Staff Engineer - Perception System Validation (XR Technologies)

Company: Qualcomm India Private Limited

General Summary

At Qualcomm XR Research, we develop state-of-the-art XR technologies that enable exceptional AR/VR/MR user experiences.

We are looking for a Staff Engineer to own and drive validation of perception systems for XR (AR/VR/MR) technologies. This role focuses on validating SLAM and other perception algorithms, defining meaningful KPIs, building scalable test automation, and performing deep failure analysis. The role requires strong mathematical fundamentals, hands-on Python expertise, and the ability to communicate technical issues clearly to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Perception Algorithm Validation
• Validate SLAM (visual / visual-inertial / multi-sensor) and other algorithms across XR use cases.
• Design scenario-driven validation strategies covering accuracy, robustness, stability, and failure modes.
• Evaluate performance across sensors, calibrations, environments, and system configurations.
• Define and evolve perception KPIs (pose accuracy, drift, stability/jitter, robustness, reconstruction quality).
• Perform mathematical and statistical analysis of logs, trajectories, and 3D outputs.
• Identify and implement automation opportunities to improve test coverage, repeatability, and efficiency.
• Perform preliminary root-cause analysis of perception failures and regressions.
• Support algorithm and system teams with actionable debugging insights.

Required Skills Qualifications

• Strong foundation in mathematics (linear algebra, geometry, probability, optimization).
• Strong proficiency in Python for automation, analysis, and tooling.
• Solid understanding of SLAM algorithms and perception pipelines.
• Strong knowledge of sensor calibration (camera, IMU, multi-sensor systems).
• Experience with large log analysis, offline processing, and metrics generation.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical issues clearly.
• Proven ability to work across teams and support stakeholder debugging needs.

Preferred

• 9+ years of relevant industry experience in perception systems, computer vision, robotics, or XR technologies.
• M.Tech / MS in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field.
• Experience with XR, AR/VR/MR, robotics, or autonomous systems.
• Familiarity with tools such as GTSAM, Ceres, OpenCV, ROS, or similar libraries.
• Experience with ground-truth systems (motion capture, GNSS, fiducials).
• Experience influencing validation strategy at a system or org level.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• OR Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 3+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• OR PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• 2+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.