Principal Engineer - Scale Out Networking & Systems Architecture

Company:
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering

General Summary:

Qualcomm is seeking a Principal Engineer to serve as the technical authority for scale-out networking in next-generation AI accelerator platforms. This role owns the architecture, implementation, and partner alignment of multi-server scale-out systems , spanning NICs, firmware, Linux kernel drivers, user-space libraries, and runtime integration .

Unlike traditional NIC-centric roles, this position focuses on end-to-end scale-out system design , including RoCE-based transports , UAL , and ESUN , with responsibility across hardware, firmware, and host software layers.

Key Responsibilities

End-to-End Scale-Out Architecture

• Act as principal technical owner for multi-server scale-out networking architecture
• Define and evolve RoCE-based RDMA data paths for AI inference and distributed workloads
• Drive system-level tradeoffs across:
  • NICs and switches
  • PCIe and DMA paths
  • Firmware, Linux kernel drivers, and user-space libraries

Firmware, Driver, and Host Software Leadership

• Architect and review:
  • RoCE / RDMA kernel drivers
  • Firmware interfaces enabling peer-to-peer and zero-copy transfers
  • User-space transport abstractions (e.g., UAL, ESUN)
• Debug and optimize performance across:
  • Firmware → driver → user space
  • Latency, congestion, ordering, and buffer management
• Influence upstream or ecosystem-level designs where appropriate

Partner & Ecosystem Engagement

• Serve as Qualcomm's principal technical interface with:
  • NIC vendors and switch vendors
  • Silicon and platform partners
• Lead deep technical design-ins, architecture reviews, and production escalations
• Translate partner and field learnings into platform and firmware roadmaps

Execution & Technical Influence

• Drive complex cross-org efforts from concept to production enablement
• Identify architectural risks early and lead mitigation
• Mentor senior engineers through design and architecture reviews

Required Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience
• 10-15+ years experience in system software, networking, or platform engineering
• Proven experience building scale-out server or cluster architectures
• Strong hands-on experience with:
  • Linux kernel networking and drivers
  • RDMA / RoCE stacks (kernel and user space)
  • Firmware-software interfaces
• Excellent systems-level debugging skills across HW/FW/OS boundaries

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with:
  • libibverbs, RDMA core, RoCE drivers, and firmware
  • UAL, ESUN, or similar transport/runtime abstractions
• Background in AI, HPC, or accelerator-based platforms
• Experience enabling multi-server inference or disaggregated serving
• Strong C/C++ systems programming background (x86 and ARM64)

Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 8+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 7+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• 4+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.

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Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits :
$192,600.00 - $289,000.00

The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer - and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.

If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.