Lead CPU Firmware Verification & Validation Engineer / Manager

Job Title

Lead CPU Firmware Verification & Validation Engineer / Manager

Role Summary

Lead a global, multi-role verification and validation organization responsible for CPU firmware on Snapdragon SoCs. This is a combined hands-on technical and managerial role focused on ensuring firmware quality, release cadence, and long-term lifecycle support across product lines.

The role partners with SoC, firmware development, release management, product, and customer engineering teams to integrate and validate a high-performance CPU firmware stack.

Experience Level

Senior-level. Typical experience expectations: ~8+ years with a Bachelor's, ~7+ years with a Master's, or ~6+ years with a PhD. Candidates with significantly more experience (10–15+ years) are common for this lead/manager role.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include building and operating a global firmware V&V organization and driving quality and delivery of CPU platform firmware.

• Build, scale, and manage a global firmware verification and validation (V&V) organization.
• Define and execute test and automation strategies to optimize CI/CD and release flows.
• Plan resource allocation across multiple concurrent programs and roadmaps.
• Operate and improve support pipelines and SLA management for faster issue resolution.
• Manage release cadence and enforce quality gates for production firmware.
• Implement risk management and technical debt reduction practices.
• Provide technical leadership on firmware architecture, integration, and Design For Test (DFT).
• Serve as a quality interface between production software teams and customer engineering.
• Coach and develop engineering staff; promote knowledge retention and cross-functional skills.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience required for the role; preferred skills listed separately.

• Extensive software/firmware verification and validation experience for complex SoC/CPU platforms.
• Proficiency in system/embedded software development and debugging; strong coding ability in C/C++ (also Java or Python). Typically 4+ years working with these languages.
• Experience designing and executing automated test frameworks and CI/CD pipelines.
• Proven experience managing and scaling engineering teams and programs across regions.
• Experience with regression testing, code reviews, triage, and release engineering.
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Ability to drive reliability, stability, and lifecycle-support strategies for production software.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with database management and APIs.
• Familiarity with source control systems such as Git or Perforce.
• Prior technical leadership interacting with executive-level stakeholders.

Education Requirements

Minimum qualifications state one of the following: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field with 8+ years of software engineering experience; OR Master's degree in those fields with 7+ years of experience; OR PhD in those fields with 6+ years of experience. A Master’s degree is listed as preferred.

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.