Qualcomm
Designs, manufactures, and licenses wireless semiconductors
Principal Software Engineer - Windows Platform, Software Engineering
+ Annual discretionary bonus + Annual RSU grants
About the job
- A Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field and 8+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience; or a Master's degree in those fields and 7+ years; or a PhD in those fields and 6+ years.
- At least 4 years of work experience with programming languages such as C, C++, Java, or Python.
- Provide technical leadership for Windows platform development activities related to the Snapdragon Windows Platform/System on Chip.
- Lead Windows development for complex features and subsystems to meet Windows on Snapdragon product requirements, including technical and architecture enhancements involving Windows drivers, hypervisor and virtualization, security, memory, storage, buses, peripherals, power, and thermals.
- Lead Windows Platform initiatives involving System BIOS, UEFI, ACPI, drivers, applications, loose-leaf driver architecture, operating-system compatibility, and enterprise security features across the full software development life cycle.
- Identify and mitigate technical risks to ensure robust security and compliance.
- Act as a technical expert on personal-computer industry trends, competitors' products, and advances in engineering fields, and share expertise across teams.
- Contribute to short- and long-term strategic product and technology roadmap discussions by identifying trends and defining future solutions.
- Independently research and work cross-functionally to define requirements and develop hands-on prototypes.
- Serve as a technical expert in developing solutions, participate in design reviews, and recommend improvements aligned with business goals and customer needs.
- Provide hands-on guidance in software development, resolve technical challenges, and drive platform efficiency.
- Ensure high-quality software development practices and maintain high standards of technical excellence.
- Drive innovation and continuous improvement within the team, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability.
- Deep technical background in Microsoft Windows operating-system concepts, kernel, drivers, APIs, power management, performance, security, and DevOps.
- Expert experience in Microsoft Windows device-driver development, including WHQL Certification, Windows Hardware Lab Kit, Windows Update systems and processes, development frameworks, associated toolchains, and the Windows ecosystem.
- Strong knowledge of Windows system architecture across heterogeneous CPU and System on Chip architectures and personal-computer/client platforms.
- Understanding of original equipment manufacturer and original design manufacturer product-development flow and the overall personal-computer ecosystem.
- Strong experience optimizing power and performance for Windows operating systems and System on Chip hardware, firmware, and board support package enhancements.
- Expert-level programming experience with C, C++, C#, Python, and other Windows technologies.
- Experience with software security, performance tuning, system architecture, releasing, and maintenance in Windows environments.
- Strong knowledge of ARM architecture and software ecosystems.
- Extensive software-engineering experience with a proven track record leading teams through full software development life cycles.
- Strong leadership skills and demonstrated ability to execute product-oriented strategies in a highly dynamic environment.
- Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
- Minimum of 15 years of experience in software engineering.
About the company
Qualcomm designs and licenses semiconductor technologies for wireless connectivity used in mobile devices, cars, and IoT. Its products include system-on-chips and RF components, plus a large portfolio of patents that it licenses to other companies. The company combines end-to-end semiconductor design with IP licensing to serve mobile, automotive, and IoT markets. Its goal is to expand wireless technology adoption by delivering standards-based silicon solutions and monetizing its intellectual property to support ongoing connectivity innovation.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
San Diego, California
Founded
1985
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Amazon's September 8, 2026 pact targets up to $60 billion through 2036.
- Qualcomm's September 8, 2026 Dragonwing IQ-8275 Ubuntu certification strengthens industrial AI deployment.
- September 2026 Snapdragon X2 driver updates improve gaming compatibility across 22 titles.
What critics are saying
- Apple's modem exit accelerates in September 2026, cutting Qualcomm's highest-margin royalty stream.
- Amazon's custom-chip deal prices data-center growth below handset margins, pressuring 2027 profitability.
- NVIDIA, AMD, and internal hyperscaler silicon can sideline Qualcomm's fledgling data-center ambitions.
What makes Qualcomm unique
- Qualcomm owns cellular patents and modem silicon, anchoring handset licensing economics.
- Snapdragon X2 and Dragonwing pair power-efficient Arm compute with broad software certification.
- Amazon chose Qualcomm for multi-generation AI data-center silicon, validating hyperscaler-custom design.
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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
↑ 2%1 year growth
↑ 1%2 year growth
↑ 0%Qualcomm announced Tuesday that Amazon could purchase up to $60 billion of its server chips over the next decade. The companies will co-develop customised silicon for Amazon Web Services data centres, beginning with AI inference chips. This marks Qualcomm's second attempt at the server chip market. In 2017, the company launched its Centriq 2400 processor but shut down the business within a year after failing to secure volume orders. The data centre group shrank from over 1,000 employees to about 50 by late 2018. This time, Amazon's commitment includes binding purchase agreements. Qualcomm issued Amazon warrants for 25 million shares at $161.26, which vest based on executed commercial agreements and actual chip purchases capped at $60 billion through 2036.
BlueStacks, maker of the GamePop platform that streams Android games to televisions, has received $13 million in investment from Samsung. The funding reflects shared goals between the companies to expand mobile gaming experiences to other platforms. Intel, Qualcomm, Andreessen Horowitz and Redpoint also back the project, dubbed the "Netflix of games". BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma says they aim to bring popular mobile content to living rooms worldwide, noting a shift in gaming preferences among younger players. Last year, BlueStacks launched a compact "free version" of the device requiring a $7 monthly subscription. The Ouya competitor offers over 500 Android games. The original GamePop was discontinued shortly after the GamePop Mini launched.
Qualcomm has shifted its growth narrative away from laptop chips towards data centre revenue. The company nearly doubled its non-handset revenue target to $40 billion by fiscal 2029, with over $15 billion expected from data centres and more than $24 billion from automotive and IoT combined. The Snapdragon X Series for laptops, once a flagship product, now receives minimal mention in earnings calls. Instead, Qualcomm forecasts $5 billion in data centre revenue for fiscal 2027, starting with two custom silicon wins. Automotive remains a bright spot, with fiscal Q3 2026 sales reaching a record $1.6 billion, up 61% year over year. An expanded BMW partnership made Qualcomm the lead compute silicon provider for the carmaker's next-generation ADAS and digital cockpit systems.
Amazon announced a multigeneration partnership with Qualcomm to develop AI inference chips and optical networking technology capable of 1.6 terabits per second. The company's shares fell approximately 1.3% in early trading following the news. AWS generated $42.2 billion in second-quarter revenue, up 37%, with operating income reaching $16.6 billion. Amazon reported that both its chip franchise and broader AI business surpassed $25 billion in annual revenue run rates. Under the partnership, Qualcomm will help design Amazon hardware whilst using more AWS infrastructure and AI services for its own semiconductor development. AWS posted an operating margin of roughly 39.3%. The companies did not disclose pricing, purchase commitments, or a deployment timetable for the collaboration.
Qualcomm has struck a deal with Amazon to develop custom chips for AI data centres, issuing a warrant that gives Amazon the right to purchase approximately $4 billion in shares. The San Diego-based chipmaker's stock rose more than 7% in early trading following the announcement on Tuesday. The collaboration marks a significant partnership between the two companies in the AI infrastructure space. Custom chip development has become increasingly important as tech giants seek to optimise their data centre operations for artificial intelligence workloads.