Embedded NPU Software Engineer, Staff

Qualcomm

Actively hiring

San Diego, CA Posted 21 days ago $134,800–$202,200 / year

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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 have a deep understanding of NPU programming, computer architecture, and real-time operating systems, along with experience leading technical projects and mentoring engineers. They must collaborate effectively across hardware, systems, and product teams to deliver scalable solutions that meet performance, power, and reliability targets.

Skills

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

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

Deep expertise in NPU programming and computer architecture.
8+ years of experience in embedded software development.
Proven track record leading technical projects or owning system-level components.
Strong proficiency in C/C++ and debugging tools (Trace32, JTAG).
Experience with Qualcomm Hexagon DSP and SDK frameworks.
Familiarity with multimedia frameworks and AI acceleration pipelines.

Market check

Salary context

This $134,800–$202,200 range sits above 39% of similar postings on FindRole.

Peer median band

$134,800–$234,000

Median floor and ceiling across peers.

Typical midpoint (25–75%)

$155,562–$214,500

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 569 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $148,300–$224,400 across 536 roles with salary data.

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