Founding smart-module engineer at Quectel's new Manaus hub
Role
Software Engineer – Smart Module – LATAM
Level
Mid-Level (3–5 years of experience)
Languages
Portuguese & English required · Spanish a plus
About Quectel
Quectel is one of the world's leading suppliers of cellular IoT modules, antennas, and connectivity services, with more than 4,000 professionals across 8 R&D centers and 50+ sales offices worldwide. Our technology powers everything from smart meters and connected cars to industrial robots and point-of-sale terminals — quietly enabling billions of devices to talk to the cloud.
This is something special. Quectel is launching a brand-new operation in Manaus, Brazil — and we're building the founding team right now.
Hosted at ICT Manaus (Instituto Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Tecnologia de Software), an accredited Science, Technology and Innovation Institution under SUFRAMA's CAPDA framework, this new setup will become Quectel's regional engine for R&D, customer enablement, and ANATEL certification across Latin America.
Joining now means more than taking a job — it means shaping a team, a culture, and a way of working from day one. Your fingerprints will be on everything we build here.
Learn more about Quectel:
- Company website — quectel.com
- LATAM in action — Furukawa Electric LatAm customer story (Brazil)
- Follow us on LinkedIn
The Role
Smart modules are where Quectel's cellular tech meets serious compute — Android and Linux platforms with camera, multimedia, and AI capabilities, powering everything from smart POS terminals to AI vision devices and connected industrial equipment.
This is a founding-team role at Quectel's brand-new Manaus operation. You'll own the smart-module software story for the LATAM region: drivers, peripheral bring-up, multimedia and camera frameworks, and the customer-facing engineering work that turns Quectel modules into shipping products. Because the team is being built from scratch, you'll help define the technical playbook, the customer engagement model, and the way smart-module work happens here.
\"Smart modules let you touch the whole stack — kernel drivers, camera HAL, all the way up to Android apps. Doing that as part of a founding team, where you shape how things get built? Even better.\"
What You'll Do
- Own software development and maintenance for assigned LATAM customer projects on Quectel smart modules.
- Design and develop camera algorithms — image processing, enhancement, optimization.
- Bring up and integrate camera and image processing features into customer applications.
- Run camera testing and tuning across lighting conditions to deliver great image quality.
- Debug peripheral bring-up issues: MIPI LCD, sensors, MIPI camera, audio/video codecs.
- Support LATAM customers: develop new SW features, debug their issues, improve the SW stack and demo applications.
- Collaborate with overseas R&D teams — platform, hardware, FAEs, project managers, QA.
- Document what you build: design specs, technical analysis reports, knowledge articles.
- Write clean, scalable, efficient code — and improve the code that's already there.
What You Bring
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
- 3–5 years of embedded software experience on Android and/or Linux platforms.
- Strong C, C++, and Java programming skills.
- Solid Linux internals and system programming knowledge; RTOS exposure is a plus.
- Experience with the embedded software development lifecycle.
- Hands‑on experience with Android applications, HAL, and multimedia frameworks (GStreamer, CamX, OpenCV, OpenGL).
- Linux device driver development and peripheral bring‑up experience (MIPI LCD, sensors, MIPI camera, audio/video codecs).
- Comfort with hardware/software integration and debugging.
- Day‑to‑day experience with Git and Agile workflows.
- Strong problem‑solving skills and customer‑friendly communication.
- Fluent in English and Portuguese; Spanish is a plus.
Bonus Points For
- AI / machine learning experience for image analysis.
- Familiarity with Qualcomm camera frameworks (CamX / Chi-CDK).
- Prior FAE or customer‑engineering experience in the LATAM region.
The Tech You'll Work With
- Quectel's smart module portfolio — Android, Linux, and Yocto‑based platforms supporting cameras, displays, audio, GNSS, Wi‑Fi/BT, and 5G.
- Read the deep‑dive: \"What is a smart module?\" by a Quectel product manager.
- Qualcomm camera frameworks (CamX/Chi-CDK), GStreamer, OpenCV, OpenGL, and AI/ML at the edge.
Why You'll Love Working Here
- Founding‑team energy — you're not joining an established office, you're building one. The processes, the culture, and the technical playbook — you'll help write it.
- Real impact from day one — your decisions and designs ship inside products used by millions across LATAM.
- Backed by a global leader — startup feel, but with the technology, customers, and resources of a 4,000‑person publicly‑listed IoT company behind you.
- Direct line to global R&D — work side‑by‑side with our R&D centers in China, Europe, and North America while staying rooted in Manaus's growing tech ecosystem.
- Cutting‑edge technology — 5G, LPWA, AI at the edge, smart camera modules, and the next generation of connected devices.
- Career growth on a fast curve — early team members typically grow into senior technical or leadership roles as the operation scales.
- Customer‑facing exposure — directly shape how leading LATAM brands build their connected products.
- Competitive package — attractive compensation, benefits, and the stability of a global market leader.
- Competitive base salary aligned with LATAM market benchmarks.
- Flexible meal and grocery vouchers (meal allowance / food allowance).
- Health insurance with no co‑pay.
- Life insurance.
- Paid time off.
- International travel opportunities — HQ visits and global trade shows.
Quectel is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive team where everyone can do their best work.