Staff System Performance Engineer

Qualcomm

Confirmed live yesterday Trusted

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: San Diego, CA
Salary: $148,300–$222,500 / yr
Posted: 134 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Closes: Oct 27, 2026
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

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Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $196k

This role $185k

$137k most similar roles pay here $255k

This role pays less than 61% of similar roles. Most pay $168,375–$223,700 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $185k versus about $196k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

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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 · Staff System Performance Engineer

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As a System Performance Engineer, Staff on the System Performance Team, you will optimize and validate performance for Snapdragon Chipsets across mobile, compute, automotive, and IoT business units. You will serve as a technical lead, mentoring junior engineers while collaborating with cross-functional hardware and software teams to improve power, performance, and thermal behavior. Your daily responsibilities include profiling complex concurrent system use-cases in Android, Linux, and Windows environments, defining analysis plans for CPU, GPU, and AI/ML workloads, and triaging root causes of performance issues. You will utilize Python, C/C++, and experience with ARM v8/v9 architectures, Vulkan, OpenGL, DX12, or CUDA to solve system-level challenges. The role requires deep knowledge of memory hierarchy, system interconnects, and software power management stacks to ensure products meet rigorous technical requirements across various hardware architectures.

Skills

Python C C++ Android Linux Windows ARM SoC Vulkan OpenGL CUDA Power Management Performance Analysis Automation Memory Hierarchy System Interconnects SMMU GIC Coresight-PMU

What you'll do

Profile and analyze complex concurrent system use-cases in emulation and software environments.
Define and document performance and power analysis plans for CPU, GPU, and AI/ML workloads.
Identify specific areas for performance optimization within SoC hardware and software architectures.
Lead the triage of complex performance issues to determine root causes for stakeholders.
Implement optimal power, performance, and thermal solutions in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers across multiple projects.
Create reports and recommendations for senior executives to drive business and architecture decisions.
Develop automation tools to improve team operational efficiency.

What we're looking for

Master’s degree in Computer Engineering is preferred.
4+ years of post-silicon experience in power and performance analysis of complex SoCs.
4+ years of experience interacting with senior leadership.
Strong programming and scripting skills in Python, C, and C++.
Knowledge of ARM SoC concepts, architecture specifications (SMMU, GIC, Coresight-PMU), and bus interface protocols.
Experience with Vulkan, OpenGL, DX12, or CUDA.
Understanding of memory hierarchy, system interconnects, and SW power management stacks.
Ability to lead, mentor, and collaborate across cross-functional teams.

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