Senior OS/Kernel Engineer

Posted 18 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
San Jose, CA, USA
In-Office
143K-186K Annually
Senior level
Automotive
The Role
The Senior OS/Kernel Engineer will design and develop NIO's vehicle operating systems, optimize system performance, and collaborate with engineering teams on production quality software.
Summary Generated by Built In

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.

About the Position
We are seeking a senior OS / kernel engineer to join our SkyOS team. The team is responsible for the design and development of NIO's full-domain vehicle operating systems. The position will explore new ideas and designs that can make systems software faster, more dependable, and intelligent, from proof of concept to final production quality. You will have the opportunity to work on almost every layer of systems software, including kernel, networking, file system, drivers, hypervisor, libc, build system, etc, to optimize the system from high-level architecture down to the choice of assembly instructions, to bring high-impact innovations onto production systems by collaborating with engineering teams. If you enjoy building systems from scratch, writing high quality system code, optimizing performance, and shaping the future of systems software for intelligent EVs, the stage is ready for you.
Roles and Responsibilities
  • Prototype and evaluate advanced systems software concepts, including kernels, file systems, drivers, and networking, to improve system performance, safety, and dependability.
  • Design, implement, and optimize critical low-level system components to fulfill strict real-time performance and safety goals.
  • Contribute to the long-term systems software architecture and help guide technical decisions within the smart EV infrastructure.
  • Collaborate closely with broader engineering teams to transition prototypes and advanced concepts into highly reliable, production-ready deployments.
Qualifications:
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related fields.
  • Strong background and hands-on experience in operating system internals, virtualization, or system security.
  • Solid understanding of computer hardware architecture, with practical experience in at least one of the following: x86, Arm, or RISC-V.
  • Proficiency in C, assembly, and/or Rust. Proven ability to navigate, debug, and improve complex, low-level codebases.
  • Strong troubleshooting skills to diagnose and resolve complex system-level performance, memory, and stability issues.
  • Ability to work independently on ambiguous technical problems while remaining a strong, communicative team collaborator.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Master’s or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
  • Familiarity with the latest academic research in systems (e.g., papers from SOSP, OSDI, ASPLOS) and a track record of applying these concepts to solve industry problems.
  • Experience modifying, extending, or building core system software components (such as custom kernel modules, hypervisors, real-time operating systems (RTOS), or network stacks).
  • Exposure to microkernel architectures or automotive/safety-critical operating systems.
  • Familiarity with formal verification methods or automotive safety standards (e.g., ISO 26262).

Compensation:

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $143,200.00 - $186,000.00.
  • 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:

  • Anthem Blue Cross, 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 Anthem Blue Cross 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

  • Free lunch and snacks

  • Onsite gym

  • Employee discounts and perks program

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The Company
San Jose, CA
2,732 Employees
Year Founded: 2014

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.

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