Company: 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 8+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
Master’s degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 7+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
Ph D 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.
Firmware Engineer, Principal The Embedded Software / Firmware Team at Qualcomm develops critical embedded software that powers high‑performance multi‑standard Serializer/Deserializer (Ser Des) PHY IP used in next‑generation data center, AI/ML, automotive, and compute applications. Our Ser Des IPs support standards such as PCIe, Ethernet, CXL, and are integrated into So Cs and ASICs built by leading semiconductor companies around the world.
The firmware team owns the full embedded software stack that controls the Ser Des hardware,



including low‑level embedded firmware, customer‑facing C SDKs, demo & automation scripts, and interactive tools. As a key enabler of silicon bring‑up, validation, and production deployment, we work closely with hardware, systems, DV, validation, and application teams across the product lifecycle—from early development to high‑volume manufacturing. Replacement Position.
What You Can Expect Core responsibilities for the firmware team include:
Embedded firmware running on RISC‑V‑based controllers that manage Qualcomm’s advanced Ser Des datapaths
Python and C SDKs provided to customers for Ser Des bring‑up, calibration, tuning, and diagnostics
Python‑based lab tools and GUIs for interactive debug, register access, and validation
Build, regression, and CI infrastructure to ensure code quality and full coverage
You’ll play a key leadership role in delivering robust, production‑quality firmware for Ser Des PHY IP. You’ll help define architecture, drive features end‑to‑end, coordinate across cross‑functional teams, and directly influence the design and usability of Qualcomm's IP.
In this position, you will be: Technical or project lead for Ser Des firmware on a major IP program, working with a team (2–8 engineers) through planning, development, validation, and customer delivery
Architecting and implementing embedded C/C++ firmware for hardware calibration, training algorithms,



DSP adaptations, and link state management
Debugging complex lab and field issues in conjunction with hardware, applications, and validation teams
Driving and collaborating across functions to define FW milestones, plan sprints, close tickets, and ensure delivery of reliable and high‑quality features
Translating protocol specifications (e.g. PCIe, Ethernet, CXL) or custom system‑level requirements into internal firmware architecture and documentation
Supporting development and silicon bring‑up across Qualcomm teams and other sites
Example Problems You’ll Solve Mentoring a junior engineer through a hard‑to‑reproduce PHY calibration bug seen in customer silicon
Developing architecture and state machines to handle multi‑lane synchronization or adaptive equalization across energetic conditions
Porting a high‑level MATLAB or Python Ser Des calibration algorithm to optimized fixed‑point firmware
Creating a Ser Des diagnostics framework accessible via both SDK and GUI
Using simulation environments and FPGA emulation to validate FW behavior before tapeout
Working with IP hardware architects to influence future revisions based on field debug learnings
What You’ll Do BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
7+ years of experience in embedded C/C++ firmware development for hardware IP or So Cs
Technical or team leadership experience in embedded software projects from spec to production
Deep understanding of microcontroller architecture (RISC‑V a plus), memory‑mapped registers, ISRs, and boot flows
Strong lab debug skills, working directly on silicon with scopes, analyzers, and custom tools
Familiarity with git and modern software developm

📌 Firmware engineer, principal toronto, ontario, canada software engineering flexible location posted
🏢 Qualcomm
📍 Toronto