Qualcomm · 22 minutes ago
Director, Engineering – Drones (IE-IoT)
Santa Clara, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$248K/yr - $372K/yr
6+ years expQualcomm Technologies, Inc. is seeking a Director of Engineering to lead the engineering strategy for Drone solutions within the IE-IoT business unit. This role will drive innovation across hardware, software, and AI systems, ensuring Qualcomm’s leadership in next-generation drone platforms for industrial, commercial, and emerging markets.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Generative AISoftwareTelecommunicationsWireless
Responsibilities
Define and execute the engineering roadmap for drones, aligning with IE-IoT’s long-term vision and Qualcomm’s growth objectives
Partner with product management and business teams to translate market opportunities into technical deliverables
Oversee architecture and development of drone compute platforms, including heterogeneous SoCs, AI accelerators, and multi-OS environments (Linux, ROS2, Android)
Drive advancements in visual-inertial odometry (VIO), GPS-denied navigation, BVLOS capabilities, and autonomy stacks
Integrate cutting-edge AI solutions for perception, planning, and anomaly detection leveraging Qualcomm’s AI Hub and SDKs
Work closely with robotics and connectivity teams to deliver high-performance, low-power solutions for drones
Collaborate with ecosystem partners and standards bodies to ensure compliance and interoperability
Build and mentor a world-class engineering team across multiple geographies
Establish best practices for design, validation, and certification, including functional safety and regulatory compliance
Leverages expert Systems knowledge and experience to implement and drive the research, design, development, simulation, and/or validation of systems-level software, hardware, architecture, algorithms, and solutions while ensuring system-level requirements and standards are met
Directs and influences the functional analysis that drives requirements and specifications and defines and aligns with standards for hardware and software
Leads multiple teams in the analysis and development of system level design including requirements, interface definition, functional/performance definition, and implementation of a new system or modification of an existing system
Collaborates with high-level representatives from other functions (e.g., testing group, product group, customers) to develop and execute system design
Sets the strategic direction for the discipline and communicates across the organization; translates strategy into a strong execution plan
Directs and implements standards for the triage of problems at the system level; presents results of testing and debugging to internal and external stakeholders
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 8+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience
OR Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 7+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience
OR PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience
Preferred
12+ years of experience in embedded systems, robotics, or drone engineering, with at least 5 years in leadership roles
Proven track record in system architecture, AI/ML integration, and real-time control systems
Deep knowledge of connectivity technologies (5G, Wi-Fi, GNSS) and edge AI frameworks
Deep knowledge of integrated chipset solutions for private connectivity, MNO connectivity, Wi-Fi offload, camera image processor and AI processors
Strong understanding of ROS2, Linux, and heterogeneous compute platforms
Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
Experience in commercial drone product development and BVLOS certification
DO-178C certification experience for airborne software compliance
DO-254 certification experience for airborne electronic hardware compliance
Benefits
Competitive annual discretionary bonus program
Opportunity for annual RSU grants
Highly competitive benefits package
Company
Qualcomm
Qualcomm designs wireless technologies and semiconductors that power connectivity, communication, and smart devices.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Qualcomm has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (2013)
2024 (1910)
2023 (3216)
2022 (2885)
2021 (2104)
2020 (1181)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$3.5M1991-12-20IPO
1988-01-01Undisclosed· $3.5M
Leadership Team
Cristiano Amon
President and Chief Executive Officer
I
Isaac Eteminan
CEO
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