FY27 Intern - Firmware / Embedded Software Engineering (Canada, 12 or 16 months)
QualcommJob Title
FY27 Intern - Firmware / Embedded Software Engineering (Canada, 12 or 16 months)
Role Summary
This internship places you on Qualcomm Canada’s Mixed Signal IP Firmware and Embedded Software team in Toronto. The team develops low-level firmware, customer SDKs, lab tools, and CI infrastructure for high-speed SerDes and die-to-die interconnect IP used in SoCs, ASICs, and chiplets.
Under guidance from an experienced engineer and a mentor, interns contribute to firmware, SDKs, tooling, test automation, and silicon bring-up across simulation, emulation, FPGA, and real silicon environments.
Experience Level
Entry-level internship. Intended for students in undergraduate programs; expected graduation November 2028 or later (see Education Requirements for details).
Responsibilities
Typical intern responsibilities (may vary by project assignment):
- Write and debug low-level C firmware and device drivers for high-speed SerDes and interconnect hardware.
- Extend customer-facing C and Python SDK features for link bring-up, calibration, diagnostics, and register access.
- Port and optimize firmware across simulation, emulation, FPGA, and silicon environments.
- Build Python tooling, lab automation, regression tests, and test frameworks to improve firmware quality.
- Improve build, release, and CI flows used to validate firmware across multiple hardware platforms.
- Develop interactive debug tools, command-line utilities, GUIs, and dashboards for diagnostics and visibility.
- Investigate integration issues with cross-functional teams and support silicon bring-up in the lab.
- Contribute to technical documentation, code reviews, and reliable firmware/SDK releases.
Requirements
Key attributes and skills the team looks for.
- Strong debugging, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
- Ability to learn quickly and work effectively on collaborative, cross-functional engineering teams.
- Good verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
- Comfort working in a lab environment and collaborating with firmware, design, verification, systems, and validation engineers.
- Familiarity with collaborative development practices (code reviews, Git) and basic software engineering workflows.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience programming in C, C++, or Python.
- Knowledge of embedded systems, microcontrollers, memory-mapped registers, or device drivers.
- Experience with Linux development environments, shell scripting, CI tools (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins), build systems, automated testing, or regression infrastructure.
- Familiarity with digital logic, Verilog/SystemVerilog, hardware simulation/emulation, FPGA platforms, or silicon bring-up.
- Exposure to high-speed interfaces or communication protocols such as Ethernet, PCIe, CXL, or UCIe.
Education Requirements
In-study toward a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Engineering Science, Computer Science, or a related field. Expected graduation November 2028 or later. 1+ years of academic experience with programming languages such as C, C++, or Python. Availability windows: for 16-month internships, May/June 2027 – August/September 2028; for 12-month internships, May/June 2027 – May/June 2028.
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.
