Senior Staff Software Engineer
$169,800 - $254,600 USD yearly
Originally posted 8 October 2026 by the employer.
About the role
What you'll do
- Develop and enhance features in the Linux Kernel, particularly in areas such as virtualization (KVM), scheduling, and memory management (IOMMU).
- Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to ensure the successful delivery of high-performance, scalable software solutions.
- Debug and resolve complex software issues using tools like JTAG debuggers.
- Contribute to upstream open-source projects, including the Linux Kernel.
- Drive improvements in system software for ARMv8 and ARMv9 based platforms.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience; OR Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience; OR PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
- 3+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python.
- Strong debugging skills and practical experience with ARM based platforms.
- Solid understanding of computer system architecture (core, cache, memory models, bus architecture).
- Experience in Board and SOC bringup, Device drivers, peripheral buses (SPI, I2C, USB), Memory controllers for DDR.
Nice to have
- Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, with 4 years of software development experience, or equivalent.
- Strong experience in Linux Kernel development, especially in areas such as virtualization (KVM), schedulers, memory management, and device trees.
- Solid knowledge of ARMv8 and ARMv9 architecture and its extensions.
- Familiarity with tools like SCM tools (e.g., GIT) and debugging technologies like JTAG debuggers.
- Prior contributions to open-source projects (e.g., Linux Kernel).
- Proficiency in using tools and frameworks for system and software performance management.
- Hands-on experience with software development methodologies for Embedded Systems.
Skills: Linux Kernel, virtualization (KVM), memory management, ARMv8/ARMv9 architecture, JTAG debuggers
This role has been open 1 day — well below the 58-day median for Systems Software Engineering roles.
Systems Software Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
679
|
Median days open
58 d
|
Median salary
$213k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Qualcomm | All employers we track in this specialty (679 roles · 73 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 168 | 679 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 720 | 6057 · 146 employers |
| Median days open | 74 d | 58 d (+16 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $213k |
Skills observed across this category: Linux Kernel, virtualization (KVM), memory management, ARMv8/ARMv9 architecture, JTAG debuggers
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm (this employer) · 168 open roles · median 73 d
- NVIDIA · 127 open roles · median 51 d
- AMD · 61 open roles · median 49 d
- Mobileye · 29 open roles · median 72 d
- Broadcom · 22 open roles · median 44 d
- Arm Holdings · 20 open roles · median 106 d
How we counted: 679 open Systems Software Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 73 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 9 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.