Company:

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Mobile Chipset PE, MDM & MSM

General Summary:

About Qualcomm

As a leading technology innovator, Qualcomm is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible. The company drives digital transformation and enables next-generation experiences, striving to create a smarter, more connected future for everyone.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Principal‑level System Lead to drive AI‑centric mobile system architectures through close collaboration with OEMs and cross‑functional engineering teams. As part of the Mobile Product System and Architecture organization, you will play a hands‑on role in translating emerging AI‑driven use cases into scalable, power‑efficient system implementations leveraging Qualcomm’s advanced mobile SoCs and software platforms.

This role emphasizes AI systems across the stack, including generative AI, diffusion models, and camera‑centric AI workloads, with strong awareness of modern AI software frameworks from Google, open‑source ecosystems, and third‑party providers. You will focus on optimizing end‑to‑end AI use cases for performance, latency, memory efficiency, and low‑power modes of operation in real OEM products.

Key Responsibilities

• Product & System Architecture (AI Focus)

Analyze emerging OEM use cases involving generative AI, diffusion models, on‑device inference, camera‑centric AI, and always‑on AI workloads, mapping them to Qualcomm’s current hardware and software capabilities.
Define and propose system‑level architectural enhancements spanning AI accelerators, CPUs, GPUs, memory subsystems, and power management, with focus on scalable and power‑efficient AI execution.
Evaluate trade‑offs across performance, power, memory bandwidth, model size, latency, and thermal constraints, grounded in realistic OEM deployment scenarios.
Develop a strong understanding of AI software stacks and frameworks (e.g., Android AI frameworks, open‑source ML runtimes, and third‑party SDKs) and how they interact with underlying hardware architecture.

• Cross‑Functional Collaboration

Collaborate closely with hardware, software, systems, and AI platform teams to ensure architectural decisions are practical, implementable, and aligned with product roadmaps.
Work with OEM‑facing and software teams to incorporate customer feedback, framework limitations, and evolving AI workloads into system architecture decisions.
Clearly communicate technical trade‑offs and architectural recommendations within cross‑functional engineering forums, using data and experimentation to support conclusions.

• Technical Problem Solving and Innovation

Solve complex AI system challenges starting from loosely defined requirements, applying top‑down reasoning and quantitative analysis to explore and converge on viable solutions.
Identify architectural bottlenecks and inefficiencies across hardware and software boundaries for AI workloads, proposing innovative approaches to improve performance and energy efficiency.
Contribute to Qualcomm’s innovation pipeline through invention disclosures and patent filings related to AI system architectures, optimizations, and deployment methodologies.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 8+ years of Electrical, Computer, or Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 7+ years of Electrical, Computer, or Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 6+ years of Electrical, Computer, or Software Engineering or related work experience.

• 8+ years of experience in one or more areas of semiconductor product development.
• 5+ years in a technical leadership role.

Preferred Educational

Master's Degree or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field is required for this position.

Preferred Qualifications

8–10 years of experience in one or more domains of semiconductor product development, including system design, architecture, hardware design and validation.
A minimum of 3 years of experience making trade-offs between product key performance indicators (KPIs) and costs.
At least 5 years of experience working within a large, matrixed organization.
3 or more years of experience in a role that involves direct interaction with senior leadership.

Position Details

This position is based in San Diego, CA, and is open to candidates with 8–10 years of relevant experience.

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail [email protected] or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).

To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies:Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.

EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.

Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.

Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:

$216,600.00 - $325,000.00

The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer – and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.

If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.

About the company

Qualcomm designs the Snapdragon processors and modems inside many Android phones, and it licenses its wireless patents to device makers around the world. It helped commercialize CDMA, the cellular technology behind 3G networks, and its patents cover core parts of the 4G and 5G standards that phones use to connect. The company does not run its own chip factories; contract foundries make its chips, which it sells to makers of phones, PCs, cars, and connected devices. Device makers also pay Qualcomm royalties for using its patented technology, which forms a second business alongside chip sales. Qualcomm was founded in 1985 and is based in San Diego, California.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

San Diego, California

Founded

1985

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

Cars are a second engine: automotive chip revenue rose 61% to $1.59 billion in the June 2026 quarter.
Pays for learning: Qualcomm funds tuition assistance and apprenticeships and sells staff discounted shares through a stock purchase plan.
Profits support stability: Qualcomm earned $2.21 non-GAAP per share in the June 2026 quarter despite a 4% sales dip.

