Android telephony and Qualcomm modem Engineer

Permanent employee, Full-time · Amsterdam

About Fairphone

Fairphone is more than just a company - we are a global leader in sustainable, modular electronics, on a mission to change the electronics industry from the inside out. Built on strong social and environmental values, we are a diverse and inclusive team from all walks of life creating market consumer electronics that make a real impact.
At Fairphone, you will find a supportive and safe space where everyone can be themselves, collaborate openly, and have the freedom to learn and grow - because that’s how we innovate and drive change together!
So… are you a proactive, self-motivated team player who loves taking initiative and bringing positive energy? Do you thrive in a fast-moving start-up or scale-up environment? Are you a great communicator who values collaboration and embraces different perspectives? And most importantly, do you feel a strong connection to Fairphone’s mission and values? If you're nodding along and thinking, “Yes, that’s me!”, then check out our vacancy below!
Please know that we acknowledge that we are living in a time where the use of AI can bring many efficiencies and support. However, we want to know the real YOU. Please try to limit the use of AI tools to generate answers to the application; we value authenticity and encourage you to use your creativity!

Location: Amsterdam (you should have the right to work in the Netherlands)
Hours: 32-40 hours per week
Deadline to apply: We review applications on a rolling basis. Please apply as soon as possible.
Contract duration: The 1st 12-month employment contract with the possibility of extension to permanent.

About your role

The Fairphone Software Engineering team is seeking a senior Android Telephony & Qualcomm Modem Engineer to redefine device longevity. In this role, you won't just maintain a device; you will architect a more sustainable future for mobile technology by extending the lifecycle of our hardware up to 8 years. You will be the technical anchor for our Telephony and Radio subsystems, bridging the gap between Fairphone’s hardware and the Android OS. Your mission is to master the complexities of the Qualcomm proprietary stack through nearly a decade of Android upgrades. We are looking for an engineer who excels at deep-dive analysis and innovative problem-solving, someone capable of maintaining security and performance long after traditional vendor support ends. Join us in building a fairer, more durable OS that proves high-performance technology can, and should, last.
You will report directly to our Software Longevity team Tech Lead, under our Head of Software Engineering, who reports to our CTO.

Key Responsibilities & Objectives

High-level responsibilities:

Integrate and maintain the Android operating system on Fairphone devices.
Apply expertise on the Android telephony stack and Qualcomm modem firmware on smartphone SoCs in order to implement the continuously changing requirements of network operators, as well as Fairphone’s own telephony-related requirements, maintaining features across upgrading Android system and modem versions.
Analyze mobile network operator (MNO) partner requirements and features and translate these to corresponding technical specifications for our software stack, specifically with respect to technologies such as 5G and IMS (VoLTE, VoWiFi, RCS, etc.)
Implement software fixes for specific challenges. Work together with quality teams and testing partners to validate proposed fixes and to ensure integrity of the overall operating system.
Drive continuous improvement in software quality.

Key technical areas for which this role carries responsibility:

Qualcomm telephony stack on Android devices: Implementation of evolving network operator specifications and Fairphone’s unique telephony requirements. You will be responsible for the architectural integrity of these features, ensuring seamless functionality and high-performance connectivity as you bridge legacy and modern software baselines across 8 years of Android OS and modem upgrades.
Android operating system upgrades: Contribution to the software engineering activities needed for upgrading the devices to newer Android version with a focus on the technical stacks such as Qualcomm’s modem firmware, Android telephony framework, Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)/Radio Interface Layer (RIL), the Qualcomm proprietary software stack that bridges between the Android and modem firmware.
MR and SMR releases: Contribution to ongoing long-term maintenance work, including the continuous development of the Android platform across our entire device portfolio. You will ensure consistent system stability through successive Android versions,, performing root-cause analysis for issues and providing proactive maintenance to uphold high quality standards between major releases.
Baseline shifts for the OS and SoC: Streamlining of the transition to new Android and Qualcomm software baselines to reduce the turnaround time for OS upgrades and minimize regression risks.
MNO tech stack sunsets and transitions: Implementation of engineering solutions to navigate the global 2G/3G sunset. You will lead the technical transition for our device portfolio by optimizing Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) and Voice over New Radio (VoNR) deployments, ensuring IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) stack compatibility across international carriers. This includes the strategic fine-tuning of modem firmware to guarantee seamless connectivity and to ensure compliance with mandatory emergency service (E911/112) across our target country markets.
Device security: Drive security maintenance initiatives, with a focus on vulnerability assessment and mitigation for legacy components. Evaluate the security impact of End-of-Support software from Qualcomm and third-party suppliers (e.g., eSIM/Secure Element)

Your Skills & Experience

You have a degree in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, or a similar field, or have equivalent experience in one or more of these fields.
You have 5+ years of relevant, hands-on experience in the Android ecosystem, specializing in system bring-up, maintenance, and upgrades. You have a proven track record in developing features within the Android Telephony stack and interfacing with Qualcomm modems.
You possess a rigorous understanding of mobile networking protocols and wireless communication standards.
You are an expert developer proficient in the core Android and Qualcomm stacks, including C/C++, Rust, Java, and Kotlin. You don't just write code; you architect, test, and implement robust functional requirements.
You are software quality-driven, used to unit and integration testing, code review tools, and continuous integration.
You are well-versed in open-source development methodologies and thrive in a collaborative environment.
You excel at triaging complex bug reports, performing root-cause analysis across hardware/software boundaries, and documenting your findings clearly.
You are familiar with basic scripting (shell), process automation (Python), and code versioning (Git).
You are proficient with GNU/Linux operating systems.
You are proficient in spoken and written English. Most of us are not native English speakers, but that’s the primary language we use internally, as well as with our teams and partners worldwide.

What Fairphone can offer you?

The opportunity to create an impact on the electronics industry around the world.
A diverse work environment full of international, passionate, warm-hearted team members.
25 paid holidays per year (based on a full-time contract) next to the other public holidays in the Netherlands. You’ll also get a day off on your birthday! Additionally, the longer you stay, the more holidays you get!
Daily, healthy lunch, organic FairChain coffee, and many more tasty things.
You will join Fairphone’s collective pension scheme, and we will contribute to building your pension.
You will receive a MacBook, Fairbuds, and a Fairphone as working devices.
Hybrid working model - We are remote-friendly, and you can work up to 60% of your time per month from home or any other location you want. We also contribute up to €250 for your home office set-up.
Public transport allowance – we fully cover your 2nd class commute from your home to the office
Bike allowance – We support you with a bike purchase of up to €300, and you’ll also have a yearly repair budget of up to €100! We also cover 23 cents per km for your biking distance from home to the office (or train station) and back!
Grow with us! We encourage you to develop at Fairphone. That’s why we’ll support your career goals with coaching (Inuka), trainings, workshops, or courses that you can join with your development budget.
Kitchen with beautiful views to the IJ waterfront.
There’s a gym and recreation and yoga rooms in the building where you can build healthy habits, stay active and have fun with your colleagues, as well as a subscription to our mental & physical well-being services (Inuka & Urban Sports)

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About us

DEI @Fairphone

At Fairphone, we care about people, planet and you. It’s natural that we see diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as an essential part of how we work together and do business.

We support and further strengthen our inclusive work environment and culture by more formally implementing various DEI efforts to ensure all Fairphoners feel included, respected, and supported.

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We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for your interest in Fairphone! Should you have difficulties with the upload of your data, please send an email to people@fairphone.com