SoC Debug Engineer

Job Title

SoC Debug Engineer

Role Summary

Design and define scalable SoC control and debug architectures focused on boot, reset, timebase management, micro-controllers, and debug/security domains. Work within Qualcomm's SoC Platform Architecture team to analyze requirements, produce architectural specifications, and collaborate with hardware, software, and systems teams to deliver implementations for high-performance, low-power SoC products.

Experience Level

Mid-level - typically 3–7 years of relevant SoC architecture, systems engineering, or ASIC-related experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include architecting SoC control and debug functionality and driving those designs through specification and handoff to implementation teams.

• Define scalable SoC architecture for control, boot, reset, timebase, debug, and micro-controller subsystems.
• Analyze product requirements and perform trade-off studies to produce optimal architectural solutions.
• Collaborate with architects, technical leads, hardware and software engineers across multiple disciplines to integrate solutions into overall SoC designs.
• Produce detailed architectural specifications and guide design teams during implementation.
• Develop and use modeling, simulation, and profiling tools to evaluate functional and performance trade-offs.

Requirements

Core technical must-haves and useful additional skills. (Degree and formal education details are listed separately under Education Requirements.)

• Must-have: Experience with SoC architecture or micro-architecture and proven ability to design or specify debug, control, or system-management functionality.
• Must-have: Strong foundation in silicon design principles and system-level architectural trade-offs.
• Must-have: Familiarity with ARM and RISC-V system architectures and CPU/AP-level concepts.
• Must-have: Programming and modeling skills (object-oriented C++ and Python preferred); experience with software development practices (reviews, unit tests, version control).
• Must-have: Experience using or developing analysis and modeling tools such as functional/performance simulators and profilers.
• Must-have: Strong written and verbal communication skills to convey proposals across distributed, multi-discipline teams.
• Nice-to-have: Experience in security architecture, boot/timebase/reset architectures, system-level debug, NoC/interconnect, memory systems, or resource/power management.
• Nice-to-have: Knowledge of real-time systems, operating systems (Android/Linux), high-speed I/O (PCIe, USB), external memory/storage architectures, networking protocols, AI/ML system considerations, or simulator/framework development.

Education Requirements

Required: Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Electronic/Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field. Qualcomm specifies degree-to-experience mappings in the posting: typically a Bachelor’s with ~4+ years, Master’s with ~3+ years, or PhD with ~2+ years of relevant ASIC/SoC design, verification, validation, integration, or systems engineering experience. Master’s or PhD are listed as preferred for many roles.

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.