JOB DESCRIPTION
About NIO
NIO is a pioneer and a leading company in the premium smart electric vehicle market. Founded in November 2014, NIO’s mission is to shape a joyful lifestyle. NIO aims to build a community starting with smart electric vehicles to share joy and grow together with users.
NIO designs, develops, jointly manufactures and sells premium smart electric vehicles, driving innovations in next-generation technologies in autonomous driving, digital technologies, electric powertrains and batteries. NIO differentiates itself through its continuous technological breakthroughs and innovations, such as its industry-leading battery swapping technologies, Battery as a Service, or BaaS, as well as its proprietary autonomous driving technologies and Autonomous Driving as a Service, or ADaaS.
NIO’s product portfolio consists of the ES8, a six-seater smart electric flagship SUV, the ES7 (or the EL7), a mid-large five-seater smart electric SUV, the ES6, a five-seater all-round smart electric SUV, the EC7, a five-seater smart electric flagship coupe SUV, the EC6, a five-seater smart electric coupe SUV, the ET7, a smart electric flagship sedan, and the ET5, a mid-size smart electric sedan.
Role Overview
We are seeking a highly skilled AI Research Engineer to design, prototype, and optimize end‑to‑end AI systems that automate enterprise workflows. In this role, you’ll bridge applied research and engineering—developing cutting‑edge AI models, tools, and platforms that streamline decision‑making, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new capabilities for enterprise users.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct applied research in AI and machine learning for process automation, knowledge systems, and intelligent decision support.
- Prototype, train, and deploy models that integrate with enterprise tools (e.g., ERP, CRM, LLM interfaces, and knowledge graphs).
- Collaborate with cross‑functional teams in data engineering, product, and business functions to identify automation opportunities and deploy scalable AI solutions.
- Develop pipelines and infrastructure for continuous learning and model optimization in production environments.
- Stay current with advancements in foundation models, multimodal AI, reinforcement learning, and autonomous agents, and evaluate their potential enterprise applications.
- Publish internal technical reports and contribute to the company’s intellectual property portfolio.
Required Qualifications
- MS or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
- 3+ years of experience in applied AI/ML research or engineering.
- Solid understanding of deep learning, LLMs, and model architectures (e.g., Transformers, diffusion models).
- Skilled in Python and ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow.
- Experience building and deploying AI for enterprise automation or intelligent assistants.
- Strong software engineering background, with experience in scalable systems, APIs, and cloud environments (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
- Excellent problem‑solving and communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with multi‑agent systems, data orchestration, or autonomous workflows.
- Knowledge of knowledge graphs, vector databases, or retrieval‑augmented systems.
- Familiarity with enterprise security, compliance, and data governance.
- Published research or open‑source contributions related to AI automation or applied ML.
Compensation:
The US base salary range for this full-time position is $163,500.00 - $212,400.00.Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only. It does not include discretionary bonus, equity, or benefits.
Benefits:
Along with competitive pay, as a full-time NIO employee, you are eligible for the following benefits on the first day you join NIO:
CIGNA EPO, HSA, and Kaiser HMO medical plans with $0 for Employee Only Coverage.
Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plan. Both provide options with a $0 paycheck contribution covering you and your eligible dependents.
Company Paid HSA (Health Savings Account) Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible CIGNA medical plan
Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
401(k) with Brokerage Link option
Company paid Basic Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Sick and Vacation time
13 Paid Holidays a year
Paid Parental Leave for first 8 weeks at full pay (eligible after 90 days of employment with NIO)
Paid Disability Leave for first 6 weeks at full pay (eligible after 90 days of employment with NIO)
Voluntary benefits including: Voluntary Life and AD&D options for you, your spouse/domestic partner and dependent child(ren), pet insurance
Commuter benefits
Mobile Cell Phone Credit
Healthjoy mobile benefit app supporting you and your dependents with benefit questions on the go & support with benefit billing questions
Free lunch and snacks
Onsite gym
Employee discounts and perks program
Skills Required
- MS or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
- 3+ years of experience in applied AI/ML research or engineering
- Solid understanding of deep learning, LLMs, and model architectures
- Skilled in Python and ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow
- Experience building and deploying AI for enterprise automation
- Strong software engineering background in scalable systems and APIs
NIO Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about NIO and has not been reviewed or approved by NIO.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay and benefits are rated highly in at least one cited source, and the provided figures position total compensation as competitive within tech/EV roles. The package appears stronger for senior and specialized roles given the upper-end salary ranges shown.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — A stock ownership plan is described as covering all employees, indicating broad access to equity participation. This design links employee rewards to company performance through shared ownership.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Workplace perks include flexible hours, catered lunch, unlimited PTO in older accounts, and lifestyle supports such as free snacks/drinks and fitness stipends. These benefits add day-to-day value beyond base pay.
NIO Insights
What We Do
NIO’s mission is to shape a joyful lifestyle by offering premium smart electric vehicles and providing the best user experience. NIO was founded in November 2014 as a global electric vehicle company. The company has over 7,000 employees working across world-class research and development, design and manufacturing centers in Shanghai, Beijing, San Jose, Munich, London and six other locations. In 2015, NIO was the title sponsor for the Drivers’ Championship winning team during the inaugural ABB FIA Formula E season. In 2016, NIO unveiled one of the fastest electric cars in the world, the EP9. The EP9 set the lap record for an electric vehicle at the Nürburgring Nordschleife and three other world-renowned tracks. In 2017, NIO unveiled its vision car EVE and announced that the NIO EP9 set a new world speed record for an autonomous vehicle at the Circuit of the Americas. NIO officially began deliveries of the ES8, the high-performance electric flagship SUV, on June 28, 2018. NIO was listed on the New York Stock Exchange on September 12, 2018. NIO officially launched the high-performance long-range electric SUV, NIO ES6, at NIO Day on December 15, 2018. On May 28, 2019, the first production model ES6 rolled off the line at the JAC NIO Advanced Manufacturing Center. NIO officially began deliveries of the ES6 on June 18, 2019. NIO officially launched the EC6, a 5-seater smart premium electric coupe SUV, in December 2019 and began deliveries of the EC6 on September 2020. On January 9, 2021, NIO ET7, the smart electric flagship sedan and NIO’s first autonomous driving model, was officially launched.
