Staff Software Engineer - Camera
$148,300 - $222,500 USD yearly
Originally posted 28 September 2026 by the employer.
This role focuses on designing and developing Windows camera drivers and imaging solutions on Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms.
About the role
This role is responsible for the design, development, integration, optimization, and commercialization of Windows camera drivers and imaging solutions. You will work across the Windows camera stack, including kernel-mode and user-mode drivers, camera frameworks, image signal processing (ISP), and AI-enhanced camera features on Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms.
What you'll do
- Design and develop Windows camera drivers and camera framework components.
- Lead camera sensor bring-up and hardware integration activities.
- Debug complex system, driver, firmware, and hardware issues across the camera stack.
- Collaborate with camera hardware, silicon, ISP, and system software teams.
- Drive camera feature enablement and performance optimization.
- Support WHCP certification and product commercialization activities.
What you'll need
- Strong proficiency in C/C++ software development.
- 5 years of experience developing Windows device drivers.
- Extensive experience with Windows kernel-mode and user-mode development.
- Strong understanding of WDF technologies including KMDF and UMDF.
- Experience with Windows camera technologies: AVStream, Media Foundation, Device MFT, Camera Frame Server, Windows Camera Pipeline.
- Experience with debugging tools such as: WinDbg, WPA/WPR, Visual Studio, ETW tracing.
- Experience with camera hardware interfaces: MIPI CSI-2, CCI/I2C, SPI, GPIO, Interrupt handling.
- Experience with camera sensor bring-up, validation, and debugging.
- Understanding of ACPI and UEFI firmware interactions with Windows devices.
- Proficiency with source control systems such as Git and Perforce.
Nice to have
- Experience developing camera drivers for Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms.
- Knowledge of image processing and camera tuning concepts including: Auto Exposure (AE), Auto Focus (AF), Auto White Balance (AWB), HDR, Low-light imaging.
- Experience with ISP architecture and imaging pipelines.
- Knowledge of Windows Hello camera requirements and certification.
- Experience supporting OEM commercialization efforts and product launches.
- Familiarity with WHCP certification and Windows hardware requirements.
- Experience working directly with Microsoft, camera sensor vendors, or OEM customers.
- Understanding of AI/ML-based camera features such as: Background blur, Auto framing, Eye contact correction, Image enhancement.
Skills: Windows camera stack, kernel-mode drivers, user-mode drivers, camera sensor bring-up, WDF technologies
This role has been open 12 days — well below the 59-day median for Systems Software Engineering roles.
Systems Software Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
683
|
Median days open
59 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 (683 roles · 73 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 165 | 683 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 714 | 6035 · 146 employers |
| Median days open | 75 d | 59 d (+16 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $213k |
Skills observed across this category: Windows camera stack, kernel-mode drivers, user-mode drivers, camera sensor bring-up, WDF technologies
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm (this employer) · 169 open roles · median 74 d
- NVIDIA · 128 open roles · median 51 d
- AMD · 59 open roles · median 50 d
- Mobileye · 29 open roles · median 73 d
- Broadcom · 22 open roles · median 45 d
- Arm Holdings · 20 open roles · median 107 d
How we counted: 683 open Systems Software Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 73 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 10 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.