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.
We are building the next-generation ECU simulation platform that powers software-defined vehicle development across multiple vehicle programs. Using state-of-the-art CPU, GPU, and NPU simulation / emulation / virtualization technologies, our team enables hyper-realistic, high-throughput, and scalable simulation environments that dramatically accelerate vehicle software validation, integration, and deployment.
As a Staff Simulation Software Engineer, you will design and deliver the foundational low-level software that makes this possible — working at the intersection of hypervisor technology, hardware architecture, and automotive real-time systems. This is a high-visibility, high-impact role with direct influence on vehicle programs that will shape the future of mobility.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Own the end-to-end design and delivery of low-level emulation and virtualization software for high-performance, high-throughput ECU simulation across multiple cross-platform vehicle initiatives, ensuring industry-leading reliability, scalability, and efficiency.
- Architect and optimize CPU, GPU, NPU simulation / emulation / virtualization technologies continuously pushing the boundaries of functionality, performance, efficiency, and reliability.
- Deliver production-grade simulation components that precisely meet product definitions, customer specifications, and vehicle platform requirements, maintaining full traceability to requirements.
- Design and implement high-performance Linux guest drivers and libraries for CPU, GPU, NPU, and peripheral components, enabling seamless virtualized hardware access in a virtualized environment.
- Partner closely with application and system development, validation, and integration teams to translate real-world automotive constraints into robust, high-quality simulation solutions that accelerate vehicle product SW development, validation, and integration.
- Drive high-quality, on-time delivery of software deliverables across multiple vehicle programs while championing best practices in testing strategies, traceability, and continuous improvement.
Qualifications:
- 7+ years of hands-on experience building complex, high-performance software systems (embedded systems, virtualization, or large-scale simulation preferred).
- 3+ years of deep expertise in QEMU or similar simulation / emulation / virtualization software development on Linux (KVM experience highly valued).
- Strong architectural background in CPU, GPU, and NPU architectures, modern SoC designs, software stacks, and virtualization technologies (including virtualization extensions and performance optimization techniques).
- Solid mastery of Linux kernel internals, embedded / real-time operating systems (real-time OS), and low-level driver development.
- Proven experience with ARM platform bring-up and bare-metal / low-level software development.
- BS / MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality, production-grade code on aggressive timelines, with excellent technical documentation and communication skills.
- Organized mindset and a passion for delivering high-quality software in a collaborative environment.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Deep expertise in QEMU or simulator architecture and development (contributor or maintainer experience is a strong plus).
- Hands-on experience with Linux hypervisors and virtualized driver stacks in environments such as QEMU, KVM, VMware, VirtualBox, or Xen.
- Familiarity with Linux hypervisor, middleware, and application frameworks.
- Experience in automotive platforms (AUTOSAR, functional safety ISO 26262, or vehicle virtualization frameworks) is a significant advantage.
- Exposure to cloud computing, databases, and logging techniques for large-scale simulation/validation pipelines is a plus.
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:
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