Embedded Real Time Operating System Software Engineer (QuRT OS, Zephyr)

Company:
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > DSP Architecture and Design

General Summary:

Qualcomm is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer to join the Core Platform Kernel software team. This role is suitable for new college graduates as well as engineers with early-career embedded systems experience.

The Core Platform Kernel team develops and deploys real-time operating system (RTOS) software across multiple subsystems on Qualcomm SoCs, supporting Mobile Handset, XR, Compute, Automotive, Cloud AI, and IoT products. The team works on two RTOS platforms at scale: QuRT OS and Zephyr RTOS.

This role offers a strong entry point into low-level system software, with mentorship from experienced RTOS engineers and hands-on exposure to production-grade embedded platforms.

What You'll Work On

With guidance from senior engineers, you will:

• Develop and maintain RTOS and low-level embedded software components
• Debug and fix issues across multiple subsystems and use cases
• Contribute to feature development, unit testing, documentation, and integration
• Analyze logs, traces, and crash dumps to understand system behavior
• Collaborate with hardware, systems, and software engineers to understand requirements and resolve issues
• Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and team planning

You will be encouraged to ask questions, propose improvements, and take ownership of well-scoped areas as you grow.

QuRT OS

QuRT OS is Qualcomm's real-time operating system optimized for the Hexagon DSP, supporting low-power and performance-critical workloads such as edge AI, 5G modem processing, and audio/sensor pipelines.

In this area, you will:

• Build a solid foundation in RTOS concepts such as scheduling, interrupts, synchronization, and memory management
• Learn the fundamentals of Hexagon processor architecture
• Assist with developing, testing, and integrating QuRT OS features
• Contribute to improving automation, CI, and test coverage

Zephyr RTOS

The team also deploys and maintains Zephyr RTOS across multiple Qualcomm SoC subsystems, using a shared codebase that supports diverse hardware and workload requirements.

In the Zephyr space, you will:

• Help customize Zephyr RTOS for specific subsystems
• Assist with bring-up on new chips or platforms
• Gain experience working with open-source software and upstream contributions
• Participate in maintaining CI and validation pipelines

How You'll Grow (Tools, Automation & AI)

We expect early-career engineers to be curious, analytical, and eager to learn.

You will have opportunities to:

• Learn and use modern development tools, including AI-assisted tools, to support code comprehension, debugging, and documentation
• Build strong skills with non-AI tools such as debuggers, scripting, CI systems, and simulators
• Develop good engineering judgment about when automation helps and when deeper investigation is required

Prior experience with AI-assisted tools is not required. Openness to learning and continuously improving how you work is.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
• Exposure to real-time operating system (RTOS) concepts through coursework, academic projects, internships, or prior work experience
  • Examples include scheduling, interrupts, synchronization primitives, memory management, or driver interaction
• Programming experience in C or C++ (academic or professional)
• Interest in embedded systems, RTOS, or low-level system software
• Familiarity with Linux or embedded development environments
• Willingness to learn debugging, automation, and collaborative development workflows

RTOS exposure does not need to be production experience. Academic projects, labs, internships, or open-source work are sufficient, but candidates should already understand core RTOS fundamentals.

Nice to Have (Not Required)

• Hands-on experience with a specific RTOS (e.g., Zephyr, FreeRTOS, QuRT, or similar)
• Embedded systems internships or substantial academic projects
• Python or scripting experience
• Familiarity with Git or distributed version control
• Interest in embedded security or safety-critical software

Why This Team

This team works at the foundation of Qualcomm platforms, building RTOS software that runs across many products, subsystems, and market segments. As an engineer on this team, you'll learn how production-grade embedded systems are designed, built, tested, and supported - working closely with experienced engineers who value mentoring, collaboration, and clear communication.

The team emphasizes strong engineering fundamentals, thoughtful problem-solving, and continuous improvement-both in the software we build and in how we work. You'll gain hands-on experience with both proprietary and open-source RTOS technologies, grow your technical depth, and develop the confidence to take on increasing ownership over time.

Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field.
2+ years of experience with high-performance microprocessor design.

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).

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Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:
$108,400.00 - $162,600.00

The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer - and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.

If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.