SoC Design - Sr Lead

Job Title

SoC Design - Sr Lead

Role Summary

Senior hardware engineer responsible for planning, designing, optimizing, verifying, and testing system-on-chip (SoC) hardware and related electronic systems. Works on bring-up, yield, validation, and production test solutions for advanced process nodes.

Collaborates with cross-functional teams (design, verification, validation, software, architecture, manufacturing) and provides technical guidance to other engineers.

Experience Level

Senior level. Typical hires have multiple years of hardware engineering experience (insights indicate 4–8 years); role includes technical leadership responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Core responsibilities include:

• Plan, optimize, verify, and test SoC and electronic subsystems, including digital, analog, RF, and mixed-signal blocks.
• Lead hardware bring-up, characterize designs, and drive yield and reliability improvements.
• Perform complex simulations and analyses to meet power, performance, and area targets.
• Integrate new features into hardware designs and implement test solutions for production programs.
• Evaluate materials, components, and manufacturing techniques; recommend improvements and automation to increase productivity.
• Document technical work and present findings to engineering teams and stakeholders.
• Provide supervision and guidance to other engineers; influence cross-team decisions.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience (excluding degree requirements listed below):

• Experience with circuit design (digital, analog, or RF) and hardware system integration.
• Proficiency with schematic capture and circuit simulation tools.
• Hands-on use of hardware measurement instruments (oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, RF tools) and test equipment.
• Experience with hardware bring-up, validation, and production test development.
• Strong problem-solving, written and verbal communication, and technical documentation skills.
• Ability to collaborate across design, verification, software, and manufacturing teams.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with FPGA or DSP systems, test automation, and manufacturing yield optimization.
• Prior technical leadership or mentoring experience.

Education Requirements

Minimum: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or a related field plus 3+ years of hardware engineering experience; OR Master's degree in those fields plus 2+ years; OR PhD in those fields plus 1+ year. Preferred: Master's degree and 5+ years of hardware engineering experience; additional preferred experience includes 2+ years in circuit design and simulation, 2+ years with hardware instruments, and 1+ year in a technical leadership role.

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.