Qualcomm is Hiring Associate Engineer (5G NR Protocol Stack) | Hyderabad | 2026 B.Tech Grads

Job Description

Qualcomm's Associate Engineer opening is a genuinely specialized entry point into 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟓𝐆 𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 — you'd be working directly on the 𝟑𝐆𝐏𝐏 𝟓𝐆 𝐍𝐑 (New Radio) protocol stack, specifically across 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝟏, 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝟐, and 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝟑, which are the foundational technical layers that make 5G networks actually function. This is deeply specialized telecommunications/wireless engineering work, distinct from typical software application development — worth understanding clearly if you're considering this role, since it requires genuine familiarity with 𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, not general programming skills alone.

Worth flagging clearly: this listing is titled "Associate Engineer - 𝐁.𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔," suggesting it's specifically targeted at students graduating in 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 — similar to Qualcomm's other 2026-specific listing covered on this site. If you're not part of the 2026 graduating batch, it's worth confirming with Qualcomm directly whether this specific opening extends to other graduation years, since the title itself suggests a targeted cohort.

The domain knowledge required here is genuinely specialized — familiarity with 𝟑𝐆𝐏𝐏 𝟓𝐆 𝐍𝐑 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 is explicitly required, not just preferred. 3GPP standards are dense, technical wireless communication specifications that are rarely covered in general CS coursework; they're more commonly encountered in dedicated 𝐄𝐂𝐄/𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 programs with a wireless specialization, or through focused self-study. This makes the role considerably more specialized than typical "Associate Engineer" software titles might suggest — worth treating this as a distinctly 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦/𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬-𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 role rather than general software engineering.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞:

- 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: ECE/EE/CE or CS graduates (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 specifically) with genuine familiarity with 𝟑𝐆𝐏𝐏 𝟓𝐆 𝐍𝐑 specifications, ideally with coursework or project experience in wireless communications/telecom protocols

- 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫: general CS graduates without any wireless/telecom protocol background — the 𝟑𝐆𝐏𝐏 𝟓𝐆 𝐍𝐑 specification familiarity requirement is genuinely specialized and not commonly covered outside dedicated telecom-focused coursework

- 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲: 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 for the specific specialization — genuine 5G/LTE protocol knowledge is a narrow, valuable skill set with a limited pool of qualified fresh graduates, meaning strong candidates in this niche face less competition, but building this expertise requires deliberate ECE/telecom coursework or self-study

- 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: This experience can lead to 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 (𝐖𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬), 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫, or 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 roles within telecom chipset/wireless technology companies, with genuine 5G protocol development experience being highly valuable.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭: Qualcomm hasn't disclosed pay for this role. Associate Engineer roles in wireless/telecom protocol development at major semiconductor companies in Hyderabad typically range around ₹8–13 LPA for freshers with genuine 5G/LTE protocol knowledge — this is an estimate only, and Qualcomm's position as a leading wireless technology company could position actual offers competitively within or above that range.

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲: Given how specialized the 𝟑𝐆𝐏𝐏 𝟓𝐆 𝐍𝐑 requirement is, prioritize demonstrating any coursework, academic project, or personal study specifically covering 𝟓𝐆/𝐋𝐓𝐄 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 before applying — even foundational understanding of concepts like 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝟏 (physical layer), 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝟐 (MAC/RLC), and 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝟑 (RRC) signaling would be worth highlighting explicitly, since generic programming claims won't address the core specialized requirement this role is filtering for.

Roles & Responsibilities

The responsibilities center on hands-on protocol stack development and validation, with genuine customer-facing issue resolution as part of the role.

- Design and develop the 5G NR protocol stack across Layer 1, Layer 2, and Layer 3

- Work on 3GPP 5G NR feature development

- Perform system-level feature coding, developing and executing unit tests

- Work with internal test teams and external customers to resolve issues

Qualifications & Eligibility

Specifically targeted at 2026 B.Tech graduates, with an explicit specialized technical requirement.

- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, ECE, EE, CE, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field

- 0–1 years of Software Engineering or related work experience

- Familiarity with 3GPP 5G NR Specifications (required, not merely preferred)

Skills Required

Genuinely specialized wireless/telecom protocol knowledge forms the core differentiator for this role.

- 3GPP 5G NR Specification familiarity (required)

- Preferred: Prior NR or LTE protocol development experience