What critics are saying

Apple is walking away: Qualcomm expects Apple revenue to fall about 50% from the September to December 2026 quarter.
Data-center deals start thin: in July 2026, management said custom chips will cut chip gross margin 1.5 to 2 points.
Cuts keep trickling: Qualcomm filed WARN notices in April 2026 covering 144 layoffs, including 68 in San Diego.

What makes Qualcomm unique

Phones are only part of it: handsets were $5.09 billion of $8.50 billion chip revenue in fiscal Q3 2026.
Cloud giants buy its custom chips: two hyperscaler design wins start producing revenue in the December 2026 quarter.
It owns an AI software layer: Qualcomm completed its Modular acquisition in July 2026 for open generative AI software.

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Benefits

Premium-free health coverage
Onsite health & fitness centers
Retirement programs
Disability & life insurance programs
Tuition reimbursement
Product discounts
Flexible time off
Parental leave

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

1 year growth

2 year growth

Yahoo Finance

Oct 27th, 2026

January bonus for 2026 work won't count against $25,560 Social Security earnings limit

Qualcomm chief executive Cristiano Amon told staff the chipmaker will cut jobs worldwide in a "performance-focused reduction" after annual employee reviews, Reuters reported on October 20, 2026, citing an internal memo. Notifications begin in November, and the number of layoffs is unclear. Laid-off workers who start Social Security in January 2027 may worry that final pay will count against the $25,560 earnings limit. Social Security counts wages when the work was done, so bonuses, vacation pay and possibly severance for 2026 work shouldn't count toward 2027. A 2027 W-2 may still list that money, so retirees should get an itemised breakdown from payroll and tell Social Security which payments cover 2026. Above the limit, Social Security withholds $1 for every $2 earned, but it credits withheld months once full retirement age is reached.

Bloomberg

Oct 27th, 2026

Anduril and Qualcomm to build BlueChip laptops designed and assembled in the US

Anduril Industries and Qualcomm are producing laptops designed and assembled in the US, called BlueChip. The computers are meant to supply critical industries through a US-based supply chain.

Yahoo Finance

Oct 23rd, 2026

Qualcomm targets $15B data center sales by fiscal 2029 as handset revenue falls

Qualcomm is entering the data center chip market, with first revenue expected in the December quarter. The company says it has secured two custom chip customers, both global-scale hyperscalers, holds purchase orders from both, and has started making the wafers. Management targets data center revenue of $5 billion in fiscal 2027 and $15 billion in fiscal 2029. These are targets, not results. It closed its acquisition of Modular Inc. on July 29, 2026, to add data center software. The stock returned 4.5% over the past year, against 15.1% for the S&P 500. Revenue fell 4.0% in fiscal Q3 2026, and gross margin dropped to 53.1% from 55.6% a year earlier, as higher memory prices weighed.

CNBC

Oct 23rd, 2026

Indonesia's wealth fund steps in as stocks slide; Qualcomm plans layoffs, Lindt CEO exits

Indonesian stocks saw another round of panic selling this week after reports that index provider MSCI is considering downgrading the country's market status. Danantara, Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, stepped in to stabilise the market. Its chief executive officer, Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, has called sharp pullbacks long-term buying opportunities. Qualcomm plans a new round of global layoffs, with figures undisclosed. Chief executive officer Cristiano Amon said in an internal memo that the cuts aim to build a stronger performance culture. Its shares have lagged the broader market this year. Lindt chief executive officer Adalbert Lechner stepped down on Monday after nearly 33 years at the company. His predecessor returns on an interim basis. Lindt raised prices about 16% in the first half to offset higher cocoa costs, then cut its full-year guidance twice as consumers pulled back.

Design & Reuse

Oct 22nd, 2026

Qualcomm buys RISC-V startup Akeana to push into AI and data-center chips.

Qualcomm buys RISC-V startup Akeana to push into AI and data-center chips. October 22, 2026 - By dealroom.co What's the deal? Qualcomm has acquired Akeana, a US semiconductor startup that designs processors using the open-source RISC-V architecture. Terms were undisclosed. The deal brings Akeana's technology and engineering team into Qualcomm to expand its push in AI and data centers. Who's Akeana? Founded in 2021 by engineers who previously built server processors at Marvell, the startup raised more than $100 million in August 2024 from investors including Kleiner Perkins, Mayfield, and Fidelity. Its RISC-V designs let companies customise processors for AI systems, computers, and data centers.

Qualcomm

Principal System Lead - Multiple Teams

About the job