Thread regarding Qualcomm Inc. layoffs

The thing you are describing happened to me. I never received a single promotion in 18+ years after I was hired as a Senior Staff Engineer. I never complained because the salary, stock/RSU, and bonuses were good enough for me. I left Q last year - I asked for, and received a severence package. I found a new job immediately and it worked out fantastic. I am a little older than you (60+), but I found no problem finding another software job locally.

There is definitely a trend of not promoting senior or older employees at QC. This is a well known fact and is much more frequent since the Jacobs stepped out of the picture and a new CEO and CFO came in.

...and as long as your manager is also a senior staff, and not your buddy, you aren't going to get promoted any time soon. He's not empowered to promote you, and would have to go to bat with senior management to have you promoted above senior staff, which unless you are his buddy, aint gonna happen. You hit the glass ceiling.

I don't think it has to do with your age. It probably has more to do with a personality conflict. I'm not saying you have a problem. But for whatever reason, there is likely a conflict with someone higher up, not necessarily with your immediate manager. Q is dual matrixed so it's unlikely you are working on a project he is in charge of for which he would have direct input on, unless your line manager also happens to be your project lead, which would be a sucky situation for you to be in if he doesn't like you. I got promoted a lot faster than a lot of older people simply because I was more willing to do the things that older folks weren't willing to do when I was younger. That said, getting promoted beyond Senior Staff at this point is not easy and unlikely, given this environment and current situation you the company is in. Spend less time at work. And do something else to make more money elsewhere. You don't want to keep doing this when you are 50ish.