Staff Software Engineer, Linux Device Driver & Host SW (San Diego OR Boulder)
$121,400 - $202,200 USD yearly
Originally posted 11 August 2026 by the employer. Relisted by the employer on 14 October 2026.
Develop Linux kernel driver code for QCR-100 and related accelerators.
About the role
What you'll do
- Develop and extend Linux kernel driver code related to PCIe device setup.
- Implement firmware loading, MHI bus, DMABUF importation, and DMA transfers.
- Engage in low-level implementation, including coding and testing.
- Work within a structured software development environment.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering experience, OR Master's degree in a related field and 3+ years of experience, OR PhD in a related field and 2+ years of experience.
- 2+ years of experience with programming languages such as C, C++, Java, or Python.
- Experience with Linux kernel driver development, kernel modules, sysfs, and debugging techniques.
- Experience with development in C.
- Experience with git.
- Familiarity with SoC systems, including bus subsystems, DMA, PCIe, peripherals, and synchronization mechanisms.
Nice to have
- Experience with the Linux kernel PCIe stack.
- Experience with DKMS-based management of kernel modules.
- Experience with DEB or RPM packaging.
- Understanding of TCP/IP, including MTU, IP addressing, DHCP, and kernel networking/netdev.
- Strong understanding of DMA and IOMMU.
- Experience with 'SoC-as-a-Device' architectures or embedded Linux systems connected via PCIe.
This role has been open 66 days — slightly above the 59-day median for Systems Software Engineering roles.
Systems Software Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
686
|
Median days open
59 d
|
Median salary
$213k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Qualcomm | All employers we track in this specialty (686 roles · 71 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 169 | 686 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 705 | 6114 · 145 employers |
| Median days open | 78 d | 59 d (+19 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $213k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm (this employer) · 169 open roles · median 78 d
- NVIDIA · 134 open roles · median 47 d
- AMD · 63 open roles · median 51 d
- Mobileye · 27 open roles · median 72 d
- Broadcom · 22 open roles · median 53 d
- Arm Holdings · 20 open roles · median 114 d
How we counted: 686 open Systems Software Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 71 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 17 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.