Qualcomm associate engineer 2026 hiring for freshers in Bengaluru

Qualcomm wants an engineer who can point Python and machine learning at semiconductor design data. The Qualcomm associate engineer 2026 opening is in Bengaluru. The listing calls it an entry-level job for people with 0 to 1 year of experience. That range starts at zero, so a fresher fits it on paper.

The employer named on the listing is Qualcomm India Private Limited. The job sits in the Engineering Group, under Hardware Engineering. Qualcomm posted it on 8 October 2026 and marks it as full time. The listing gives no salary.

What a Qualcomm associate engineer 2026 hire would work on

The full job title is Associate Engineer, CAD AI/ML. The listing spells out AI/ML as artificial intelligence and machine learning. It does not spell out CAD, so we will not guess at it. In plain words, you would write scripts and tools for the teams that do semiconductor design, the work of designing chips. You would also use the data their tools produce to spot problems and save time.

Here is the work, in our own words:

1. Write scripts, small utilities and automation for CAD and design workflows.
2. Run machine learning and data analysis on CAD data, tool logs, reports and engineering metrics.
3. Help build models for the team. More on these below.
4. Handle the large datasets that EDA tools and semiconductor design flows create.
5. Build pipelines that clean logs and reports and pull out the useful parts.
6. Help plug the finished models into the CAD automation tools the teams already use.
7. Work with other engineering teams, listed below.
8. Fix bugs in scripts, data pipelines and models.
9. Make dashboards, reports and charts that explain what the data shows.
10. Run experiments, check how well a model performs and write up the results.
11. Follow normal software habits: version control, testing, code reviews and documentation.
12. Keep up with new work in AI/ML, automation and semiconductor design.

The listing names five kinds of model you would help build. One predicts how long a tool will run and what it will need. One sorts failures and traces them to a root cause. One reads logs and flags anything odd. One tracks quality and performance trends. The last one looks for ways to make a design flow faster and more productive.

You would not work alone. The listing names the CAD, RTL, verification, synthesis, physical design and methodology teams as the people you would work with.

Who can apply: two degree lines on one page

The Required Qualifications block on the Qualcomm associate engineer 2026 listing opens with three lines:

• A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field.
• Up to one year of work in software development, CAD automation, data analytics or AI/ML. Zero is fine.
• You must be strong at writing Python code.

Further down the Qualcomm associate engineer 2026 page there is a second block, headed Minimum Qualifications. It asks for an Associate's degree in Computer Science, Electrical or Electronic Engineering, Engineering, or a related field. The two lines do not match. The listing does not say which one Qualcomm uses when it screens. If you hold a bachelor's degree in one of the named subjects, you meet both lines.

What this means for our readers:

• B.Tech and BE students in computer science, IT, or AI and ML match the bachelor's line by name.
• BCA and B.Sc IT are bachelor's degrees close to the subjects named. The words "or a related field" leave room, but the call is Qualcomm's.
• The listing does not mention master's degrees at all, so MCA and M.Sc holders should judge from their bachelor's subject.
• No batch year and no marks cut-off appear anywhere on the listing.

If your degree is in another branch, read the official page yourself before you apply. You can also browse openings for engineering graduates, jobs open to BCA and B.Sc grads or jobs for other degrees on Classic Jobs.

Skills the Qualcomm associate engineer 2026 listing asks for

The required list goes beyond Python. Qualcomm wants a good understanding of each of these:

• Data structures and algorithms.
• Object oriented programming.
• Machine learning basics.
• Statistics and probability.
• Cleaning and analysing data.
• Linux or Unix systems.
• Databases and SQL.

It also names Python libraries "such as NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, and Matplotlib or similar tools". That is an open list. Another library that does the same job still counts. The rest of the required block asks you to read and debug software logs and engineering reports. It also wants strong problem solving, clear writing and speech, and the ability to work with engineers from other fields.

The Preferred Qualifications block is the friendliest part for a final-year student. Its first item covers AI/ML, data science or automation work done through academic projects, internships or coursework. College work counts here. The other preferred items are:

• TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras, or other ML frameworks.
• Natural language processing, generative AI, large language models or retrieval-augmented generation.
• Some exposure to semiconductor design and verification. The listing names RTL and SystemVerilog, synthesis and implementation flows, and static analysis, formal verification or simulation. It also names design-for-test and low-power methods, plus EDA tools and CAD flows.
• Work with structured and unstructured engineering data.
• Git, REST APIs, CI/CD, Docker or cloud-based development.
• Shell scripting, Perl, Tcl, or other automation languages.
• Software testing and test automation.

These are preferred, not required. Chip design exposure is on this list, not the required one. A strong Python and machine learning student with no chip background is not ruled out by the listing's own words.

How to prepare for the Qualcomm associate engineer 2026 role

The listing does not describe the selection rounds, so we will not invent them. What it does give you is a clear map of the work, and you can prepare against that.

The closest match to the job is a project that reads log files with Pandas. It should sort failures into types and show the results in a Matplotlib chart. That one project touches log analysis, failure sorting, data cleaning and dashboards, and the listing names all of them. Put it on GitHub with a short readme, since version control and documentation are both named.

Revise the seven basics in the required list. Practise SQL queries and basic probability questions. Get comfortable on the Linux command line, because the listing names Linux or Unix on its own line. If you have time left, read a short primer on how a chip design flow works. The team names in this listing will then mean something to you.

Dates, pay and the fine print

Qualcomm posted the Qualcomm associate engineer 2026 listing on 8 October 2026. The listing data carries an end date of 6 April 2027. That is exactly 180 days after the posting date. It looks like an automatic expiry setting, not a closing date Qualcomm has announced. Do not plan around it.

No salary, stipend or pay range appears anywhere on the listing. We have left the pay field as not disclosed.

Qualcomm adds its own warning about agencies. It says its careers site is only for people looking for a job at Qualcomm. It will not accept unsolicited resumes from staffing agencies, and it asks that resumes are not sent to its staff or its jobs alias. So apply on the official site yourself. Nobody needs to forward your resume, and nobody should ask you for money to do it. Classic Jobs never charges candidates anything.

If you have a disability and need help during the hiring process, Qualcomm lists disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com for that purpose. Qualcomm says that address does not answer questions about application status.

Quick answers

Can a fresher apply for the Qualcomm associate engineer 2026 job? Yes, on the listing's terms. It asks for 0 to 1 year of experience and calls the job entry level.

Where is the job? Bengaluru, Karnataka. The listing does not mention remote or hybrid work.

Is chip design knowledge required? No. It sits in the preferred list. Python, machine learning basics, SQL and Linux sit in the required list.

What is the salary? Qualcomm has not disclosed it.

More roles to look at

To compare the Qualcomm associate engineer 2026 role with other Qualcomm jobs on Classic Jobs, see the Qualcomm software test engineer listing. You can also read the Qualcomm internship for B.Tech grads in Bengaluru and the earlier Qualcomm Hyderabad drive. For more work in the same city, try the Bangalore job list.

Source: this post is based on the official Qualcomm careers listing.