Embedded NPU Software Engineer, Senior
$133,900 - $200,900 USD yearly
Originally posted 13 September 2026 by the employer.
Develop embedded platform software for CPU, DSP, and NPU processors in the Snapdragon SoC portfolio.
About the role
As a Senior Software Engineer, you will design, develop, create, modify, and validate embedded software for CPU, DSP, and NPU processors in the Snapdragon SoC portfolio.
What you'll do
- Design and develop multi-processor multimedia and AI frameworks that span across CPU, DSP, and NPU.
- Develop high-performance drivers and runtime libraries to unlock the full potential of specialized DSP and AI hardware.
- Profile and optimize system performance, applying knowledge of advanced DSP architecture and microarchitecture-level optimizations to achieve low latency and low power.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams (hardware, tools, and firmware) to evaluate design trade-offs and incorporate custom instructions or features that improve performance.
- Integrate and test software on target devices; working closely with global teams and occasionally with OEM customers and partners to support commercialization.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience OR Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 1+ year of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience OR PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field.
- 2+ years of experience with high-performance microprocessor design.
- Solid foundation in embedded software, operating systems, and drivers.
- Deep understanding of high-performance processor architecture (multi-core, multi-threading, caching, etc.).
- Significant experience in C/C programming.
- Experience with real-time operating systems.
- Experience with driver development.
- Experience with computer architecture.
- Experience optimizing software on resource-constrained platforms.
Nice to have
- Experience with PCIe or Windows MCDM/WDDM driver stacks.
Skills: embedded platform software, CPU, DSP, NPU, drivers, AI inference
This role has been open 31 days — well below the 54-day median for Embedded Firmware Engineering roles.
Embedded Firmware Engineering · Mixed Signal DSP
|
Open roles in category
26
|
Median days open
54 d
|
Median salary
—
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Qualcomm | All employers we track in this specialty (26 roles · 13 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 7 | 26 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 715 | 6147 · 145 employers |
| Median days open | 27 d | 54 d (−27 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | — |
Skills observed across this category: embedded platform software, CPU, DSP, NPU, drivers, AI inference
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm (this employer) · 7 open roles · median 27 d
- Silicon Labs · 4 open roles · median 29 d
- NXP Semiconductors · 3 open roles · median 29 d
- Cirrus Logic · 2 open roles · median 26 d
- Renesas Electronics · 2 open roles · median 65 d
- Ambiq Micro · 1 open role · median 84 d
How we counted: 26 open Embedded Firmware Engineering (Mixed Signal DSP) roles from 13 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 15 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.