Staff Software Engineer, Linux Tools & Host Software

Job Title

Staff Software Engineer, Linux Tools & Host Software

Role Summary

Hands-on systems software engineer responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining Linux host tools and services for systems that use PCIe-based accelerator devices. Work spans userspace and kernel-level components (Linux and occasionally QNX) to create reliable, developer-facing tools for video, AI, and other accelerator products.

Role is based in the United States and can be located in Santa Clara, San Diego, Boulder, Raleigh, or Austin; the posting lists multiple onsite locations.

Experience Level

Senior (Staff) level. See Education Requirements for formal experience guidelines; typical hire has multiple years of professional software engineering experience.

Responsibilities

Deliver and maintain host-side software and developer tools for accelerator products.

• Design, implement, and maintain Linux services and command-line tools in modern C or Rust.
• Integrate IPC/RPC mechanisms (TCP/IP, Unix domain sockets, messaging libraries) and implement reliable socket-based networking.
• Build user-focused CLI tools with clear help, robust error handling, and stable behavior.
• Serialize/deserialize data (JSON, binary) to interoperate with other endpoints.
• Create shared libraries that expose clean APIs for product developers.
• Use containers to standardize builds and manage dependencies; produce packages (DEB/RPM).
• Work across multiple Linux distributions and document designs and user-facing behavior thoroughly.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and tools.

• Linux software development experience using modern C and/or Rust.
• Familiarity with build and debug toolchain: CMake, make, gcc/clang, gdb, valgrind, and git.
• Practical experience writing TCP/IP socket programs.
• Proven CLI tool development with a user-first mindset.
• Experience creating packages (DEB/RPM) and using containers for builds.
• Strong documentation and software-quality practices.

Nice-to-have skills.

• Video pipeline experience (GStreamer, FFmpeg, V4L2, OpenCV).
• Deeper TCP/IP and Linux system management knowledge (IPv4/IPv6, TUN/TAP, veth, bridging, users, disks, networks).
• Experience with PCIe, host-device concepts, DMA/DMABUF, IOMMU, or flashing firmware.
• Interest or experience in Linux kernel development or QNX and exposure to AI accelerator stacks.
• Python or bash scripting.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field plus 4+ years of software engineering experience; OR Master’s in those fields plus 3+ years; OR PhD plus 2+ years. The posting also specifies at least 2+ years of experience with programming languages such as C, C++, Java, or Python. Equivalent practical experience is accepted per the qualifications language.

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.