Senior Staff Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara, CA
Senior Staff Engineer jobs in Santa Clara are concentrated across semiconductor design, cloud infrastructure, and networking hardware, with the heaviest activity in the central business district, the Rivermark area, and the tech corridors near Great America Parkway. Employers hiring right now include Marvell Technology, Palo Alto Networks, and ServiceNow. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 441+ Senior Staff Engineer jobs
Company:
Qualcomm Atheros, Inc.Job Area:
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Systems EngineeringGeneral Summary:
This individual leads the team to improve engineering efficiency, product quality and responsibility of the research, design, development, verification, debugging and parameter tuning of algorithms for embedded SoC (System-on-Chip) software architectures, QoS architectures, domains and standards for the next-generation mobile devices, wireless networks and technologies, which includes the evolution of 3G, 4G, 5G, WLAN platforms. Interacts with overall computer system architecture (i.e. core, cache, memory models, bus architecture, Memory controller etc.) to establish software partitions that result in reliable, cost effective and power efficient system-on-chip solutions to enable advanced features in wireless devices. Identifies functionality for which minimum performance requirements remains, and generate and consolidate performance requirements data and conduct analysis and evaluation of critical performance metrics for 3G/4G/5G wireless platforms. This includes theoretical analysis, computer aided analysis, and utilizing expertise in radio communication theory, digital signal processing and cellular communication systems across PHY/MAC layers. Participates in design, Standards review sessions, contribution to QUALCOMM's IP portfolio, systems support for implementation and technical contributions towards proprietary or public air interface specifications. Acts as a strong contributor at design reviews and project meetings and communicates and implements a development plan.
Will accept a Master's Degree (or foreign academic equivalent) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or related degree field and seven (7) years of experience in a related occupation.
Pay Range: $196,650.00 - $270,700.00/year
Applicants : 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. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here . Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).
To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies : Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.
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.
If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers .
Company:
Qualcomm Atheros, Inc.Job Area:
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Systems EngineeringGeneral Summary:
This individual leads the team to improve engineering efficiency, product quality and responsibility of the research, design, development, verification, debugging and parameter tuning of algorithms for embedded SoC (System-on-Chip) software architectures, QoS architectures, domains and standards for the next-generation mobile devices, wireless networks and technologies, which includes the evolution of 3G, 4G, 5G, WLAN platforms. Interacts with overall computer system architecture (i.e. core, cache, memory models, bus architecture, Memory controller etc.) to establish software partitions that result in reliable, cost effective and power efficient system-on-chip solutions to enable advanced features in wireless devices. Identifies functionality for which minimum performance requirements remains, and generate and consolidate performance requirements data and conduct analysis and evaluation of critical performance metrics for 3G/4G/5G wireless platforms. This includes theoretical analysis, computer aided analysis, and utilizing expertise in radio communication theory, digital signal processing and cellular communication systems across PHY/MAC layers. Participates in design, Standards review sessions, contribution to QUALCOMM's IP portfolio, systems support for implementation and technical contributions towards proprietary or public air interface specifications. Acts as a strong contributor at design reviews and project meetings and communicates and implements a development plan.
Will accept a Master's Degree (or foreign academic equivalent) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or related degree field and seven (7) years of experience in a related occupation.
Pay Range: $196,650.00 - $270,700.00/year
Applicants : 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. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here . Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).
To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies : Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.
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.
If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers .
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Find Senior Staff Engineer JobsSenior Staff Engineer Job Market in Santa Clara
Who's Hiring
- Marvell Technology142
- Palo Alto Networks126
- ServiceNow47
- Qualcomm32
- d-Matrix16
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software110
- Agriculture & Farming63
- Electronics & Hardware47
- Telecommunications24
- Artificial Intelligence8
Senior Staff Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a senior staff engineer job in Santa Clara?
The strongest path is targeting Santa Clara's dominant sectors: semiconductor and chip design, networking infrastructure, and cloud platform engineering. Employers along Great America Parkway and the central business core hire heavily at this level. Candidates who can demonstrate system-level ownership, cross-functional technical leadership, and experience shipping hardware or large-scale distributed systems stand out most in this market.
Which companies hire senior staff engineers in Santa Clara?
Employers hiring senior staff engineers in Santa Clara right now include Marvell Technology, Palo Alto Networks, and ServiceNow, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Santa Clara's hiring base skews toward established semiconductor firms, networking hardware companies, and major cloud infrastructure players with large local engineering campuses.
Are there remote senior staff engineer jobs in Santa Clara?
Yes, though it depends heavily on the discipline, software and platform-focused senior staff engineer roles tend to offer remote flexibility, while hardware, silicon, and lab-dependent roles are almost always on-site. About 48% of senior staff engineer openings tied to Santa Clara are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with the remote share concentrated in cloud and software infrastructure positions.
How can I get a senior staff engineer job in Santa Clara with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry point is landing a staff engineer role at one of Santa Clara's mid-size semiconductor or networking companies first, then building toward the senior staff level over two to three years. Smaller silicon startups and infrastructure hardware firms in the area are more likely than large incumbents to promote quickly. Contributing to open-source projects, publishing technical work, or completing a hardware-adjacent graduate program strengthens a local candidacy considerably.
Which industries hire the most senior staff engineers in Santa Clara?
Santa Clara senior staff engineer roles concentrate in Technology & Software, Agriculture & Farming, and Electronics & Hardware, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Santa Clara's position as the historic center of Silicon Valley means semiconductor design and networking hardware drive a disproportionate share of senior-level engineering demand compared to most other U.S. cities.
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