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Embedded NPU Software Engineer, Senior Staff

Markham, Ontario, CanadaOnsiteFull TimeSeniorPosted 1 month ago

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Role summary

Qualcomm is seeking a Senior Staff Embedded NPU Software Engineer to architect and develop embedded platform software for CPU, DSP, and NPU processors within their Snapdragon SoC portfolio. This role requires a strong foundation in embedded software, operating systems, drivers, and computer architecture, with a focus on optimizing software for complex multimedia and machine learning use cases on resource-constrained platforms. Responsibilities include designing multi-processor frameworks, developing high-performance drivers, profiling system performance, and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Company
Qualcomm Canada ULC
Job Area
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering
General Summary
As a leading technology innovator, Qualcomm pushes the boundaries of what's possible to enable next-generation experiences and drives digital transformation to help create a smarter, connected future for all. As a Qualcomm Software Engineer, you will design, develop, create, modify, and validate embedded and cloud edge software, applications, and/or specialized utility programs that launch cutting-edge, world class products that meet and exceed customer needs. Qualcomm Software Engineers collaborate with systems, hardware, architecture, test engineers, and other teams to design system-level software solutions and obtain information on performance requirements and interfaces.
Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.

OR
Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.

  • 3+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.

Qualcomm is looking for a Senior Staff Software Engineer to architect and develop embedded platform software for CPU, DSP, and NPU processors (and associated AI engines) in our Snapdragon SoC portfolio. In this role, you will utilize your solid foundation in embedded software, operating systems, and drivers – along with a deep understanding of high-performance processor architecture (multi-core, multi-threading, caching, etc.) – to deploy and optimize platform software for complex multimedia and machine learning use cases running on our SoCs. The ideal candidate has significant experience in C/C++ programming, real-time operating systems, driver development, and computer architecture, and has successfully optimized software on resource-constrained platforms.
Responsibilities
As part of the NPU Platform Software team, you will work on software at all levels of the stack that enables NPU acceleration for AI inference, computer vision, video/audio processing, and more. Key responsibilities include:

  • Architecting, designing, and developing multi-processor multimedia and AI frameworks that span across CPU, DSP, and NPU.
  • Developing high-performance drivers and runtime libraries to unlock the full potential of specialized NPU and AI hardware.
  • Profiling and optimizing system performance, applying knowledge of advanced NPU architecture and microarchitecture-level optimizations to achieve low latency and low power.
  • Collaborating with cross-functional teams (hardware, tools, and firmware) to evaluate design trade-offs and incorporate custom instructions or features that improve performance.
  • Integrating and testing software on target devices; working closely with global teams and occasionally with OEM customers and partners to support commercialization.

Applicants
: 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 disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com 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).
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.
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.
If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.

Sample Qualcomm interview questions

  • 1

    Design a system for storing and serving images/videos.

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  • 2

    Optimal Meeting Point Calculate the optimal meeting point for multiple people on a 2D grid. Input: grid = [[1,0],[0,1]] Output: 2 Explanation: The optimal meeting point is either (0,1) or (1,0), requiring exactly 1 step from each person resulting in a total distance of 2.

    technicalmedium
  • 3

    Rotate a linked list to the right by k places. Given the head of a linked list, rotate the list to the right by k places. Input: head = [0,1,2], k = 4 Output: [2,0,1] Explanation: The list has a length of 3. Rotating by 4 is mathematically equivalent to rotating by 1 (4 mod 3 = 1).

    codingmedium
  • 4

    Find all unique combinations in an array that sum to a target.

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  • 5

    Encode and Decode Strings Encode a list of strings into a single string and decode it back. Input: strs = ["","hello",""] Output: ["","hello",""] Explanation: Prepends chunk lengths and a delimiter (e.g., "0#5#hello0#") to safely encode and perfectly restore empty strings.

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