Computer/Data Science Staff Engineer for CAD

Job Title

Computer/Data Science Staff Engineer for CAD

Role Summary

As a Staff Engineer on Qualcomm's Global CAD team you will lead development of CAD tools, flows, and automation for advanced VLSI (3nm and below). You will design scalable software and algorithmic solutions that apply AI, constraint reasoning, and optimization to large-scale electronic design problems and drive technical direction across cross-functional teams.

Experience Level

Senior (Staff) technical leadership role. Candidates are expected to have substantial experience architecting production-grade software and advanced algorithmic solutions; see Education Requirements for degree and years-of-experience equivalencies.

Responsibilities

Lead technical workstreams and deliver scalable CAD and optimization solutions.

• Define and implement algorithms and frameworks for constraint reasoning, SAT/SMT, integer programming, and metaheuristics applied to VLSI problems.
• Architect and deliver production-grade software systems with attention to performance, scalability, testing, CI/CD, and observability.
• Drive methodologies and automation for physical design and implementation flows for advanced process nodes (3nm and below).
• Collaborate with hardware, software, and research teams to translate EDA requirements into scalable solutions.
• Mentor engineers, lead design reviews, and raise engineering standards across teams.
• Influence roadmaps, align stakeholders, and lead cross-organizational technical initiatives.

Requirements

Core technical and leadership qualifications required; education expectations are listed separately.

• Must-have
  • Deep expertise in automated reasoning, combinatorial optimization, operations research, or related computational methods.
  • Strong background in graph theory, advanced data structures, and algorithm design at scale.
  • Proven experience architecting and shipping high-performance production software systems.
  • Expert-level Python programming skills and software engineering best practices.
  • Experience translating complex EDA or semiconductor optimization requirements into algorithms and software.
  • Technical leadership experience: mentoring, stakeholder communication, and cross-team influence.
• Nice-to-have
  • Experience with C/C++ and object-oriented design.
  • Familiarity with synthesis or physical design flows and CAD tool development.
  • Experience with data science approaches, large-scale data visualization, research publications, or patents.

Education Requirements

Minimum qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering plus 4+ years relevant ASIC/design/verification/validation/integration experience; or Master's degree plus 3+ years; or PhD plus 2+ years. Typical fields: Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Operations Research, Electrical Engineering, or related technical disciplines. Equivalent practical experience will be considered. Advanced degrees (PhD) are preferred; relevant research publications or patents are valued.

About the Company

Company: Qualcomm

Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States

Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.