Staff Embedded NPU Software Engineer

Stack

Responsibilities

• ▹Architect and design NPU software frameworks, runtime libraries, and system drivers for compute and AI acceleration
• ▹Lead development of complex NPU features and ensure system-level integration across CPU/DSP/NPU subsystems
• ▹Optimize software using advanced NPU architecture techniques (SIMD, multi-threading, memory hierarchy)
• ▹Collaborate with hardware, systems, and product teams to align software design with platform goals
• ▹Mentor engineers, conduct design/code reviews, and contribute to technical strategy
• ▹Drive debugging and profiling across the NPU stack to meet performance, power, and reliability targets
• ▹Occasional offsite and onsite work with OEMs and independent software vendors

Requirements

• ▹Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field plus 4+ years of software engineering experience (or Master's +3 years, or PhD +2 years)
• ▹2+ years of experience with a programming language such as C, C++, Java, or Python

Nice to have

• ▹Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• ▹8+ years of embedded software development experience
• ▹Deep expertise in NPU programming, computer architecture, and real-time operating systems
• ▹Proven experience leading technical projects or owning system-level software components
• ▹Strong C/C++ skills and familiarity with debugging tools (Trace32, JTAG)
• ▹Experience with Qualcomm Hexagon DSP and SDK frameworks
• ▹Familiarity with multimedia frameworks (Android, Linux, Windows) and AI acceleration pipelines
• ▹Exposure to machine learning, computer vision, or signal processing workloads
• ▹Strong understanding of inter-processor communication and concurrency management
• ▹Ability to mentor engineers and influence technical direction

Soft skills

What we offer

• ▹Competitive pay: $134,800–$202,200 annually (range varies by location)
• ▹Annual discretionary bonus program
• ▹Annual RSU grant opportunity
• ▹Broad benefits package

About the company

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is the semiconductor company behind the Snapdragon SoC portfolio; its NPU Platform Software team builds embedded AI and multimedia software for mobile, automotive, compute, and XR platforms.