Staff Hardware Engineer (Austin OR San Diego)

Qualcomm•Austin, TX

About The Position

As a leading technology innovator, Qualcomm pushes the boundaries of what's possible to enable next-generation experiences and drives digital transformation to help create a smarter, connected future for all. Qualcomm Cloud System Hardware and Validation Engineering develops cutting-edge rack level AI inference solutions for next generation liquid-cooled data centers. As part of its rapid expansion, the team is looking for experienced engineers to join and contribute to the next round of innovative AI products that Qualcomm intends to bring to the market. As a Qualcomm Hardware Engineer, you will: Design and develop motherboards/add in cards/modules for Qualcomm new AI System On Chip (SoC)/System In Package (SIP). Primary responsibilities include working with cross functional teams (mechanical, thermal, SI, PTE, regulatory, validation, manufacturing, etc.) for execution of projects from concept to production. Support rack level design and integration of cards, servers and networking switches.

Requirements

System/card/rack-level development, including architecture, design, validation, and deployment of enterprise-class hardware platforms. Strengths in any of the following areas:
Rack-Level Expertise:
Proven experience in rack-level system integration, including chassis, backplane, cabling, airflow, and thermal management across multiple cards/modules.
Familiarity with rack-scale power delivery, including PDUs, VRMs, PMICs, and power budgeting across multiple boards.
Experience with rack-level diagnostics and bring-up, including debug of interconnects, signal integrity across long traces/cables, and system-level validation.
Understanding of rack-level mechanical constraints, EMI shielding, and compliance with data center deployment standards.
Collaboration with ODMs/OEMs on rack-level design and manufacturing, including review of mechanical drawings, thermal simulations, and compliance testing.
Board-Level Design:
Deep knowledge of PCIe cards, motherboards, daughtercards, and backplane signal and power delivery.
Expertise in chassis design, airflow optimization, and thermal management.
Solid understanding of system software operation from bootloader to OS and application layers.
Component Qualification:
Experience qualifying PMICs, voltage regulators (VRs), clock buffers, flash memory, and connectors for use in complex card and rack-level designs.
Design & Validation:
Hands-on experience in dense, high-layer count PCB designs (8–20+ layers).
Skilled in PCIe add-in card/module design, debugging in high-performance systems (x86 and ARM).
Familiarity with JTAG tools for bring-up and debug.
Experience with networking switches and high speed ethernet interfaces
High-Speed Interfaces:
Knowledge of high-speed serial I/O (6–10+ Gbps), PCIe Gen5/6, LPDDR4x/5x, DDR4/5, 200/400/800 GbE.
Experience with long PCB/cable topologies (0.35–1.5 meter), signal integrity, and compliance with current standards.
Ability to debug at packet/protocol level across link, transport, transaction, and command layers.
Memory & Clocking:
Experience with LPDDR4x memory technologies, DIMM layout and validation.
Expertise in clock distribution, power distribution, SMBus, PMBus, SPI, PWM/Tach, and BMC integration.
Tools & Collaboration:
Proficient in schematic capture and PCB layout tools (Cadence Allegro, Mentor Expedition).
Experience with circuit simulation tools (SPICE), signal/power integrity analysis.
Skilled in using lab equipment: oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG, SMBus, serial debuggers.
Strong collaboration with ODMs on joint designs, schematic/layout reviews, and compliance to Qualcomm design guidelines.
Firmware & Software:
Good understanding of x86 FW/SW stack and firmware architecture.
Experience with BMC hardware/software integration and management.
Compliance & Testing:
Familiarity with regulatory, environmental, and compliance testing for rack-level systems.
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field and 4+ years of Hardware Engineering or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field and 3+ years of Hardware Engineering or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Hardware Engineering or related work experience.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
5+ years hardware engineering/Systems development experience or related work experience.
5+ years of experience with circuit design (e.g., digital, analog, RF).
5+ years of experience utilizing schematic capture and circuit simulation software.
5+ years of experience with hardware design and measurement instruments such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, debug tools, etc.

Responsibilities

Develops basic features and components of hardware designs in line with product proposals or roadmaps, under the supervision of more experienced engineers.
Applies basic design rules and processes for electronic hardware, equipment, and/or integrated circuitry with minimal supervision from more experienced engineers.
Reads device specification sheets and interprets basic details required to design various hardware features with minimal guidance from more experienced engineers.
Evaluates devices and documents performance over various operating conditions and configurations.
Assists in the assessment of common design features to identify potential flaws (e.g., electrical, mechanical, hardware), compatibility issues, and/or compliance issues under the supervision of more experienced engineers.
Documents basic details about materials, components, chipsets, and assemblies for a device, and records important changes to design with minimal supervision from more experienced engineers.
Troubleshoots basic issues with product designs.
Provides reasonable schedule for own tasks to project lead.
Develops understanding of Qualcomm products.
Work with ODM on joint design, address technical issues and support mass production
Seeks basic knowledge of industry trends, competitor products, and advances in various engineering fields from publicly available information; requires minimal consultation with more experienced engineers to understand and apply advanced concepts.