Senior Staff Engineer, Technical Standards — Wired Data Center

Job Title

Senior Staff Engineer, Technical Standards — Wired Data Center

Role Summary

Lead Qualcomm's technical standards engagement for wired data-center connectivity, focusing on high-speed optical and electrical SerDes and related system-level tradeoffs. Represent the company in standards bodies, shape specifications, and collaborate with internal product, IP, and legal teams to align standards work with product and patent strategy.

Experience Level

Senior-level. Candidates should have substantial engineering experience (guidance: 7+ years in system/validation/design roles) and prior participation in standards bodies (guidance: 2+ years).

Responsibilities

Work across engineering, product, and external stakeholders to influence and implement technical standards and ensure product conformance.

• Represent Qualcomm as a delegate in standards forums and industry organizations (e.g., IEEE 802.3, OIF).
• Identify standards gaps and shape specifications to support Qualcomm product and IP objectives.
• Translate hyperscaler, AI accelerator, switch silicon, and optical module requirements into practical SerDes/PHY/controller and standards priorities.
• Review and guide internal product requirements and specifications for standards conformance.
• Prepare and check technical analyses, contributions, and internal briefings for accuracy and clarity.
• Collaborate with legal to identify and file patents on novel technical work.
• Establish and lead cross-industry initiatives (e.g., interest groups) to promote technical leadership.

Requirements

Key technical skills and experience expected. Must-have items are listed first, followed by preferred qualifications.

• Must-have: Direct experience with IEEE 802.3 and OIF or equivalent standards work.
• Must-have: Deep understanding of Ethernet rate evolution (200G, 400G, forward-looking 800G/1.6T), modulation (PAM4/PAM6), FEC, equalization, channel loss, BER targets and link budgets.
• Must-have: Familiarity with data-center fabric topologies and connectivity options (copper reach limits, active electrical cables, pluggable optics, co-/near-packaged optics, optical module architectures).
• Must-have: Strong credibility across silicon, optics, connector, cable, module, switch, NIC and hyperscaler stakeholders; ability to influence cross-functionally.
• Must-have: Effective written and verbal communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Willingness to travel globally for standards forums as required.
• Preferred: Extensive experience in optical, SerDes and system design, modeling, validation, or test; prior authored contributions to IEEE/OCP or similar.
• Preferred: Experience interacting with senior leadership, leading technical teams, and influencing deployable platforms.
• Preferred: Familiarity with Qualcomm technologies and an established industry or academic network.

Education Requirements

Required: Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. Preferred: Doctorate (PhD) in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field. The posting also lists acceptable alternative combinations: Bachelor's degree plus significant experience, or Master's/PhD with fewer years of experience; applications with equivalent practical experience will be considered.

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.