$117,800 - $176,600 USD yearly
Develop real-time embedded modem software for Qualcomm's modem subsystem (MPSS) on DSP and Arm architectures.
Originally posted 5 October 2026 by the employer.
About the role
As a Modem Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and optimize real-time embedded software for Qualcomm's modem subsystem (MPSS). You will write resource-constrained C/C++ running on DSP and Arm cores across cellular protocol layers, device drivers, and RTOS-level components while integrating AI-native workflows.
What you'll do
- Design, implement, and optimize real-time embedded modem software across protocol layers, drivers, and platform services under strict latency, memory, and power constraints.
- Apply data-structure and algorithm design to build scalable firmware components through end-to-end feature delivery, architecture, implementation, and on-target bring-up.
- Integrate AI coding agents into daily workflows, establishing prompt patterns and agent rules to reduce development and debug cycle times.
- Build and maintain AI-assisted tooling for code review, static analysis, test synthesis, and automated crash and log triage.
- Debug and root-cause complex multi-layer issues on target hardware using JTAG, logic analyzers, and RAM dump analysis.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with systems, hardware, test, and integration teams to deliver production-quality modem firmware.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field with 2+ years of software engineering experience (or a Master's degree with 1+ years, or a PhD).
- 2+ years of academic or work experience with programming languages such as C, C++, Java, or Python.
Nice to have
- At least two years of experience with operating systems concepts, concurrency, interrupts, memory management, IPC, and RTOS internals such as QuRT, ThreadX, or FreeRTOS.
- Programming proficiency in modern C/C++ (C++17 and beyond), cache-aware design, and lock-free or thread-safe patterns.
- Experience with embedded software on DSP and Arm architectures, including SIMD, vectorization, DMA, and low-power design.
- Experience debugging on target hardware using JTAG, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, crash-dump or RAM-dump analysis, and log parsing.
- Familiarity with device drivers, HAL layers, boot flows, and hardware/software co-design.
- Experience with AI coding assistants and agentic tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cline, Claude/GPT-based agents) for generating, refactoring, and reviewing embedded C/C++.
- Experience applying LLMs to crash triage, log summarization, root-cause analysis, and test synthesis.
Skills: embedded, RTOS, modem firmware, C/C++, DSP
More semiconductor jobs: Qualcomm jobs · Firmware engineer jobs · San Diego jobs
First seen in our index 37 days ago, well below the 55-day median for Embedded Firmware Engineering roles.
Embedded Firmware Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
779
|
Median days since first seen
55 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$172k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Qualcomm | All employers we track in this specialty (779 roles · 90 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 122 | 779 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 738 | 6700 · 161 employers |
| Median days since first seen | 63 d | 55 d (−8 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | n/a | $172k |
Skills observed across this category: embedded, RTOS, modem firmware, C/C++, DSP
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm (this employer) · 121 open roles · median 64 d
- NVIDIA · 84 open roles · median 51 d
- AMD · 58 open roles · median 34 d
- Micron Technology · 52 open roles · median 77 d
- NXP Semiconductors · 37 open roles · median 35 d
- Lattice Semiconductor · 29 open roles · median 60 d
How we counted: 779 open Embedded Firmware Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 90 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 13 Nov 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there, and is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Days are counted from when our index first saw each posting, not from the employer's original posting date.