Senior Director, Software Product Management

Company:

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:

Operations Group, Operations Group > Product Management

General Summary:

Qualcomm is seeking a Senior Director of Software Product Management to lead product strategy and roadmap alignment for foundational software technologies spanning Linux, Android, Windows, Chrome OS, and emerging operating system environments. This leader will work across Mobile, Compute, XR, Wearables, Automotive, IoT, Data Center, and emerging AI platforms to translate business requirements, silicon capabilities, and ecosystem needs into scalable software product strategies.

The Senior Director will provide horizontal leadership across multiple software product areas, with particular emphasis on central software architecture, Linux and open-source enablement, operating system strategy, and software portability across Snapdragon and Dragonwing platforms. The role will partner closely with product management, engineering, program management, business unit, developer relations, and ecosystem teams to align roadmaps, reduce fragmentation, improve software reuse, and accelerate product delivery.

The successful candidate will bring deep domain expertise across operating systems, embedded and edge-computing platforms, open-source software, and the software-hardware interface. This individual must be able to influence effectively in a highly matrixed environment, establish credibility with senior technical leaders, and convert complex platform requirements into clear product priorities and executable roadmaps.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and execute software product strategies and roadmaps across Linux, Android, Windows, Chrome OS, and other relevant operating system environments.
• Lead product management for foundational software capabilities, central software architecture, and platform enablement supporting multiple Snapdragon and Dragonwing business segments.
• Translate business unit, customer, developer, and ecosystem requirements into prioritized software product requirements and multiyear roadmaps.
• Partner with software engineering, systems, core technology, and silicon teams to align hardware capabilities with operating system, middleware, developer-tool, and application-enablement strategies.
• Drive software portability, reuse, and common architecture across products, business segments, and multiple generations of hardware.
• Establish product requirements and priorities for open-source software, Linux enablement, upstreaming, kernel support, distributions, and related developer ecosystems.
• Guide software mainline and derivative strategies to reduce fragmentation, improve platform maintainability, and accelerate time to market.
• Support software enablement across Mobile, Compute, XR, Wearables, Automotive, IoT, Data Center, and emerging AI platforms.
• Define software offerings, tools, documentation, publishing capabilities, and enablement roadmaps for application developers, independent software vendors, OEMs, and ecosystem partners.
• Partner with developer relations and ecosystem teams to increase adoption of Snapdragon software capabilities and strengthen engagement with open-source communities and commercial partners.
• Evaluate market developments, customer requirements, competitive platforms, and broader computing trends to identify new product opportunities and inform roadmap decisions.
• Develop clear business cases, investment priorities, and product proposals for new software capabilities and platform initiatives.
• Lead cross-functional product reviews, communicate roadmap decisions, identify dependencies, and drive resolution of issues spanning multiple organizations.
• Manage, coach, and develop a team of software product management professionals while building strong succession and talent-development plans.
• Represent Qualcomm in customer, partner, developer, standards, and open-source community engagements.
• Support negotiations and working relationships with third-party software providers, operating system partners, independent software vendors, OEMs, and other ecosystem participants.
• Travel domestically and internationally as required, approximately 20% to 30%.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related technical field.
• 10+ years of Product Management or related work experience.

*Completed advanced degrees in a relevant field may be substituted for up to two years (Master’s = one year, Doctorate = two years) of work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Fifteen (15) years of relevant experience in software product management, platform strategy, software architecture, operating systems, or ecosystem development.
• Master's degree, MBA, or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Four (4) or more years of people leadership experience.
• Three (3) or more years working in a large, highly matrixed organization.
• Experience defining and executing software product roadmaps across multiple releases and product generations.
• Experience influencing engineering, product, and business stakeholders without direct organizational authority.
• Deep experience with Linux, Android, Windows, Chrome OS, or other embedded and intelligent-device operating systems.
• Strong understanding of the full software stack, including operating systems, kernels, device drivers, firmware, middleware, development tools, application frameworks, and cloud or AI services.
• Experience with Linux kernel development, open-source communities, upstream contribution models, and software distribution or commercialization strategies.
• Experience defining software architecture or product strategy for semiconductor, embedded, edge-computing, mobile, PC, automotive, IoT, or data center platforms.
• Knowledge of ARM-based computing, heterogeneous compute architectures, AI acceleration, graphics, connectivity, and other system-on-chip capabilities.
• Demonstrated success translating silicon and hardware capabilities into differentiated software products and developer experiences.
• Experience building or scaling application developer, ISV, OEM, and open-source ecosystems.
• Strong technical depth and the ability to engage credibly with architects, distinguished engineers, engineering executives, and external technology leaders.
• Ability to balance business requirements, technical complexity, ecosystem considerations, resource constraints, and long-term platform objectives.
• Strong written, verbal, and executive-level communication skills.

Leadership Competencies

Strategic Execution: Translates broader software and platform objectives into actionable product strategies, investment priorities, and execution plans. Anticipates dependencies, resolves ambiguity, and drives measurable progress across multiple teams and product areas.

Cross-Functional Influence: Builds alignment among product management, engineering, program management, business units, and external partners. Influences decisions through technical credibility, business judgment, and clear communication rather than relying solely on organizational authority.

Product and Technical Leadership: Combines strong product instincts with sufficient technical depth to assess complex software and platform challenges. Identifies opportunities to simplify architectures, improve software reuse, and strengthen Qualcomm’s long-term platform differentiation.

Ecosystem Orientation: Understands the importance of developers, open-source communities, operating system partners, OEMs, ISVs, and customers in building successful software platforms. Develops strategies that improve adoption, ecosystem credibility, and platform sustainability.

Coaching and Talent Development: Sets clear expectations, provides meaningful feedback, and develops high-performing product management talent. Creates an environment that supports accountability, collaboration, professional growth, inclusion, and continuous learning.

Clear Communication: Communicates complex technical and product issues in a concise, structured, and audience-appropriate manner. Presents roadmaps, recommendations, tradeoffs, and decisions effectively to technical teams, business leaders, customers, and executive stakeholders.

Location

This leadership position will be based in San Diego or Santa Clara, California.

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EEO Employer: 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.

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:

$237,800.00 - $356,800.00

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.