As Principal Robotics SLAM and Positioning Lead at Qualcomm Technologies in San Diego or Santa Clara, you will join the Advanced Robotics team to architect and build a modular, service-oriented SLAM and state estimation stack for diverse robotic systems. Your daily tasks include defining robust APIs and data contracts, leading the development of core services such as calibration, state estimation, localization, map management, and re-localization, while ensuring seamless integration with other teams like robotics middleware and perception. The role demands expertise in C++, multi-sensor fusion, probabilistic estimation, and service-oriented architectures, alongside experience optimizing workloads on heterogeneous compute platforms. You will influence product roadmaps by translating customer needs into architectural decisions, working on large-scale autonomy challenges that shape the future of physical AI.
Skills
C++
ROS2
DDS
SLAM
Sensor Fusion
Multi-Sensor Fusion
State Estimation
Localization
Map Management
CI/CD
Heterogeneous Compute
Diagnostics
Health Monitoring
Cloud-Assisted Robotics
Service-Oriented Architecture
Middleware-Centric Systems
KPIs
Test Automation
What you'll do
Define and build a modular, service-oriented SLAM and state estimation stack for diverse robotic deployments.
Lead the design and implementation of core services including calibration, state estimation, localization, map management, and re-localization.
Establish robust design principles ensuring determinism, observability, recoverability, and scalability in SLAM services.
Drive the transition from algorithm prototypes to production-grade SLAM services suitable for long-running robotic deployments.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of SLAM services with navigation, planning, and manipulation stacks.
What we're looking for
Deep hands-on expertise in SLAM, sensor fusion, calibration, and system observability.
Strong proficiency in C++ with production-grade software engineering practices.
Experience developing real-world robotic or autonomous platforms for continuous operation.
Familiarity with service-oriented robotics architectures like ROS2/DDS-based systems.
Background in diagnostics, observability, and health monitoring for safety-critical systems.
Track record of technical leadership influencing architecture across multiple teams.
Market check
Salary context
This
$198,600–$297,800
range sits above
76%
of similar postings on FindRole.
Peer median band
$164,612–$257,000
Median floor and ceiling across peers.
Typical midpoint (25–75%)
$168,000–$246,150
Middle half of comparable postings.
Based on 239 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.
Santa Clara, Ca,Us, US150 days ago
$167,000–$250,600
C++
Python
ROS2
Gazebo
Isaac Sim
RTOS
Qualcomm Robotics SDK
Raspberry Pi Compute Platforms
Functional Safety Standards
Machine Learning
Reinforcement Learning
Kinematics
Dynamics
Control Theory
PID
MPC
Impedance Control
Admittance Control