Principal engineer-Linux Distro

Company: Qualcomm India Private Limited

Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group >
Software Engineering

We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Principal Engineer to Lead Linux enablement for Qualcomm’s next-generation server-class CPUs. Join our Linux Platform team to design and implement modern Linux distribution integration and development infrastructure. Your work will accelerate internal teams and ensure Qualcomm’s next-generation CPUs are fully supported in upstream Linux distributions, enabling production-ready solutions for enterprise, data center, and hyperscaler deployments.

This role focuses on platform integration, product execution, and CI/CD automation across leading Linux distributions, bridging internal development with open-source best practices.

• Contribute to architecture and implementation of CI/CD infrastructure for Linux integration and open development workflows.
• Drive internal Linux distribution integration efforts, ensuring scalability, maintainability, and alignment with upstream standards.
• Lead resolution of complex platform issues across kernel, userspace, and firmware, collaborating with software, hardware, and product teams.
• Participate in engagements with external partners, including Linux distribution vendors and customers, to align on enablement requirements and ensure successful deployment.
• Collaborate with upstream communities and contribute to technical discussions as appropriate.
• Mentor and guide engineers on software best practices, including packaging, integration, and lifecycle management.
• Review designs and code, ensuring compliance with security, performance, and community requirements.
• Document technical decisions and standards for Linux platform enablement.

• Master’s Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
• Strong background in computer science fundamentals and software engineering principles.
• 12+ years of software engineering experience, including Linux platform development for enterprise or server-class systems.
• Deep experience with enterprise Linux distributions (e.g., RHEL/CentOS/Fedora, Ubuntu/Debian) and build frameworks, including packaging, update mechanisms, upstream integration, and data center deployment practices.
• Expertise with Git and Git Hub-based workflows (or similar), including integration with modern CI/CD systems for open-source or large-scale projects.
• Familiarity with Linux packaging systems (Debian, RPM) and CI/CD automation tools (e.g., Git Hub Actions, Jenkins).
• Proven experience in technical leadership, including mentoring engineers and guiding architectural decisions.
• Proficiency in Bash and Python for automation and tooling, experience with systems programming languages such as C/C++, Rust, or Go is highly valued.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with ability to influence technical direction across teams.
• Mature interpersonal skills with ability to collaborate across diverse teams and external communities.
• Proven ability to debug complex Linux systems across kernel and userspace.
• Ability to quickly learn new tools and workflows in a fast-evolving environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in non-linear, dynamic environments.
• Working knowledge of Linux kernel configuration and platform enablement (e.g., ACPI, UEFI, kconfig).
• Demonstrated contributions to upstream Linux kernel or userspace projects, with ability to represent the organization in open-source communities.
• Familiarity with virtualization, containerization, and orchestration tools (QEMU, KVM, Docker, Kubernetes) is desirable.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 8+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 7+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• 4+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.

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.

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.

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