hybrid

Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Motorola Solutions

Melville, NY 41 days ago $130,000–$160,000
C++ Linux Python Git CMake TCP UDP Docker GitLab CI/CD ARM RTOS Embedded C/C++ Version Control Automated Testing Build Systems Image Processing Camera Systems
Hybrid