Staff Systems Engineer

Principal Robotics Slam And Positioning LeadQualcomm's Advanced Robotics team is building a production-grade, AI-first robotics software platform that scales from AMRs and industrial robots to next-generation humanoids. By pairing heterogeneous compute (CPU/GPU/DSP/NPU) with robust middleware, safety architecture, and cloud integration, we enable customers to deploy intelligent, reliable, and scalable robotic systems across industries.Localization, mapping, and positioning are foundational to this vision—serving as the backbone for autonomy, navigation, manipulation, fleet operations, and system safety.As Principal Robotics Slam And Positioning Lead, you will be the technical owner and architect for Qualcomm's core localization and mapping services. You will define, build, and evolve a modular, service-oriented Slam and state estimation stack that operates reliably across diverse robots, sensors, environments, and deployment scales.This role requires deep hands-on expertise in Slam, sensor fusion, calibration, and system observability, combined with strong architectural judgment and cross-team leadership. You will work closely with robotics middleware, perception, controls, hardware, simulation, and cloud teams to deliver production-ready capabilities that customers can deploy confidently at scale.Key ResponsibilitiesTechnical Ownership & ArchitectureOwn the end-to-end architecture for Qualcomm's Slam and positioning services, defining clear service boundaries, APIs, data contracts, and performance envelopes.Drive the transition from algorithm prototypes to robust, production-grade services suitable for long-running robotic deployments.Establish design principles for determinism, observability, recoverability, and scalability across on-device and fleet deployments.Core Services DevelopmentCalibration ServiceOnline and offline calibration for cameras, IMUs, LiDARs, and other sensorsTemporal, intrinsic, extrinsic, and drift calibration with validation and health metricsState Estimation / Fusion ServiceReal-time multi-sensor fusion (VIO/VSLAM/Lidar-inertial/GNSS where applicable)Factor-graph or filter-based estimation with bounded latency and fault toleranceLocalization ServiceHigh-accuracy localization against local and global mapsSupport for multi-session, multi-map, and multi-floor environmentsSlam & Map Management ServiceConsistent map generation, update, merging, and lifecycle managementInterfaces for map versioning, distribution, and cloud-assisted workflowsRe-localization & Recovery ServiceRobust handling of tracking loss, kidnaps, sensor dropouts, and degraded conditionsFast recovery paths with confidence estimation and system signalingDiagnostics & Health MonitoringContinuous monitoring of localization quality, drift, observability, and sensor healthExposed metrics, logs, and alerts for fleet-scale operations and debuggingCross-Functional LeadershipPartner with robotics middleware, controls, perception, and hardware teams to ensure seamless integration with navigation, planning, and manipulation stacks.Collaborate with simulation and validation teams to define regression suites, KPIs, and benchmarking methodologies.Influence product roadmaps by translating customer requirements and field learnings into architectural decisions.Quality, Performance & DeliveryEstablish Slam KPIs for accuracy, robustness, latency, and recovery behavior across platforms.Drive CI/CD practices, test automation, and release readiness criteria for localization services.Optimize algorithms and pipelines for Qualcomm SoCs using heterogeneous compute efficiently.Minimum Qualifications:Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience. OR Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience. OR PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience. *Works in the lab, can use hazardous chemicals (e.g., glue, machinery).Preferred Qualifications:8+ years of experience developing Slam, localization, or state estimation systems for real-world robotic or autonomous platforms.Strong proficiency in C++ with production-grade software engineering practices.Deep understanding of multi-sensor fusion, calibration, and probabilistic estimation.Experience delivering systems that run continuously on real robots, not just in research prototypes.Experience with service-oriented or middleware-centric robotics architectures (e.g., ROS2/DDS-based systems).Familiarity with map lifecycle management, fleet-scale localization, or cloud-assisted robotics workflows.Background in diagnostics, observability, or health monitoring for safety-critical systems.Experience optimizing robotics workloads on embedded or heterogeneous compute platforms.Track record of technical leadership influencing architecture across multiple teams.Why You'll Love This RoleOwn one of the most critical technical pillars of Qualcomm's robotics platform.Work on challenging, real-world autonomy problems at scale.Influence how Slam and positioning are productized for the next generation of robots.Collaborate with experts across AI, systems, silicon, and robotics.Competitive compensation, growth opportunities, and the chance to shape the future of physical AI.