Qualcomm is hiring: Hardware Engineer, Customer Engineering in San Diego

Company

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area

Engineering Group, Hardware Engineering

General Summary

We are seeking an experienced Hardware Engineer to join our Customer Engineering (CE) team. This role combines deep technical expertise in hardware design and strong customer communication skills. The CE team works across multiple disciplines to ensure successful deployment of QGOV products into secure government platforms. While the emphasis is on hardware engineering, responsibilities include collaborating with software, test, and system teams, authoring technical documentation, and supporting customers through integration and troubleshooting. This position is ideal for engineers who enjoy hands‑on hardware work and thrive in customer‑facing environments.

This role requires full-time onsite work in San Diego, CA (5 days per week).

Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Must be a U.S. citizen and eligible to receive a U.S. Government security clearance.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, validate, and optimize hardware systems for embedded platforms
• Collaborate with software and system teams to ensure seamless integration
• Analyze and resolve complex hardware/software interaction issues
• Develop detailed engineering documentation and integration guides
• Engage with customers during technical exchanges and integration efforts

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering, or related field.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 2+ years of experience in hardware design and embedded systems integration
• Expertise in board-level design, signal integrity, and power management
• Familiarity with embedded platforms (mobile, robotics, automotive)
• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be eligible to obtain a Top Secret security clearance
• Must be available for limited travel

Preferred Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in hardware design and embedded systems integration
• Experience with wireless technologies (Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, LTE/5G) and RF fundamentals
• Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout tools (e.g., Altium, Xpedition)
• Proficiency in board bring‑up and hardware debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG tools
• Knowledge of signal integrity, power integrity, and thermal design principles
• Familiarity with high‑speed interfaces (PCIe, USB, MIPI, DDR)
• Understanding of hardware security modules and secure boot processes
• Familiarity with government or defense certification processes (e.g., FIPS)
• Familiarity with Linux hardware integration and device tree configuration
• Experience in delivering presentations or demos to customers

Equal Opportunity

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected classification.

Policy Compliance

Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.

Pay Range and Other Compensation & Benefits

Pay range: $94,200.00 - $141,200.00

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, 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 U.S. benefits at this link.

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