Qualcomm

Qualcomm

Designs, manufactures, and licenses wireless semiconductors

Firmware Development Intern - PAL

Summer 2027Posted on 9/23/2026
CA$26.25 - CA$49.69/hr

+ Bonus + RSU grants + Housing stipend

Internship
Bachelor's
Markham, ON, Canada
In Person

About the job

Requirements
  • Excellent programming skills in C and Python.
  • Sound knowledge of embedded development and real-time operating system concepts.
  • Ability to debug, identify root causes, and resolve firmware issues spanning multiple subsystems in a system-on-chip, with the ability to own problems through resolution.
  • Solid understanding of computer architecture and microarchitecture concepts.
  • Basic understanding of microcontroller and microprocessor programming.
  • Currently studying toward a bachelor's degree in Engineering Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Computer Science, or a related field.
  • Expected graduation date of November 2028 or later.
  • For a 16-month internship, availability from May or June 2027 through August or September 2028.
Responsibilities
  • Develop and debug firmware for CPU power, performance, and limits management.
  • Perform firmware verification and support performance-management profiling and debugging-tool development for next-generation system-on-chips.
  • Apply DevOps principles, best practices, and tools when serving as a DevOps resource.
  • Bring up new hardware platforms and help debug platform, board, and software issues as a LabOps resource.
Desired Qualifications
  • Academic experience with industry-standard architecture or system specifications, system-on-chip design, and microcontroller firmware development.
  • Experience with JTAG, debugging, GitLab, and Jira.

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

  • Automotive revenue hit $1.6 billion in Q3 FY26; exit run-rate targets $7 billion.
  • June 2026 Investor Day launched Dragonfly AI200, AI250, and AI300 for 2027-2028.
  • Two custom-silicon hyperscaler engagements start revenue in December 2026, validating data-center diversification.

What critics are saying

  • Apple is building custom radio chips, crushing Qualcomm modem dependence by 2027.
  • Q3 FY26 handset revenue fell 20%; China Android demand stays below end-consumer demand.
  • 2nm wafers and $300-plus Extreme Gen 6 pricing squeeze OEM adoption in 2027.

What makes Qualcomm unique

  • September 2026 Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 uses TSMC 2nm for offline 30B-token AI.
  • Qualcomm’s licensing moat survived the February 2026 UK royalties withdrawal without payment.
  • Dragonwing and PickNik’s MoveIt create a rare chips-to-robots physical-AI stack.

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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

Headcount

6 month growth

2%

1 year growth

1%

2 year growth

0%
Yahoo Finance
Sep 23rd, 2026
Qualcomm unveils two new Snapdragon chips targeting on-device agentic AI for smartphones

Qualcomm has unveiled two new smartphone chips designed for agentic AI: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. These chips will feature in premium Android smartphones and focus on on-device AI capabilities. The chips are part of a broader industry push towards on-device AI processing, alongside efforts from Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and Apple. This approach allows users to run AI models locally on their devices rather than relying on cloud services, offering greater privacy and eliminating the need for cloud subscriptions. Qualcomm emphasises the importance of robust CPU, GPU, and neural processing cores for running AI agents effectively. The company previously introduced similar technology in its PC chips for Windows laptops.

MarketScreener
Sep 23rd, 2026
Qualcomm to acquire PickNik Robotics to advance open-source physical AI ecosystem

Qualcomm Technologies has announced an agreement to acquire PickNik, a robotics software company and steward of MoveIt, one of the world's most widely adopted open-source robotics manipulation frameworks. The acquisition aims to strengthen Qualcomm's commitment to fostering an open robotics ecosystem. MoveIt will remain open-source and is expected to offer streamlined integration with Qualcomm's Dragonwing robotics platforms and Arduino platforms. This integration is designed to enable developers to more easily leverage edge AI and heterogeneous computing for building intelligent robots. Qualcomm intends to continue supporting MoveIt across third-party hardware platforms whilst maintaining its community-driven development approach. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

Tech in Asia
Sep 23rd, 2026
Qualcomm unveils 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 AI chip for premium Android phones

Qualcomm unveiled its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips on 22 September for premium Android phones. The chips are built on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s 2-nanometer process and optimised for on-device AI. The chips combine a central processing unit, graphics processing unit, and neural processing unit. Qualcomm said the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 can run models with 30 billion parameters and includes security controls for agentic access to sensitive data. The chips will appear in premium smartphones from Motorola, Xiaomi, and ZTE. The launch comes as phone brands increasingly rely on higher-priced models during a market downturn. Counterpoint forecasts smartphone shipments will fall 14% in 2026 and another 1% in 2027.

Bloomberg
Sep 22nd, 2026
Qualcomm unveils two flagship mobile platforms at Snapdragon Summit, shares rise 2%

Qualcomm shares rose 2% as the company opened its Snapdragon Summit and unveiled two new flagship mobile platforms. CFO Akash Palkhiwala said the event focused on bringing Qualcomm's technology into hundreds of millions of devices over the next few years, with a major emphasis on "agentic AI." The announcement came during the company's annual Snapdragon Summit, where Qualcomm traditionally showcases its latest mobile processors and technologies. The new platforms are designed to expand Qualcomm's reach across the mobile device market whilst integrating advanced artificial intelligence capabilities.

CNBC
Sep 22nd, 2026
Qualcomm launches AI-focused Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip as memory costs drive 14% smartphone market decline

Qualcomm unveiled its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipsets for Android phones, designed for on-device artificial intelligence processing. The chips, built on a 2-nanometer manufacturing process, will feature in premium smartphones from Motorola, Xiaomi, and ZTE. The launch occurs as the smartphone industry faces a contraction, with the market expected to shrink 14% in 2026 due to rising memory costs. Qualcomm is positioning devices with its high-end chips as "AI hubs" capable of processing AI models without cloud reliance. The chipsets include a CPU, GPU, and neural processing unit for AI workloads. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon described a shift from "phone-centric" to "agentic-centric" models. The Extreme version can run models with 30 billion parameters.