Staff Software Engineer - Qualcomm Advanced Robotics Team

Qualcomm

Actively hiring

Santa Clara, CA Posted 29 days ago $151,900–$227,900 / year

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At a glance

AI generated

TL;DR

As a senior Software Engineer on Qualcomm’s Advanced Robotics Team, you will lead the development of the company's robotics software platform, defining its architecture and driving technical design reviews for core middleware and services such as ROS 2/DDS. Your daily tasks include optimizing heterogeneous compute (CPU/GPU/DSP/NPU) and camera pipelines, ensuring robustness and low power consumption on Qualcomm’s SoCs, and championing safety standards like ISO 26262. You will mentor senior engineers, engage with customers to clarify requirements, and guide integrations while building a strong review culture and CI/CD discipline within the team. The role requires expertise in C++, Python, ROS 2, and DDS, along with experience in Linux for robotics and real-time systems, making it ideal for those passionate about shaping the software heart of a rapidly growing robotics portfolio used across various industries.

Skills

C++ Python ROS2 DDS Linux MCU/RTOS CPU GPU NPU DSP CI/CD SLAM VIO dense/stereo depth semantic mapping planning & controls manipulation Qualcomm robotics stacks on-device AI performance engineering heterogeneous SoCs

What you'll do

Develop the software architecture for Qualcomm's Robotics platform interfaces and runtime.
Drive the technical design reviews and roadmap for SDK components and core middleware.
Validate real-world performance using sim-in-the-loop and HIL testing methods.
Optimize software for heterogeneous compute, focusing on CPU/GPU/DSP/NPU utilization.
Champion safety practices and ensure compliance with relevant industry standards.
Mentor senior engineers to maintain high code quality and foster a review culture.

What we're looking for

5+ years of software engineering experience with at least 4 years in robotics platforms.
Expertise in C++, Python, ROS 2, and DDS (QoS, discovery, message design).
Depth in physical AI embedded systems, SLAM/visual-inertial odometry, dense/stereo depth, semantic mapping, planning & controls, or manipulation.
Strong background in Linux for robotics, real-time considerations, and MCU/RTOS interactions.
Experience optimizing performance on heterogeneous SoCs (CPU/GPU/NPU/DSP) and camera/ISP stacks.

Market check

Salary context

This $151,900–$227,900 range sits above 39% of similar postings on FindRole.

Peer median band

$143,000–$247,000

Median floor and ceiling across peers.

Typical midpoint (25–75%)

$165,000–$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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View all roles at Qualcomm

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