Principal AI Systems Engineer, Controls Acceleration

Posted 3 Days Ago
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Beaverton, OR, USA
In-Office
Expert/Leader
Other • Retail
At NIKE, Inc., technology is laying the foundation for our digital transformation and direct-to-consumer strategy.
The Role
Leads development of AI-powered tools, simulation environments, automation, and learning-based systems that accelerate firmware and controls engineering for powered athlete products. Builds coding assistants, sim-to-real workflows, deployment frameworks, optimization systems, data pipelines, and regression analysis capabilities. Partners with firmware, controls, hardware, and product teams to improve development speed, quality, and reliability across complex mechatronic systems.
Summary Generated by Built In

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH
This role sits at the intersection of firmware, controls, hardware, and product development, helping accelerate how powered athlete products are built. You’ll report into engineering leadership, partner closely with controls and firmware engineers, and influence cross-functional teams responsible for highly integrated mechatronic systems that bring innovative athlete experiences to life.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Nike seeks a seasoned technical leader who thrives in ambiguity and is motivated by building systems that amplify the impact of an entire engineering organization. This person brings deep expertise in Artificial Intelligence, software engineering, simulation infrastructure, and learning-based systems, paired with the judgment and execution required to ship production-grade solutions. They are equally comfortable developing complex technical architectures, enabling engineering teams through tooling and automation, and translating emerging technologies into scalable business impact. The ideal candidate is a hands-on builder with strong curiosity, exceptional problem-solving skills, and experience accelerating development workflows in robotics, controls, embedded systems, or other complex hardware-software environments. They embrace modern Artificial Intelligence-assisted development practices and continuously look for opportunities to improve speed, quality, and innovation across the product lifecycle.

  • Open to work in Beaverton, Oregon; in-person presence required.
  • Master's degree with 10+ years of experience, or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) with 7+ years of relevant experience.
  • Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training.
  • Demonstrated expertise in production Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning systems, simulation environments, infrastructure tooling, and embedded software development.
  • Strong proficiency in Python, C++, modern Artificial Intelligence development platforms, agentic workflows, and learning-based control methodologies.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON
You’ll build the Artificial Intelligence-powered foundation that accelerates firmware and controls development for next-generation powered athlete products. By combining simulation, automation, tooling, and learning-based methods, you’ll help engineering teams iterate faster, reduce development friction, and bring innovative products to athletes more efficiently.

  • Develop and deploy Artificial Intelligence-powered development workflows, coding assistants, and automation capabilities that improve the speed and quality of firmware and controls engineering.
  • Build and scale simulation and sim-to-real environments that enable rapid testing, validation, and iteration before deployment on physical hardware.
  • Create training, testing, and deployment frameworks that support reliable transitions from model development to real-time embedded implementation.
  • Partner closely with firmware, controls, hardware, and product teams to establish tooling, infrastructure, and workflows that remove bottlenecks and accelerate execution.
  • Design automated optimization, tuning, and evaluation systems that enhance controller performance while reducing manual engineering effort.
  • Apply Machine Learning, pattern recognition, and data-driven techniques to identify regressions, uncover failure modes, and accelerate root-cause analysis.
  • Support learning-based control initiatives through scalable data pipelines, orchestration systems, visualization tools, and production-quality engineering practices.

We offer a number of accommodations to complete our interview process including screen readers, sign language interpreters, accessible and single location for in-person interviews, closed captioning, and other reasonable modifications as needed. If you discover, as you navigate our application process, that you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please complete the Candidate Accommodation Request Form.

Skills Required

  • Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, or a related field, with 10+ years of experience; alternatively, a PhD with 7+ years of relevant experience.
  • Demonstrated expertise in production Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning systems.
  • Experience with simulation environments and infrastructure tooling.
  • Experience with embedded software development.
  • Strong proficiency in Python and C++.
  • Strong proficiency with modern Artificial Intelligence development platforms, agentic workflows, and learning-based control methodologies.
  • Ability to work in person in Beaverton, Oregon.

Nike Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Nike and has not been reviewed or approved by Nike.

  • Retirement Support A 401(k) with a company match is complemented by options such as a Mega Backdoor Roth and deferred compensation for eligible earners. Financial coaching and structured savings programs support long-term financial security.
  • Equity Value & Accessibility An Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a stock discount sits alongside broad-based equity vehicles like RSUs and non-qualified stock options. These avenues expand wealth-building opportunities beyond base pay.
  • Parental & Family Support Paid parental leave includes maternity and paternity time, recently expanded in the U.S. to 16 weeks and extended to part-time retail teammates. Additional supports include childcare assistance at select locations and family-building benefits such as fertility, surrogacy, and adoption.

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The Company
HQ: Beaverton, OR
73,000 Employees
Year Founded: 1972

What We Do

At NIKE, Inc., we innovate to serve athletes*. Every teammate - from coder to creator - plays a role in making these athletes’ dreams real. Our tech, data, and digital teams push limits every day, building the future of sport and the tools that drive it. Here, curiosity is fuel. Innovation is the game plan. Different perspectives keep us on the offense. You’ll solve challenges worth tackling, grow fast and belong to a team that backs you to do the right thing. Bring your drive. Bring your bold. Let’s move the world, together. Take your first step at nike.com/careers * If you have a body, you’re an athlete.

Why Work With Us

At NIKE, Inc., your dedication fuels the future of sport. There is a sense of pride that comes from representing an iconic brand and shaping its future. Here, we treat every day as a new opportunity to push boundaries, ask tough questions and share whole-hearted convictions. We are a team – united by the belief that anything is possible.

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