Technical Lead– AI Stack, Staff Engineer

Company: Qualcomm India Private Limited Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering General Summary: Role Summary We are looking for a Technical Program Lead with strong Agile and Scrum delivery experience to drive large-scale, cross-functional development across the Data Center AI software stack. You will establish and run an effective execution cadence, enable teams to deliver predictably, and ensure transparent, data-driven decision-making. This role partners closely with Engineering, Product, and partner teams to manage scope, dependencies, risks, and releases across multiple teams, sites, and geographies. Key Responsibilities • Lead end-to-end program execution across multiple Agile teams delivering components of the AI software stack (models, frameworks, compilers, runtimes, serving, and platform interfaces). • Own and maintain the integrated plan (Plan of Record), aligning roadmaps to milestones, dependencies, capacity, risks, and delivery commitments. • Partner with Product and Engineering to translate strategy into an executable backlog and release plan; facilitate prioritization and trade-off decisions. • Establish and run Agile operating cadences (sprint planning, daily standups, reviews, retrospectives), and drive cross-team alignment via Scrum-of-Scrums / program syncs. • Coordinate execution across distributed teams and geographies, ensuring clear ownership, dependency management, and shared definitions of done/ready. • Drive release planning and change management (scope control, readiness criteria, go/no-go), ensuring predictable delivery and stakeholder visibility. • Proactively identify and remove impediments; track and mitigate delivery, technical, schedule, and integration risks with owners and due dates. • Communicate clearly with stakeholders at all levels; facilitate decision-making and alignment without direct authority. • Create transparent program reporting with Agile metrics (velocity trends, burn-up/down, cycle time, throughput, quality signals) and delivery confidence. • Drive continuous improvement across teams by coaching Agile practices, improving flow efficiency, and strengthening cross-team collaboration and release readiness. Minimum Qualifications • 8+ years of experience in program/project management delivering software in Agile environments (Scrum/Kanban), including multi-team initiatives. • Working knowledge of modern AI/ML software systems and the ability to collaborate effectively with engineering teams on technical dependencies and trade-offs. • Demonstrated ability to plan and deliver cross-functional programs involving Product, Engineering, QA, Operations, and partner teams. • Experience working with distributed teams and managing execution across time zones and stakeholder groups. • Strong facilitation and communication skills, with a track record of influencing outcomes without direct authority. • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience). Preferred Qualifications • Scrum Master / Agile certification (CSM/PSM, SAFe, PMI-ACP) and experience applying Agile at scale (multi-team planning and dependency management). • Proficiency with Agile tooling and reporting (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps) and building lightweight dashboards for stakeholders. • Experience driving release readiness and quality practices (definition of done, acceptance criteria, test planning, defect triage) for complex software systems. • Technical familiarity with AI/ML platforms or cloud-native delivery (containers, orchestration, CI/CD, MLOps) to effectively manage dependencies and risks. • Experience partnering with senior leadership on roadmap reviews, planning cycles, and executive-ready status communication. Core Competencies • Servant leadership mindset with strong facilitation across Scrum ceremonies and cross-team forums. • Execution excellence: ability to drive predictable delivery using Agile planning, clear working agreements, and data-driven inspection/adaptation. • Strong stakeholder and dependency management across Product, Engineering, and partner teams; comfortable operating in ambiguity. • Clear, structured, executive-ready communication with concise narratives, risks, and asks. • Ownership and accountability for outcomes, with a continuous-improvement approach to process and team health. What Success Looks Like • Predictable delivery of committed milestones and releases, with stable velocity/throughput trends and transparent scope management. • Reduced cross-team friction through effective dependency management, clear interfaces, and proactive risk/impediment removal. • Improved execution visibility via simple, trusted reporting and actionable Agile metrics (burn-up/down, cycle time, quality) that drive timely decisions. • Strong stakeholder trust built through reliable commitments, effective facilitation, and continuous improvement in team delivery and quality. Minimum Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience. OR Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 3+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience. OR PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience. • 2+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc. 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. 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