System Validation Lead, Staff (AI Accelerator Platform)

Job Title

System Validation Lead, Staff (AI Accelerator Platform)

Role Summary

Lead system-level validation strategy, test planning, content development, and execution for Qualcomm's next-generation AI accelerator platform across pre- and post-silicon phases. Partner with Architecture, Design, DV, Software, Performance, Power, and Product teams to ensure comprehensive coverage and delivery.

The role spans bare-metal validation content, scalable automation frameworks, emulation and silicon bring-up, and complex system debug across multi-processor SoC domains.

Experience Level

Senior - typically requires 8+ years of experience in silicon validation, platform bring-up, or equivalent system validation roles.

Responsibilities

Drive end-to-end system validation content and execution across pre-silicon and post-silicon flows.

• Define, develop, and optimize validation tests for multi-processor systems focusing on system-level concurrency and coverage.
• Develop and maintain bare-metal software: low-level hardware interfaces, register and interrupt programming, clock and power management.
• Collaborate with hardware and software teams to define and validate system-level software use cases and integration scenarios.
• Debug and troubleshoot SoC issues with limited visibility using development boards and lab equipment.
• Implement and optimize algorithms for performance, power efficiency, and memory footprint.
• Support pre-silicon validation using simulation, emulation, and FPGA platforms; lead post-silicon bring-up and system integration.
• Lead geographically distributed engineering teams and coordinate cross-functional validation efforts.

Requirements

Core technical skills and experience required for effective performance in this role.

• Proven experience in silicon validation, platform bring-up, or system-level validation with strong SoC architecture knowledge.
• Strong understanding of operating system concepts, caching, virtual memory, and embedded software fundamentals.
• Experience with bare-metal development and low-level hardware interfaces.
• Proficiency in C and Assembly language; exposure to scripting languages (Python, Linux shell) for automation and tooling.
• Hands-on debugging skills for hardware/software integration with limited observability.
• Ability to implement and optimize for performance, power, and memory constraints.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and experience working in dynamic, collaborative engineering environments.
• Nice-to-have: experience applying machine learning models to system validation and familiarity reading RTL (Verilog/VHDL) in a validation context.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Science, Engineering, or a related technical field is stated as the preferred background. The posting also includes equivalent experience options: e.g., Bachelor's + 4+ years, Master's + 3+ years, or PhD + 2+ years of relevant ASIC design/verification/validation/integration experience.

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.