Enablement Software Principal Engineer

Qualcomm

Confirmed live yesterday High trust

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Santa Clara, CAAustin, TXSan Diego, CA
Salary: $211,800–$317,800 / yr
Posted: 157 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Closes: Oct 4, 2026
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $198k

This role $265k

$122k most similar roles pay here $339k

This role pays more than 90% of similar roles. Most pay $169,550–$225,500 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $265k versus about $198k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm is a leading American semiconductor and telecommunications company based in San Diego, CA.

Qualcomm currently has 623 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $148,300–$222,500 across 603 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Enablement Software Principal Engineer

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As an Enablement Software Principal Engineer, you will join a distributed team to develop solutions for custom CPUs while collaborating with hardware and software teams to ensure performance, efficiency, and security. You will work on the Linux kernel, boot firmware, and low-level libraries, focusing on optimizing existing software and enabling new architectural features. Your daily responsibilities include defining future high-performance SoCs, creating drivers, and identifying optimization areas for high-performance platforms. The role requires expertise in C, assembly language, Python, and distributed version control systems. You will work with technologies such as UEFI, ACPI, and SystemReady while developing software virtual platforms and debugging tools in pre-silicon and on hardware environments. This position addresses the technical challenges of computer architecture, including high-performance designs, weak memory models, and the critical hardware/software interface.

Skills

C Assembly Python Linux Kernel UEFI ACPI SystemReady C++ Java Build Systems Systems Programming Boot Firmware Hardware/Software Interface

What you'll do

Develop solutions for custom CPUs including Linux kernel, boot firmware, and low-level libraries.
Define future high-performance SoCs and platform architectures.
Create optimizations and drivers for high-performance platforms.
Identify hardware optimization areas in collaboration with the performance team.
Ensure existing operating systems run efficiently and identify opportunities for performance enhancements.
Develop software virtual platforms and debugging tools for pre-silicon and on-hardware environments.
Enable new architectural features and optimize existing software components.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field with 8+ years of experience.
Master's degree in Engineering or Computer Science with 7+ years of experience.
PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field with 6+ years of experience.
At least 4 years of work experience with programming languages such as C, C++, Java, or Python.
Proficiency in C, assembly language, and build systems.
Experience in systems programming using Python or similar languages.
Expertise in developing software virtual platforms, low-level boot firmware, and debugging tools for pre-silicon and on hardware.
Familiarity with Linux kernel development, UEFI, ACPI, and SystemReady standards.