Embedded Linux & Firmware Developer (Staff/Sr Staff)

Company: Qualcomm India Private Limited

Job Area: Engineering Group, Hardware Engineering

Job Summary

Qualcomm's Custom CPU Post-Silicon team is seeking an experienced Embedded Linux and Firmware Developer to help shape the future of high-performance computing. In this role, you will design, develop, and maintain bare-metal firmware and Linux-based software stacks for our next-generation custom CPU platforms.

What You'll Work On

• Firmware Kernel Development: Design, implement, optimize and maintain Linux kernel modules, device drivers, bootloaders, and bare-metal firmware for custom CPU-based embedded hardware and emulation platforms.
• Board Support Packages (BSP): Develop and maintain BSPs for new and existing hardware platforms, including bootloaders, kernel configuration and device tree
• Hardware Bring-Up: Collaborate with hardware engineers to enable software stack on silicon and emulation platforms, debug hardware-software interactions, and ensure seamless integration.
• System Optimization: Analyze and resolve issues related to system performance, memory usage, power consumption, and reliability.
• Debug Troubleshoot: Diagnose complex technical issues across embedded Linux OS, drivers, and high-level operating systems (Ubuntu, Android, Yocto).
• Open-Source Strategy: Provide architectural guidance and establish processes for open-source software delivery, including CI/CD pipelines and testing frameworks.
• Continuous Innovation: Stay current with Linux development trends and emerging open-source technologies.
• Documentation: Create clear technical documentation for designs, code, and test procedures.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with hardware, software, and product teams to define requirements and deliver high-quality integrated solutions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field and 3+ years of Hardware Engineering or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Hardware Engineering or related work experience.
• PhD in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field and 1+ year of Hardware Engineering or related work experience.

What You Bring Education

Education: Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.

Experience

Experience: Strong (10+ years) in embedded bare-metal and Linux development.

Technical Expertise

• Strong proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems.
• Experience with Python, shell scripting, CMake, and embedded toolchains.
• Solid understanding of ARM SoC/CPU architecture.
• Deep knowledge of Linux internals (drivers, kernel modules, device tree, scheduler, DVFS, power management).
• Experience with embedded Linux distributions and build systems (Yocto, Android, Ubuntu).
• Hands-on experience with debugging tools (GDB, JTAG, oscilloscopes).
• Ability to interpret hardware schematics and datasheets.
• Knowledge of hardware interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, USB, Ethernet, CAN, GPIO).
• Experience with Git, GitHub/GitLab, CI/CD, Docker.
• Strong technical documentation skills.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Linux kernel upstream process.
• Chip/SoC bring-up on silicon, emulation, and simulation platforms.
• ARMv8/ARMv9 architecture and ARM assembly language expertise.
• Exposure to RISC-V architecture.
• Familiarity with open-source bootloaders and firmware (UEFI EDK2, coreboot, U-Boot, LK, TF-A, Zephyr RTOS).