Support Engineer

Qualcomm provides hardware, software, and related services to nearly every mobile device maker and operator in the global wireless marketplace. Our chipsets power a wide range of products, including smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and other connected devices. The Digital Design team plays a central role in enabling these products.

Qualcomm’s Validation Team is part of the central SoC digital hardware organization and is responsible for ensuring the overall quality of SoC silicon. The team works closely with architects, designers, verification engineers, software engineers, and customer-facing teams to validate silicon functionality and performance.

Depending on the technical area, the candidate will be expected to become a subject matter expert and a go-to resource for other team members. This fast-paced environment requires daily cross-functional collaboration, making strong communication, planning, and execution skills essential. The candidate will support lab-based post-silicon testing, characterization, and regression activities. This role includes assisting engineers with Qualcomm post-silicon hardware platforms, installing boards, running diagnostics software, and debugging issues as needed.

Minimum Education and Experience

High school diploma required. Technical certification or associate degree in computer hardware, software, or a mechanical field preferred, with at least 2 years of relevant experience.

Skills/Qualifications/Requirements

• The candidate should be open to working overtime/beyond core shift hours and weekends when required to support project needs.
• Occasional short-distance driving around campus may be required, up to 5 hours per week.
• Candidates may need to use a personal vehicle to transport hardware short distances between campus buildings.
• Ability to lift and handle lab hardware up to 20 lbs. as needed
• Worked with Windows PCs, basic networking protocols, and networking hardware, including IP power switches.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience supporting lab equipment, including racks, thermal units, oscilloscopes, test platforms, and related electrical or operational systems.
• Automation skills

Role & Responsibilities

• Work with project managers to identify equipment needs and follow up on orders and estimated delivery timelines.
• Partner with engineers and the SoC bring-up team to assess existing inventory, place new orders, and track order status through completion
• Maintain inventory of parts, tools, and related lab equipment.
• Support lab service requests from engineering teams with minimal guidance.
• Handle silicon in the lab and support regression testing activities
• Set up and troubleshoot post-silicon hardware development platforms, including development boards, form-factor devices, connectivity and power equipment, and thermal units or chambers and such HW used in validation environment
• Run regression tests and debug experiments with limited guidance from engineers.
• Debug system failures by running post-silicon tests to isolate issues, then review results and next steps with engineers.
• Independently manage validation runs and communicate results clearly
• Reconfigure hardware setups as needed and triage user-reported setup issues.
• Serve as the project point of contact for planning, bring-up, and post-bring-up activities supporting high-volume validation commitments.
• Run tests on automated test handlers and related systems.
• Manage one or more handlers for targeted operational use cases

• Assist with troubleshooting faulty electrical and mechanical systems related to handlers and their inputs.

• Prepare new robotic pick-and-place handlers for use by test and debug engineers.

• Install changeover kits for different projects, including thermal equipment and handlers.
• Support IT and lab maintenance activities.
• Make efficiency improvements to test procedures

• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized lab environment.