Staff Firmware Engineer - 5G/6G Modem

Job Title

Staff Firmware Engineer - 5G/6G Modem

Role Summary

Join the Modem Firmware/RF team responsible for control, scheduling, and coordination logic of 5G/6G modems. The role develops timing‑critical, real‑time firmware that affects modem performance, stability, and power efficiency.

Experience Level

Senior. Typical experience expected is around 3–6 years in embedded systems or firmware development; specific minimums vary by degree (see Education Requirements).

Responsibilities

The role focuses on firmware design, integration, debugging, and product bring‑up for modem platforms.

• Design and implement firmware for 5G/6G NR modem control flows, RF controls, scheduling, and state machines.
• Implement features based on 3GPP specifications (5G/6G NR, LTE) and multi‑RAT operation.
• Collaborate with modem systems, PHY, and hardware teams to define and integrate end‑to‑end solutions.
• Debug complex issues involving firmware, hardware, and system interactions; perform root‑cause analysis.
• Participate in bring‑up, integration, and feature commercialization on new modem platforms.
• Contribute to design reviews, code reviews, and team technical problem solving.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience.

• Strong programming skills in C.
• Proven experience in embedded systems or firmware development, including real‑time execution, interrupts, concurrency, and low‑level control logic.
• Strong debugging and problem‑solving skills; ability to analyze hardware‑software interactions.
• Experience working closely with hardware (registers, DMA, timers) and performing system integration.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with RF controls and RF loops.
• Familiarity with scheduler design, control‑plane logic, and SoC/semiconductor development.
• Exposure to 3GPP specifications and multi‑RAT operation.
• Experience with AI coding tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot) to aid development.

Education Requirements

Degree options mentioned: Bachelor's (B.Sc./Bachelor's), Master's, or PhD in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. The posting states equivalent practical experience is acceptable and specifies alternative minimum experience tied to degree level (e.g., higher degrees may require fewer years of experience). Exact year thresholds vary across listed minimums.

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.