Embedded Real Time Operating System Software Staff Engineer (QuRT OS, Zephyr)

* Design, implement, and maintain RTOS and low-level system software components

* Own and drive resolution of complex, system-level issues (performance, stability, correctness)

* Lead feature design and implementation from problem definition through deployment

* Analyze crash dumps, traces, and logs to perform deep root-cause analysis

* Collaborate closely with hardware, systems, validation, and software teams to converge on robust solutions

* Participate actively in design and code reviews, influencing technical direction and standards

You'll be expected to take ownership of technical areas, make sound tradeoffs, and help raise the quality and effectiveness of the team through example and technical leadership.

QuRT OS is Qualcomm's real-time operating system optimized for the Hexagon DSP, enabling high-performance, low-power workloads including edge AI, 5G modem processing, and secure audio and sensor pipelines.

* Drive enhancements to expose the full capability of the Hexagon processor architecture

* Design and implement new RTOS features with attention to correctness, performance, and long-term maintainability

* Own features end-to-end: requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, documentation, integration, and support

* Contribute to improving CI, automation, and test infrastructure to scale development and validation

The team is also responsible for deploying Zephyr RTOS across multiple Qualcomm SoC subsystems. We specialize in maintaining a single, scalable Zephyr codebase that supports multiple architectures and subsystems with differing requirements.

* Design and implement subsystem customizations and new features

* Influence internal practices to align with upstream-friendly workflows and quality standards

* Help shape CI, testing, and validation approaches used across products

Staff Engineers at Qualcomm are expected to be force multipliers, not just individual contributors.

* Thoughtfully applying modern development tools, including AI-assisted tools, where they meaningfully improve productivity, code quality, or comprehension

* Leveraging non-AI tools-automation, scripting, CI, debuggers, profilers, and simulation-to reduce friction and improve signal

* Exercising strong engineering judgment about when to use automation and when deeper hands-on investigation is required

* Identifying opportunities to improve how the team works, not just what gets built

You are not expected to be an AI expert, but you are expected to be tool-fluent, curious, and pragmatic.

* Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field

* Strong hands-on experience with RTOS concepts and low-level system software

* Professional experience developing embedded software in C/C++ (assembly experience a plus)

* Solid understanding of RTOS fundamentals such as scheduling, interrupts, synchronization, and memory management

* Experience debugging complex system issues using logs, traces, crash dumps, and/or hardware debuggers

* Ability to work effectively across teams and communicate technical ideas clearly

* Experience with QuRT, Zephyr, FreeRTOS, or other commercial/open-source RTOSes

* Exposure to multi-core SoC architectures and DSP-based systems

* Experience with embedded security or safety-critical software (ASPICE, ISO-26262, ISO-21434)

This team works at the foundation of Qualcomm platforms, building RTOS software that runs across a wide range of products and market segments. As a Staff Engineer on this team, you'll work close to the hardware, tackle technically challenging problems, and influence both system design and engineering practices.

The team values analytical thinking, collaboration, clear communication, and continuous improvement. Staff Engineers are expected to lead through technical expertise-mentoring others, shaping design decisions, and helping the team deliver higher-quality software at scale-while still staying hands-on with the code.

- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 3+ years of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.

PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.

- 2+ years of experience with high-performance microprocessor design.